Artist Spotlight: Gingiber

Gingiber is the work of artist Stacie Bloomfield. Her goal is to encourage and inspire you to live your most full, creative life. Once upon a time, Stacie couldn't find artwork for her daughter's nursery and decided to take matters into her own hands. She kept being drawn (get it?) to the irresistible essence of animals: their furry faces, their perky ears, their plethora of colors and textures. Animals simply have a way of being adventurous and fun: visually, figuratively and literally. At Gingiber, we believe life should be that way, too. As time went on, Stacie discovered her biggest passion was to make art that encourages women to rise, transform, and shine a light on their creativity and inner strength. 

Stacie is an artist, a mom of 3, and is married to a mathematician turned computer coder. She lives in a perpetual fixer upper in Northwest Arkansas.

Tell us about the birth of Gingiber!

Gingiber was born while I was working as a coffee shop manager. I had a new born baby at home and didn't have the budget to purchase art for her room, nor could I even find artwork that I loved. So I sat down with a sharpie and a manilla envelope and doodled my own art. After that, my husband encouraged me to try and sell my artwork on Etsy. The rest, they say, is history! My daughter is now 13 years old and takes full credit for the success and growth of Gingiber :)

Did you always want to be an artist, even in childhood?

Yes, my earliest memory is of doodling on church bulletins while my dad tried to keep me quiet in church! I wanted to be an artist or a softball player.

What is your favorite medium to create with? Describe your process.

Right now I am addicted to my iPad and Procreate. I use it as my digital sketchbook. I keep it with me and pull it out to sketch out ideas. I start in black and white, then create the artwork color by color, layer by layer, using procreate brushes. Then I export my work to Adobe Illustrator to finish my repeat patterns, cards, tea towel designs, and more.

Where do you find your inspiration?

I am currently very inspired by poetry and my favorite classic authors. I'm also keen on keeping a notebook where I jot down my own thoughts, struggles, hopes, etc, and I often take what I'm feeling and turn it into art.

What's your solution for combating “creative block” and maintaining productivity?

I am huge on having time blocking systems to help me stay organized and productive. I've never been a "daily sketchbook" person. I like to work in huge chunks of creative time, so I set up my schedule so I have those wide open times to let creativity be my guide. When I'm really stuck, I go for a walk, take a bath, or get out of my house and away from my computer so I don't mindlessly spin my wheels.

What does a typical day at your studio look like? How do you manage your time?

I am so fortunate that I have a studio outside of my home, and I go there during the week to film classes and videos, to work with my team, and to create artwork. I sit on my favorite blue couch, make a cup of coffee, and get to work. I also do find that I make my favorite artwork when I'm in my own bed after the kids have gone to sleep, but I'm trying to break my Covid induced habit of working from bed. I manage my time using my calendar and to-do lists. I'm big on setting deadlines and working backwards from them. Organization is one of the main keys to steady growth.

What do you enjoy doing in your “free time?”

I love going to my local museum, Crystal Bridges. I also love TV. I always have and I always will. To me it doesn't feel like a waste of time. TV is a welcome escape and a chance to be entertained. I love TV (haha).

What are the biggest challenges you have faced to get to where you are now?

Honestly, I started with no money when I launched my Gingiber Etsy Shop. I just kept reinvesting every spare cent back into the business. My first printer was paid for by cashing in one of my husband's small savings bonds. I think my growth was a slow and steady growth, and I like it that way. The biggest growing pains have been knowing when to hire and how to hire when this creative business has always been my baby. Also, I am a bit of an over-committer, so not spreading myself too thin has been a hard lesson to learn. I've probably made every business mistake in the book, but I kept going.

How does the culture of your city contribute to the development of your independent business?

When I first started growing my business, the local handmade market scene was HUGE, and I definitely benefited from the local love. I did so many local craft shows, got to meet customers in person, and built relationships outside of the transactional experience. I feel so fortunate to live where I do in NWA. I'm surrounded by beauty, have so many creative relationships, and I'm just thrilled to get to root my business here.

You’ve also created an amazing virtual art business course! Can you tell us a bit about it?

I'm always working hard on my course, which helps artists get their art onto products. I've taught over 1,000 artists how to license their art and launch their own product based businesses inside of my 8 week long course called "Leverage Your Art". I only run the course once year and people can join the waitlist: https://www.leverageyourart.com/course

My heart is for serving the creative community. I wish I had this course 13 years ago when I was first starting my own illustration business, and I'm honored to now be a small part of so many other artists' stories.

Stacie is awesome and has also written a book, Give Yourself Margin, which you can purchase here

Follow Stacie on Instagram @gingiber and shop her line of paper goods, accessories and home decor at www.gingiber.com