Maija Nygren

MEET THE MAKER

I am an Edinburgh based designer and craft educator. I founded my company in 2018 to explore ‘Learning Through Clothing’, identifying avenues to share clothes making skills and the deep learning embedded within it, to young audiences. I design educational tools and workshops that help children aged 4-12 connect with clothes and textile making. These can be anything from specifically engireered sewing kits through to machine knitting your own scarf in one hour – classes and more recently exploring how VR/AR can help more people connect with traditional crafts. My previous career in theatre (2001-2012) led me to explore textiles further; what they were made of, who made them and where, and what happens to them once disposed of? I wanted to know more and completed a BA(Hons) and MA, specialising in children’s knitted textiles at Heriot-Watt University School of Textiles. Inspired by early learning philosophies on child-led learning and co-creation of objects with children, I designed a concept of ‘Clothes That Kids Can Make’, now known as ‘Puzzleware’. These are wearable puzzles that a child assembles at home using a tactile tool kit. My role in this process was to produce a educational kit with a method that allowed knitted puzzle pieces to be added on, infinitely. A little like lego, but wearable and wooly. I use my technical knit specialism and pattern cutting skills, combined with my passion for a safe world, worthy future skills and motherhood, to create frustration free, creative learning tools for young audiences.

WHAT ARE YOUR FEEDBACKS?

I aim to draw a salary from my business that sustains my life, through a balance of design work and facilitating of workshops. I see my product range/workshops selling internationally, through online sales and high street specialist stores, at family and craft events. My business idea provides me with endless creative inspiration and plenty of avenues to explore, and simultaneously I am passing on and help maintain traditional craft skills and home sewing in society. If through my work I could inspire a handful of future citizens to repair their jeans or even knit themselves their own beanie, instilling an ‘I-can’ attitude towards making or repairing their own, I would be a very pleased individual. Things I have learned: Identify your customer, research, research, research. Time management Finding a peer group – participating to Crafting Business has been the first time I have not felt ploughing on this by myself. Working on your own is appealing but coming out for air, talking about craft businesses, despite discipline, was the most inspiring, identifying similar challenges that we all face, was empowering and many resources were shared across to help each other conquer! I now know more about myself and my business, than I did. It has been clarified now what I am doing – now – and the route map ahead seems much clearer now. My level of confidence in my creative practice has risen considerably, I feel empowered, stand-in behind my work and my ‘why’, and very importantly, I am valuing my time, and prioritising tasks better. I am able to evaluate the ling term benefit of offers and opportunities with much more confidence and it is easier to say no, if the opportunity doesn’t seem right for the time.

FIVE THINGS YOU’LL BRING WITH YOU FROM THE EXPERIENCE:

• Plan your life – what do you want and need to live on and think of what does success mean to you? Make a vision board. A life vision board. But really do it. It’s total magic. Then start building a bridge between now and to that life. How will you get there?
• Don’t compare yourself to others – ever! Your journey is unique and personal to you. Everyone else’s is to theirs. Don’t be afraid to mute people on Instagram, if they don’t give you a feeling of inspiration, you can politely decline from being in their company.
• Learn to tell you story – and first – pin it down. Write it, speak it, sing it, record it, film it and say how it is now, not how you think it is tomorrow. Dig in deep, what made you be here today, doing what you are doing, saying what you are saying with your creativity? We all want to hear why you do what you do. Tell us your brilliant story and don’t be afraid to be 100% yourself.
• Get a job, a simple job that doesn’t demand too much mental capacity from you. Perhaps a sociable job so you can surround yourself with nice people. The key aims for a job is so that you are financially covered and that you have space, time and energy to make your craft business.
• Find a cheering team – a mentor who totally ‘gets’ you and your journey so far. Or an accountability partner. Someone who is impartial, is not afraid to give you critically fuelled constructive feedback.