I Heart Handmade: Roaring Softly

I Heart Handmade is a series featuring amazing people and their brilliant handmade treasures. To read more, click here! Today I am featuring Tyler of Roaring Softly! Take it away Tyler!

1. When did you first start drawing subtle pop culture art? When did you start selling your goods on Etsy?
I opened up shop at the very end of June 2012, but I didn't turn to pop culture until this past February. One day, I was feeling glum, so I sat down at my desk, put on my carefully-curated showtunes/Mumford & Sons Pandora station, and just drew and drew until I didn't feel so crummy anymore. I ended up making my Parks and Recreation ice cream illustration that day, and when I saw the positive response I got on tumblr, I got inspired to keep making that type of art.

2. Tell me a little bit about the creating process. Where does your inspiration come from?My creative process usually starts with me going about my day and then getting smacked in the head with an idea. Then, I'll run (sometimes literally) to my pencils and paper and draw it before I have time to forget it. I get inspiration from my favorite things, namely: television shows, food, cats, and sappy self-help books. 

3. I love all of the different references to some of my favorite TV shows! Have you watched Orange is the New Black yet? Because I could see you doing something amazing out of all the awesome one liners!
I love Orange Is the New Black! I've only done one OITNB piece so far, called Cutie Pies of Litchfield Prison, and I was thrilled to learn that Dascha Polanco (who plays Daya on the show) posted it on her Instagram. She's one of my favorite characters!

4. I love your custom illustrations! How long does it typically take you to do a custom piece?Thank you! Each custom illustration takes about a week to complete, depending on the complexity of the client's idea. Recently, I've worked on a superhero wedding portrait, a business card design with a cat wearing sunglasses, and several portraits of people's boyfriends hanging out with Ron Swanson. The weirder the idea, the more I love it.

5. Which of your pieces is your fave?I had a lot of fun working on my "Seth Cohen gave me unrealistic expectations about boys" illustration, mostly because I got to look at lots of photos of Adam Brody for reference.

6. How has owning an Etsy shop changed your creative process? Has it made it better or worse?Having an Etsy shop and being active on tumblr have pushed me to be more way prolific with my art than I have ever been before. I draw nearly every day now. It's neat-o to be able to look back and remember how I was feeling when I drew a particular illustration.

7. What has been the hardest part of getting to where you are in your Etsy shop?Every so often I have a client who is particularly difficult to please. I'm a really sensitive person, so it can be hard to deal with criticism, but I try to treat every situation like that as a learning opportunity and a chance to improve my customer service.

8. What is your favorite thing about handmade goods?
There's something magical about knowing someone put a lot of heart into their product. Even the imperfections tell a story.

Tyler has been kind enough to offer all Seductive Mania readers %15 off orders of $20 or more until October 31st with the code: SEDUCTIVEMANIA

Check out her Etsy shop here: http://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/roaringsoftly

And while you're at it, here's her blog!: http://www.roaring-softly.tumblr.com/

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               If you're interested in being featured in a I Heart Handmade feature, feel free to contact me.