Please Welcome Anna Maria Larsson — Photowall's new DIY blogger!

We are pleased to welcome Anna María Larsson, a new blogger here who will offer all sorts of insights; everything from inspirational and fun DIY projects to spotting the year’s latests trends. In our interview, she tells us a bit about herself, including what inspires her, and she gives us three handy tips on getting started with your own creative projects.

Hi Anna María! We are so happy that you’ve started blogging with us here at Photowall. How does it feel?    
It’s been great fun! I’ve had an eye on Photowall for a little while and thought you had lots of exciting products that I really enjoyed. I’m looking forward  to getting more familiar with your catalogue and also working on things myself! I think it’s going to be great!   

For those who might not know you, can you tell us a bit about yourself?   
My name is Anna María Larsson and I work primarily as a creator. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always been quite deft and have built my own stuff and created things with my hands. I love finding new uses for things that already exist — sometimes I like to pretend I’m MacGyver. I am a trained Digital Art Director and have worked in advertising and design agencies as a graphic artist, designer, and art director. In 2017 I came in second place in Superskaparna (Super Creators), a competition for do-it-yourself and home improvement projects. I hold workshops for both adults and children and have been a DIY editor in several different magazines. You can occasionally spot me on TV, most recently on Dessertmästarnas Jul (Dessert Masters Christmas). I also have a blog, an Instagram and a YouTube channel.

What are you working on now and what do you hope you can offer with your blog?
I enjoywriting articles and creating DIYs that hopefully inspire more people to take up their own creative projects. I intend to take a close look at the trends in this coming year, do some of my own tests on the various products available, and come up with some exciting DIY projects that you can easily follow along with and do yourself. It’s fun to be able to change something yourself with few means and see how something completely new comes out of it. Aside from that, Ienjoy creating things with my hands. It has a soothing effect on the body and can really reduce stress.

How did you come to start blogging? And what is your favourite thing about it?
I have been blogging for many years. It started out as a diary form when I moved to Piteå to study. It was around 2014 when I started posting my DIY projects with some regularity and sharing the things I was creating. It was partly to collect everything I made into one place, but I also began to notice that people were really taking an interest in my projects and wanted to know how I had done it.
After that, the blog became a channel where I could share a little bit of everything from my life — but usually centred around creation and the things I was making. Since then, the blog has partly been a diary where my audience can accompany me during my days. It’s a wonderful collection of the many great and beautiful memories of all the things I have done, seen and experienced. It feels nice to have so many nice memories gathered all in one place.

What is your most memorable DIY project?
All of DIY projects I did as part of Superskaparna. To make things while under such intense time pressure, with five cameras constantly around me, all as I strove to be creative and to make nice pieces. It was a real challenge! I am still incredibly pleased that I managed to make everything that I did, from a great chandelier to a lamp made from of old toy cars. I also concocted a necklace made from PET bottles, a doghouse, a headboard for a bed, a folding wall, and I even transformed a bureau from a flea into a vibrant piece full of fabric and colour. There was also a necklace of rope, table settings for a party, and honestly much much more. I'll never forget that experience. It was a fun and absurdlydifficult challenge!

Press image TV4/TT

Where do you get your inspiration? What inspires you?
I gather inspiration from everywhere I can. The things I see, a new material or technique that I want to try out. From other people. There are so many creative people out there on the internet. For me, blogs, Instagram and Pinterest are great sources of inspiration.

Can you give us your three top tips on how to get started creating?

1. Take risks! It’s an easy thing to say, but often difficult to do. Even just daring to try something is many times the best way to go. Don’t let it bother you if things don’t turn out exactly as you thought they would; instead, take the time to learn from your mistakes.

2. Instead of starting from a blank sheet of paper, I think it is often much easier to start from some sort of foundation. Begin with something that you already have at home. Repaint it, change its shape, add or remove something from it. Old furniture is a perfect starting point.

3. Have a technique you’d be curious to try or a material that seems like it would be fun to work with? Start there. Draw inspiration from how others have used those things. Experiment to see how those materials work, and be flexible and adaptable with them. Creativity breeds creativity, so make sure you dare to try!