Creative Crush: Alyssa Black

I have known Alyssa for a while. We are part of the same group for badass bloggers. A community a ladies to help each other all things blogging. (Cause I really need it some days :P) So I wanted to introduce you all to her and see why I love what she does.

Her site is Pretending To Be An Adult and soon to be Alyssa Black Designs. 

Twitter: @AlyssaKBlack
Instagram: @AlyssaBlackDesigns
Facebook: /pretendingtobeanadult                     Pinterest: /AlyssaKBlack

1. What do you do? This is for work and what you do for your site. Especially if they are different things? Why is your site about that subject?

By day I am a graphic designer and office assistant at a public access TV station, by night (and weekends) I have fun over on my blog (pretending to be an adult) helping ladies make the transition to adulthood as fun and painless as possible. I am certainly more passionate about pretending to be an adult, building worksheets and doing posts about the basics that somehow no one ever taught us about being an adult, like how cook for yourself or get a handle on your money. I love sharing what I have learned in my adulting adventures in my silly style. I created the site as my way of getting coping with needing to seem like a functioning adult, while being a total child on the inside. I have manage to make it work for the most part and thought that others would benefit from what I have learned on my journey. Plus I get to let out my creative side designing worksheets and other printable for fun and not at my day job!
 

2. What are some of the creative things you love to do? This doesn't have to be just things that are "artistic". Ex: walk in nature, organize, clean, play with your pet, nap, etc.
 

I love everything involved with parties! As stressful as my wedding was it was so much fun creating a look and feel for the entire event. We did a vintage carnival theme and I had the insane idea to try to DIY the whole thing. I learned so much, from designing my invitations, to decorating, and the logistics of getting so many people in one place and happy. But the invitations were really where I had the most fun, designing them, learning calligraphy to address them myself, cutting out all the glittery liners, it was so much fun. I even went on to create my best friends invites for her wedding which was a super fun valentines day theme! I just couldn't get enough! 

3.How does your creativity enhance your life?

My creativity helps me daily! Not just in the more traditional sense of when I create pretty things and enjoy them, but in the every day! The small things like when I run out of something and I have to get creative and figure out an uncommon solution to a problem. For example the other day the Velcro that wraps my umbrella up finally broke. I love this umbrella so instead of buying a new one, I rigged up a rubber band to attach to the strap of the umbrella so I could wrap it again. It isn't very pretty or mind blowing but the little creative fixes like that and the pride I get from finding that solution really add up and make my life better! 

4. What are some of the things you never thought you could do? New things you tried or led to this.

Just Jump. 

I have always been the look before you leap type of person. Actually more of a look, create 3 back up plans in case I fall, do a test run, study results, form extra back up plan... then leap type of person. So I had a lot of plans and not a whole lot to show for it. I had a few crazy things happen to me all at once and I just ended up just jumping into what I wanted to do. A not so satisfying job with a crazy commute that was going to slowly drive me insane. I decided to just quit and hope the things I had planned out ended up working. It was terrifying but it felt so good! I still had a little safety net in place, but putting myself out there on the internet and then hoping to be able to support myself with that one day? Not something I could see past me doing at all. I was too introverted, and too obsessed with doing things by the book. 

5. What are some new things you want to try?

I want to do a painting all on my own! I have done a few in the past but they were always done with loads of help from teachers. So I want to do one without any help! I also really want to make something completely from scratch. Like a meal that I grew all the ingredients for, or a scarf I knitted from yarn I spun myself. I just want to do the whole thing, start to finish, and really feel like I made that, every part of it, all on my own!