One of my favorite things about technology is how easy it makes it for us to find fellow creatives in the world. The internet has brought me a lot of IRL friends and I’m grateful for those first few random comments and connections that brought us together and sparked enough interest to make us go beyond liking just each other’s photos on Facebook. But I also love how easy apps like Instagram make it to follow artists and makers. I’ve curated my Instagram follow list well beyond friends and family, and turn to it daily to get a hit of inspiration and beauty.
Here are five artists and makers I follow (all over the web and in real life) who always deliver on creativity, risk taking, and originality.
Shanalee Hampton. I am obsessed with embroidery, doing it myself, and collecting as much of it as I can from people far more talented than me. I have several pieces from Shanalee or @cookooriko as she goes by on Instagram. Shanalee posts daily photos of what she’s working on and she is always working on something awesome, like that hand stitched portrait of Bowie above.
Jennifer Orkin Lewis aka August Wren. I don’t remember how I stumbled across August Wren’s Instagram feed but I’m sure glad I did. Jennifer has a year long project where she paints for 30 minutes a day, a commitment to her craft that has no doubt made her an even better artist. I love seeing her bright paintings pop up in my feed.
Molly Meng. I have met few people who have as much creative energy and imagination as Molly Meng. Molly has a delightful line of cards called 8mm Ideas, but she does so much more than design cards, this woman is an artist. Follow her for daily inspiration and peeks into her massive collection of ephemera. If you are in LA take a class with her and CreativeLive instructor Rober Mahar at their shared studio Meng & Mahar.
Michael McConnell. If I could cover my walls in paintings by Michael McConnell I would. This SF artists goes by the name @poopingrabbit on Instagram. Follow him and your feed will blow up with beautiful paintings of animals and people with animal heads. What I love most about following him is the glimpse he gives us into his process. First you’ll see a sketch, then, over the course of a few photos, you’ll see the sketch transform into a fully fleshed painting before your eyes. He often asks his followers for subject and color suggestions which makes it even more fun to follow along.
Rachel T Robertson. Looking at her work you get the impression that Rachel could master any creative endeavor she chose to pursue.
A former Anthropologie display designer (the talent behind many of their stunning window displays) she goes by the name @displaylady on Instagram.
Rachel paints, knits, does macrame, and creates gorgeous jewelry. You’ll cherish every photo she posts.
Want to get better at your craft? We’re putting all of our hands-on craft classes on sale starting today through March 15th.
