This week we Craft bloggers are sharing with you our favorite blogs (besides Craft and Make, of course!). I caught up with Lenore Edman from Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories to talk about her philosophies on creativity and what she does at EMSL. She runs her blog and small business with her husband, Windell Oskay, where together they post new and fun DIY projects ranging from racing toothbrush robots to edible googly eyes.
Lenore is an inspiring creator. She writes:
Most people who make things tend to specialize in a certain area, whether it be electronics, yarn, paper or food. Whether you call something shop or home ec. doesn’t really change that at the root, you’re learning a set of skills for creating things. I’m a liberal arts kind of Jane-of-all-trades: I can do a little of everything, and I apply it all everywhere, but I don’t have any specifically marketable skills. I’m not afraid of fitting a fabric cover to a plywood frame or of putting electronics in a plush toy. I think translation stages are cute, and I love vintage packaging materials. I adore bearings and am not afraid to pack them with grease. The most important thing for me is to have someone to brainstorm with and to not be afraid of any ideas, no matter how far fetched or ridiculous they may seem.
Lenore and Windell publish online how-to guides for their projects, and believe very strongly in sharing what they love:
What I do is mash up a bunch of different making techniques to implement ideas. I’m incredibly lucky in that my techniques mesh well with and complement my partner’s techniques. We get to combine more methods than most makers. And what we do that sets us aside from most people who make things is to write up what we do and share it with everyone else. It takes more time to make [projects] when you’re dedicated to documenting the process; so why do it? What I really love is finding out that someone else benefited from the information I’ve put out there. It is incredibly satisfying to find out that a project I wrote up inspired someone to try something new. Because that is what it is all about: not being afraid to try something new, whether it be with food, sewing, electronics, or whatever it is that makes you happy.
Lenore comes from a family with a strong do-it-yourself tradition, and was always encouraged to experiment throughout her childhood. Innovation comes from necessity — Lenore learned to maintain her bike for when she couldn’t afford a car. She and Windell want to propagate the confidence to experiment with new techniques to get your ideas out there. Their projects and kits available at Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories are an inspiration to anyone skirting the maker/crafter line. – Link.
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