Meet Linda Bonner | Artist | Author | Speaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Linda Bonner and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Linda, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?

Creativity has always been a part of my life. My mom is a painter, sewist, crafter and even made many of our Barbie clothes. She is my inspiration for pursuing a creative career.

She taught us to sew, cook and bake and we always had some kind of craft or creative project going in the house. Even at age 95, she still participates in arts and crafts classes in her community.

To this day I’m most happy when I’m creating mixed media art, miniature art and handcrafted clothing and accessories. I’ve had multiple creative business for over 30 years including Kovers For Kids, hooded towels for children, Peacock Pouches, zippered and drawstring pouches for women, and most recently Linda Bonner Studios, handcrafted and custom Note cards for all occasions, and Inspired Things Studio, clothing and accessories for women, children and bridal.

I consider myself a creative soul and love being able to maintain a daily creative practice. I can’t imagine a day without some kind of creative pursuit. In addition to creating art and cards and sewing I’ve also had the opportunity to teach art classes to children and adults through Jump Into Art Studios in historic downtown McKinney. This amazing studio has helped me expand my skill set and opened open up new creative paths.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

From the time I was young I’ve been surrounded by creativity. From crafts with my mom and sisters, to sewing and more.

If you asked me “what do you do?” even 5 years ago I would never have claimed I was an artist. I compared myself to others and had a hard time feeling like I measured up. I was raised to be “sensible” and being an artist didn’t hold the weight that terms like manager, leader, and executive did. So, for a long time I pursued the “sensible” career paths which I’m happy to report ultimately led me to uncover and begin my creative life. It took time to sort out just what this new creative life would look like and there were many iterations!

I consider myself a creative soul, always looking for new ideas, new projects, and new ways to express myself. I love learning and spending time researching all the variations and possibilities. My creative spirit has always been there and for a long time I let fear hold me back. It was a gradual acceptance that I was an artist that allowed me to express my creative side.

First a little history:
My first creative business was Kovers For Kids where I designed and sold handmade hooded towels for children. I made one for my son with Down Syndrome. I discovered that the hood made managing a large bath town so much easier. I started sharing it with others and people loved them. At that time, I had just joined a Mother’s Of Multiples group (yes, I also have twins) and was soon making custom towels for the children in our group. I got so much encouragement from this group!

After that it was Creative Memories, traditional scrapbooking. This was a very exciting time in my life and the best part was teaching and sharing scrapbooking and memory keeping with others. I loved the process of selecting papers and embellishments to coordinate with my photos and designing just the right layout.

My creative life today:
In 2021 my sister, Diane, and I started Inspired Things Studio. We create clothing, gifts and accessories for women, children and bridal. The best part about this company is being able to collaborate with my sister and express our passion and talents for sewing with others! I’m so proud of this shared business and I can’t imagine doing this without her! We have never been closer and love coming up with new designs and product ideas that our customers will love.

The most exciting moment in my creative journey so far has been publishing my first book in August of 2022, Waiting on the Sunrise, where I share my story of raising my son with Down Syndrome. 

I’m currently working on republishing this book with updated content and a new title so stay tuned!

My goal is to provide hope, encouragement, and resources with other families on this journey. I want to share my experiences to make life the very best it can be for families raising children with Down Syndrome and other disabilities.

2022 was the year I started Linda Bonner Studios. Here I share my miniature art and handcrafted note cards with purpose of encouraging and inspiring children and adults. Each card is created from scratch, inspired by different papers, embellishments, and ribbon. As with scrapbooking I love the process of coordinating and bringing all the elements together to create works of art on a card. It is my favorite form of creative expression!

I have been creating miniature art since 2018, which I sell through Art-O-Mat (www.artomat.org). Once I discovered the world of miniature art, I knew I found my personal art style! Since then, I have created thousands of pieces of tiny art measuring 2″ x 3″. I currently have 5 active products that I create one at a time. The projects include Tiny Dresses, Artful Cottages, Birds of Encouragement, Geometric Variations and Petite Notes. My tiny art has been shipped around the world.

I’ve been so fortunate in recent years to have dedicated space and time to devote to my creative projects. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is to create for myself. By creating something I love, I feel proud to share it my clients.

I’ve also learned to accept failure as a tool to improve my skills, grow and learn new things.

I truly believe each one of us is creative in some way. Some garden, others knit or crochet and others love to cook. Working with paper, fabric, and embellishments to create miniature art and handcrafted cards and sewing beautiful gift and accessory items is what I’m truly passionate about. It fuels my soul and brings me incredible joy.

I especially love that I can connect with so many people because of my art, cards and sewing. It has helped me built new and wonderful relationships and it fills my desire to serve others by providing beautiful items that people can be proud to give to their loved ones.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Some of most favorite things to do in the city revolve around art! I work at the Heard-Craig Center for the Arts, an art and history museum and events center. This historic building has so much history, original artifacts from the family, amazing architecture and is truly a hidden gem. This would be the first stop on my tour with someone new to the city.

You’ll find more art at places like Mill House, The Cove, The Martin Place, Jump Into Art and more. Each of them provides a different art experience from exhibits, workshops, and classes.

No trip to McKinney would be complete without a visit to Historic Downtown McKinney. The McKinney square offer boutiques, antiques, art galleries, and delicious food options.

A visit to Hugs Cafe is something you won’t want to miss. This restaurant employs adults with disabilities and offers fabulous sandwiches, salads, soups and more. Don’t forget to get a package of their Wedding Cookies!

The McKinney square offers a vibrant night life with multiple options. The McKinney Performing Arts Center in the middle of the downtown square offers music and theater performances as well as other special events. You can find pizza parlors, wine bars, entertainment and premier restaurants all along the square.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?

I have been blessed to have so many creative influences in my life, people that taught, encouraged, listened, and supported me on this amazing journey.

My first dedication goes to my mom, Irene. She is a living example of pursuing creativity is many forms. Watching her gave me confidence to experiment and try new creative ideas.

I want to give a shout out to Creative Memories, traditional scrapbooking. I was introduced to CM when my children were young. The idea of preserving memories for my children with a creative flair was absolutely intriguing. I poured myself into creating these special books and even taught it to others. This was another important steppingstone in my creative journey.

When my son was born with Down Syndrome, I was challenged to modify everyday things to help him be more independent. Because of him, Kovers for Kids was born! I discovered that the hood allowed him to manage a bath towel more easily and I was able to make them for other children to promote independence.

My miniature art business was born when the museum where I work, The Heard-Craig Center for the Arts, got an Art-O-Mat machine. This refurbished cigarette machine turned art-vending machine was the beginning of my love of miniature art! Thanks to the director, Karen Zupanic, for her work in getting this machine in our museum. I fell in love with creating in miniature and have completed and shipped thousands of pieces of art since I started in 2018.

The Dallas Area Fiber Artists group has also been a big influence. Because of the variety of artists in the group and the amazing programs and workshops, I have learned new skills and expanded my creative horizons.

A very special shoutout to my sister, Diane Haskins. She has been my cheerleader, sounding board, prayer warrior and overall champion! I can’t imagine doing life without her. In addition to being sisters we are also business partners in Inspired Things Studio. Her love, support and encouragement keep me going every day!

Website: www.lindabonnerstudios.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindabonnerstudios/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086536440974

Image Credits
Olivia Ogren-Hrejsa Photography