Saturday, November 22, 2008

INCrowd Interview, 11/22/08 - Talia Halliday aka conduitpress

I just love anything to do with books. We have a few makers of books in the INCrowd, and I really love Talia's stuff. So, without further ado, conduitpress...

Where were you born & raised?
I was born on an army base in Ft Hood, TX but by about six months of age my parents moved back to their home town, Marion, Indiana. They were young and in love, what ya gonna do? I lived there all my life in the same house for most of it as well. My parents actually just moved out of that house not too long ago and it was quite a sad ordeal. Oh the loss of childhood.

Where are you now & what led you there?
Bloomington, IN. My undergrad degree led me here, the friends that I met and the beautiful college town feel kept me here, my husband and children solidified my existence here. It's a wonderful place to call home and I'm incredibly happy to be able to raise a family in such a liberal, cultural, artsy town.

What types of creations do you sell in your Etsy shop(s)?
Handmade books and handmade papers are my specialty. I really enjoy getting my hands dirty when making a book and knowing how it's put together. This is something I lost in photography when everything went digital as I used to be in the dark room all the time. I do sell some photography as well. I'm going to start selling a variety of notecards printed with either linocuts that I've designed or photographs. I also dabble in knitting, mostly baby items, but scarves and shawls as well. I've started creating some 1 inch pinback buttons, since I have some experience in graphic design I thought I would give it a go. To see your work in print is always a joy.


What's your educational background, as it relates to your work?
I don't have one really. I mean, I have an education and all, but not in fine art. I have a Bachelors in English and Creative Writing and am working on my Masters in Secondary Education/English Education. I suppose that by reading and writing as much as I do it allows my mind to creatively imagine a world outside of my own and thus create beautiful works of art that represent that world.

How'd you get started creating?
I caught the shutterbug from my maternal grandfather way back and from there it just kept going. I've always loved vintage cameras and photographs and typography, so it was a natural progression to get into bookmaking wherein you could put all of these things together. I took an 'Artist's Books' class in undergrad and that really opened my eyes to what was/is possible in the realm of books, and really, I've never looked back.

What's your muse, or what turns that little creative light inside you on?
My family. We're all a bunch of nerds really, and in that nerd-dom comes this creativity. Anything nerdy inspires me. Typography I find exceptionally nerdy and I love it. Computers and graphic design have a little bit of glamor, but they're incredibly nerdy as well. And yet, I say that, but most of my creations are laid out in very natural forms taken away from the computer, so maybe that's what it is. Because my life is so overtaken by technology I really try to bring a little bit of nature back into it. After all, I do specialize in real handmade books, an art form that a lot of people don't even touch anymore, they just read the computer screen instead.

Do you belong to any Street Teams? If so, which ones and why?
This one, the INCrowd of course- because as much as I hated Indiana growing up, and always wanted to escape, this is my home. Bloomington is my home. And I really want to support local artists because I would love for them to support me as well. Like Elton John (and Simba) says, it's a circle of life (imagine me singing that while you read this-- ok, maybe not).

I also belong to BEST (bookbinding etsy street team) for obvious reasons;) I'm a bookbinder silly.


What's your favorite thing about selling on Etsy?
I really like the variety of items you can find on Etsy. I love the culture and the point of view you can find outside of yourself. So yes, I sell on Etsy, but I sort of sell on Etsy in order to be able to buy on Etsy. It's a vicious cycle.


Recommend your favorite shops on Etsy.
I really don't know that I've been here long enough to have many fave shops, but I'll try. I'm still a relative newbie to these parts.

1. artandghosts - I feel like I'm in a dream in these paintings, a not so good dream, but a not so bad dream either. Somehow a mix of The Shining and Donnie Darko
2. RaspberryBaby - I love love love babywearing and these wraps look gorgeous- and I just ordered my first one last week. I can't wait to get it :)
3. LewasDesigns - really, wall decals are sooo popular right now, but I love little trees with no leaves and really, there's nothing better
4. Feywood - She (they) are from my area and I've seen her work and I Love it. I own two pieces and I love fairies.

Show us pictures of your three favorite items from your own shop.

Beetles and Ribbon - Large(r) Blank Journal

Letter (Im)pressed - Lined Journal

Typecast Album - Blank

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