Interview with Laura Lein-Svencner
Author of Viewing New Compositions
Where are you from originally and where do you reside now?
I’m from Downers Grove IL and I reside in Darien IL about a few miles southeast.
If you currently reside somewhere besides where you were born, what’s the story that lead from there to here?
Over 34 years ago we moved to Darien when we purchased our home.
What made you decide to write and publish your first book?
Viewing New Composition is actually my third book that I’ve published. The first one was a view of my work that I create every Tuesday. The second book was created to help student learn about the basics of design using collage as the art medium. Cutting paper and gluing it simple down in a sketchbook with a glue stick, focusing on the design only. The Book Viewing New Compositions was created to help people work a compositional design further then they had ever before.
How would you describe your books to first time readers?
Design in art is a lifetime study for me. There are so many different ways to work design into your art. My books are keep very simple to focus on some of these ways it can be done and to open creative ideas and confidence to explore it even deeper.
Who do you feel is most likely to connect with the topics you write about?
People that find a need to work with their hands and like creating art and are afraid to start. And for those that have experience and want to refresh their design skills.
What unexpected or surprising thing did you learn during the process of writing and publishing?
I want to say spontaneously that I was able to do it…took a long time but little by little it happened. And this might be the way a new person to collage art or design might feel. So to live it and really understand the process one goes through with something to try new I would say I totally get it. And encourage others to keep taking the smallest steps. It happens when you least expect it.
If you could, what advice would you give to your past self before embarking on this journey?
I would say take a look back and see where you’ve come from. See how it kept growing off of the last thing you’ve done. See how your intuition guided you. There are going to be some mishaps but these as you’ve learned are stepping stones. I would also share that slowing down helps greatly. And continue to stick with the people that understand the process and encourage you and are honest.
How many people would you ideally like to reach with your books?
Wow never thought of it like that…but of course as many as it can.
What has been the biggest challenge and frustration during the process to date?
The biggest change has been doubt and the self talk that wants to sabotages the best of us. I’ve struggled with my writing skills all my life and I’ve heard about it many times. The Fear that it won’t be good enough, I think that from all that I’ve learned thought is it’s a natural process and to make friends with it, doubt that is. But as I said it’s a process and can take some time to get past the fear.
What’s your biggest strengths when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?
I think that my biggest strength is that I believe in what I am writing about and sharing with others, I’m passionate about my artwork and the process.
What’s your biggest weakness when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?
Writing is the biggest weakness, taking thoughts and feeling of the process and putting it into words when I’m so use to creating it out with my art materials. I have some learning disabilities which I’ve had all my life and have done my fare share of dealing with it. The learning of the software has bit of a challenge too.
When do you think you will write your next book?
I’m not sure…I kind of go on an intuitive feeling with this kind of stuff.
Are you self published or did you use a hybrid publisher, or a traditional publisher?
I used blurb as my self-publishing format. A friend showed me how and with the learning challenges I kind of stuck with what I’ve learned there…takes me so long to learn things most of the time it’s pushing the wrong button too many times.
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