Life & Work with Lindy Stark

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lindy Stark.

Hi Lindy, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Growing up, I was always passionate about visual art. I loved, and still love, drawing and painting, which eventually lead me to pursue a creative career. In high school, I attended a summer camp called STEP at NC State through the Wilson College of Textiles. At this camp, I learned about the textile industry and had the opportunity to make my first repeating pattern which was then knitted on a circular knitting machine. I fell in love with the creation process and the tactile nature of textiles.

During this week-long camp is when I first knew I wanted to be a Textile Designer. I ended up returning to NC State for my undergraduate degree, where I studied Fashion and Textile Design with a concentration in Textile Design. I absolutely loved my time at school and learned so much. It was also during this time that I learned to hand weave and began to pursue it more outside of school. After graduation, I started selling my wovens and hand illustrations. This was mostly because I wanted to keep making them but couldn’t keep them all! I ended up opening my Etsy shop, Lindy Stark Designs, in September 2020. In the spring of 2021, I attended my first in-person market and had an amazing time. Right now, I still work full time in the industry as a Designer and Colorist, but I could see myself going full time with my business in the future. I think the reason that I love what I do with my business so much is that it is fueled by passion. I like to think it brings little bits of joy to people’s homes, and my ultimate goal is to use my design to influence emotion and create community.

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It’s not always easy to keep up with everything for my business, especially since I operate it fully outside of the traditional workday. I create and sell handmade goods, and regardless of if they are illustrations, wovens, or created from other textile design methods, a great deal of time and care goes into each piece. This often makes it difficult to maintain enough stock in my store at any given time and is a challenge I regularly battle.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a Textile Designer and Artist specializing in home goods and decor. I operate under the business name Lindy Stark Designs, where I primarily sell woven home decor, illustrated prints, and cards. I am best known for having a soft, traditionally feminine style with a bold and eclectic twist. I strive to find ways to be innovative with my work and love to stay at the forefront with trends. The tactile nature of textiles is what really drew me to the field, so I love to mix a wide variety of textures into my work. I am always trying new ideas, which I believe is what sets my work apart from others in my field. This mindset has lead to the creation of a lot of the work I am most proud of. I love reading reviews from customers showing me how they use my pieces, and I am very honored to have won several awards in the City of Raleigh and the Textile Industry for my work.

We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
Overall, I would consider myself to be a risk-taker, but at times I, like most people, definitely struggle with the fear of the unknowns on the other side of any risk. I very much so believe that in life you have to take big risks to get the “reward,” as people say and that not taking any risks is risky in and of itself. I would consider myself a dreamer and a very goal-oriented individual. Knowing that I possess these qualities, I also know that I cannot achieve the goals I set out for myself without taking some risks along the way. So, I would consider taking risks to be a very crucial part of both growing as an individual and achieving your goals. One risk I’ve taken recently is starting my youtube channel, which is something I’ve been wanting to do for quite some time but finally decided to go for it. The content on my channel is mainly focused on design, entrepreneurship, and sharing my life as an individual in a creative field.

Contact Info:

• Email: lindyelize@gmail.com
• Website: https://www.lindystark.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindystarkdesigns/?hl=en
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCel3yle06BrmX95suMkPSoA
• Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/LindyStarkDesigns?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing_id=1014572931

Image Credits
Veritas Digital Photography