Developing: When does inspiration come most easily to you?
Nicole McLaughlin: For me, inspiration is everywhere. This is mostly because I work with existing items. I can look at the random items in my surroundings and they will inspire me for my next projects. I also get most inspired right before I fall asleep. I also get inspired when I’m a little tired, mostly because I’m not thinking about anything too serious. When that inspiration strikes, I’ll fall asleep and wake up in the morning and make what I thought of.
D: How have you stayed inspired over the past year?
NM: I’ve maintained my inspiration this past year by really going back to my roots of “making.” This means, taking the bare bones of what I can create and not sourcing new items, but using what I have around me. It’s been really inspiring to do the most with the least that I possibly have. For anyone looking to get into this kind of creating, I think that’s the best exercise.
Developing: What is the most important part of your creative process?
NM: The most important part of my process is the beginning stages of conception, and thinking through the idea, or just trying to see if the material work[s]. Photographing while I create is also one of the most important parts of my process. I share my work on the internet and people don’t usually get to experience it in real life–so I always need to make sure it translates in photos so people can grasp what it is and understand the feeling of what it might be to wear something I create.