Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexa Shoemaker Brooks.
Hi Alexa, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started my artistic career in high school in printmaking and bookbinding. This led to a passion for fine paper and paper art, which remained even through my theatrical studies at Washington University in St. Louis and subsequent move to Los Angeles to pursue theater and film. When my sister was about to have a baby, I wrote and “paper illustrated” a children’s book as a baby shower gift. This sparked a renewed interest in paper art and a more serious focus on representing wildlife. After moving back up to Northern California, I decided to turn my passion into a business. I kept working and doing craft shows, and I participated in the Santa Cruz County Open Studios Art Tour three years in a row. I began making print reproductions of my work to sell which then led to wholesale opportunities. I recently relocated to Atlanta, GA with my husband, two mischievous children, and racks and racks of pretty paper.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
This journey has been a constant evolution of learning. I had never started a business, filed for a seller’s permit, designed a booth at a craft show, sold to a store, or filed a Schedule C. It was also the first time I was offering my work in a public way. The only constant thing has been my love of paper and wildlife and an endlessly supportive husband who is full of good ideas. The toughest obstacle I’ve had since starting Whimsy Spot has been postpartum anxiety and depression. I had my kids in 2016 and 2019, so the majority of my business and creating has been in the stolen moments during naps when my husband is home from work, or after the kids are asleep. After nearly six years, I’m finally on the other side of the mountain, but it is a daily struggle to overcome.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
The animal kingdom is as mysterious and magical to me as anything. I grew up among the redwoods of California where there were constant encounters with blue jays, raccoons, deer, rabbits, and even the occasional coyote and wild boar. As an underwater photographer, my sister provided me a constant aquatic backdrop with her light-filled images of sharks, manta rays, nudibranchs, whales, and all kinds of tropical fish.
My background in printmaking and bookbinding introduced me to the world of decorative and handmade papers. I find that the variety of colors, textures, patterns, and origins of paper lends itself uniquely to representing nature’s palette. My work attempts to capture the singular qualities of wildlife using a combination of whimsical humor and delicately layered paper.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Part of what I love about my work is how solitary it is–it’s a wonderful meditation each time I sit down with my X-acto knife. But it’s also made teaching classes or collaborating on a larger level intimidating. Part of the problem with being a one-person show with two kids is that the non-creative things fall through the cracks. I don’t have a publicist or social media manager or SEO specialist or a business manager who can guide me to where I should be heading next. Word of mouth always helps, and I’m always looking to sell to new shops!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.WhimsySpot.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/whimsyspot
