Finding Inspiration and Developing a Creative Practice with Our Master Practitioner Course.
In this engaging conversation, Gail Cowley speaks with artist and Master Practitioner graduate Annegret Fauser about her creative journey, the challenges of staying inspired, and the strategies she has developed to maintain artistic momentum.
Her journey as an artist started almost 30 years ago as a traditional self taught quilter. After taking numerous in person and online workshops, she decided that it was necessary to acquire a more formal education. Between 2018 and 2020 she completed our skill stage 4 City and Guilds accredited course, followed by its two year Master Practitioner course which emphasised design skills and artistic development.
Annegret shares how inspiration isn’t something to wait for—it’s something to cultivate through structured practice, experimentation, and self-imposed creative briefs.
She discusses how she overcomes creative blocks, from simply stepping into the studio and stitching to exploring deeper artistic themes such as polyphony. By embracing trial and error, she refines her ideas and learns to appreciate both successes and failures as essential steps in the creative process.
Textile Talk with Annegret Fauser
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Key Takeaways from Annegret's Learning Journey
1. The Power of Structured Practice
Annegret emphasizes the importance of treating creativity like a muscle—requiring regular exercise to stay strong. She explains how working with design briefs helped her focus her ideas, challenge her assumptions, and push her work in new directions.
2. Developing Confidence and Artistic Identity
Through the Master Practitioner course, Annegret gained a deeper understanding of her personal style and artistic voice. She discusses how the structured approach helped her analyse her work critically and refine her creative decision-making process.
3. Embracing Experimentation and Risk
Annegret highlights how the course encouraged her to step outside her comfort zone. She learned to take risks with materials, composition, and themes, discovering that unexpected results often lead to the most exciting creative breakthroughs.
4. The Role of Reflection and Writing in Creativity
Beyond practical skills, Annegret also learned the value of reflection—both through written analysis and revisiting past work. This helped her see patterns in her artistic evolution and develop a more intentional approach to her designs.
How the Course Helped Shape Annegret’s Work
Refining Ideas Through Polyphony: Inspired by the musical concept of multiple independent voices, Annegret explored layering and texture in her textile work, resulting in rich, complex compositions.
Understanding the Importance of Process: She gained a greater appreciation for the journey of making, not just the final piece, allowing her to push creative boundaries with confidence.
Building a Professional Portfolio: The course helped her compile a body of work that reflects her growth, experimentation, and personal artistic direction.
Whether you’re a student struggling to start or an experienced maker looking for fresh motivation, Annegret’s insights offer valuable takeaways on pushing past creative roadblocks. Tune in to hear her thoughtful approach to art, design, and lifelong learning.
