I went on a journey six years ago when I began sewing after our 15 year business in faux-finishing/mural-painting collapsed with the economy. I started a blog. Then I started a company called, SUCH Designs. I designed sewing patterns which led to designing fabric for Windham Fabrics which led to writing my first book.

On that journey I learned a few things about myself and what I want. I quickly realized that I most definitely couldn’t teach people to sew. But what I could offer was all the art-school-girl in me: creativity/rule-breaking/color-theory/composition/drawing/painting techniques/art history.

But anyone can do that.

I realized that in addition to my voice as an artist is another voice–the voice of self-love and compassion–the creativity enabler. I have logged many hours on the other end of a therapist’s couch. And I’m able to love myself after a lifetime of that work (and maybe because my mom helped with that as a girl.) If you can combine self-love and trust with creativity…well, then you have magic.

As Carrie Bloomston, I am showing up in the world fully as myself. All the aspects of me: loving, attentive mama, imperfect-yet-self-loving artist, sage-wielding-mystic, and glue-stick-and-scissor-having-fabric-designer, apron-clad weirdo.There are two veins that run through my work: soulful, abstract painter and maker of wonderful, whimsical things. Because humans are full of complexity and we just have to let the light shine out and trust our hands and heart to guide us to wherever we are headed.

I hope I can help guide people to their whispers–the Source of their creativity. And the Source is deep because it is soul. What I always joke about my book, The Little Spark–30 Ways to Ignite Your Creativity, is that it isn’t a self-help book, but wink-wink, it is.

And wink-wink, if we aren’t swimming in the deep-end of the pool then we’re in the wrong end, my friends. It is our right and our luxury to know ourselves in this lifetime, to face our fears, to dig into what matters and leave the rest of all the distracting sh*t in the shallow-end. Going deep is the new black.

So, I’ll keep designing whimsical fabric and making big abstract paintings and teaching workshops and classes to help people plug in to the waterfall of self-love through creativity–connecting deeply through creativity and art–to self, others, community, and our ancestors.

I hope to inspire with words and art. And not just individuals, but with corporate events, too. (Please tell your friends!)

Meet Handshoe Design

My tribe is women. When it was time to rebrand I knew I wanted women to help guide me through the process. Women like me–busy, working, creative moms. And the magic of the universe brought me to Handshoe Design. Tiffany and Leslie were my talented and capable shamans. Branding work is soul work. Period. If you don’t dig in and get to the very bottom of all that matters to you, then you risk missing your essential nature. But these gorgeous women held my hand (via our online chat meetings…they are based in Denver) and they listened so hard. They listened to all my musings and post-it notes. They asked the big questions. They reflected all of my answers back to make sure they had it right. Then they went to work weaving a gorgeous brand for me–in photos and words, strategy, web design, logo and business cards and social media headers, etc. Tiffany even created my woven logo by hand, just like I like things, by twisting a piece of string into the most beautiful trinity/flower icon that feels just so right and represents the aspects of what I’m up to.

They stunned me and wowed me at every turn. And now we can present it to you. I hope you like it all. Please let me know your feedback. And do contact Handshoe Design when you are ready to do your branding work.

The big reveal

So now I’d like to present my brand new brand: please go to www.carriebloomston.com and have a look around at the new digs. I hope you like it!

 Namasté, Carrie B.