Today we’d like to introduce you to Alisha Ing.
My name is Alisha Ing and I am a fiber artist. My love for art and creativity began many years ago as a little girl. Any chance I had to get my hands on paint, yarn, clay, markers, beads; you name the craft and I was all in. The craft I didn’t realize would change my life as an adult however, was the art of knotting. I stumbled upon friendship bracelets when I was about eight years old and instantly, I was hooked. Watching something so beautiful come to life from just a few simple knots seemed magical to me as a young girl.
As I got older, I found a new passion in the art of dance. I traded in my thread and yarn for pointe shoes and jazz pants, and soon crafting was a thing of the past.
I was lucky enough to pursue my passion of dance for the last 20+ years. I traveled the world performing and eventually landed my dream job as a professional dancer at the Disneyland Resort. That is, up until the pandemic hit. Eight years at the happiest place on earth and in the blink of an eye, everything changed. Once I was left unemployed, the biggest question I had to ask myself was, “What next?”
Luckily about a year before losing my job, I stumbled upon macramé. What started off as a fun project to decorate the walls of my new home grew to be something a lot larger than I had ever anticipated. It may have taken me 20 years to rediscover my passion for knotting, but what I quickly realized was it never left me.
In the beginning of lockdown, many people began making new improvements to their homes and after discovering a few of my macramé posts on social media, they reached out requesting to use my art for a little redecorating. I truly still can’t believe it sometimes, but I’ve been creating art for peoples’ homes ever since!
There have definitely been bumps along the way. The heartbreak of losing my dream job was a big one and pretty difficult for me to overcome. In this process, I’ve learned to let go, appreciate my circumstances, move forward and embrace the power of the pivot. Fiber art found me at the perfect time and showed me a new purpose in life. Letting go of the past and allowing a new art to become my present is probably one of the most powerful choices I’ve ever made. Once I was able to accept and embrace change, I was blessed with opportunities that allowed me to lay a solid foundation for success and start my business, I Would Rather Knot.
Another big obstacle was believing I was truly capable of taking on this new role. With little knowledge of how to own a business, I had to have faith that I was ready for the unknown. The support of my friends and family played a huge part in any success my business has had, and without them none of this would have ever been possible. It truly takes a team. The love and encouragement my circle has provided has been out of this world, and I am so thankful to have been blessed with such an incredible support system!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I make a wide variety of macramé and fiber art pieces ranging from custom wall hangings and large wedding backdrops to earrings, plant hangers and so much more. My fiber art tends to be very vibrant and colorful, and everything I offer is completely customizable and done by hand.
I approach fiber art the same way I approached dance. Determination, clean lines, textures, balance – these are just some of techniques and teachings I’ve taken from dance and now apply to my creations. The creative process is extremely enjoyable for me because I absolutely love watching my designs slowly come to life.
The amazing thing about this art is that there is no wrong and that alone inspires me to continue pushing myself outside of my comfort zone! Aside from dance, fashion is a huge inspiration when it comes to designing my pieces. I am always so intrigued by the different textiles, patterns and colors behind fashion design.
It’s so hard to pick just one! I grew up in Hawai’i on the island of Oahu, so a lot of great memories of my childhood were times spent outdoors at the beach or hiking. Whenever I was indoors though, I was most likely crafting. I would say over all, my favorite childhood memories would be going to the craft store with my dad (craft supplies were very limited on the island) and starting new projects together. I recently visited my childhood home in Hawai’i and was overwhelmed by all of the art my parents kept thorough out the years! My favorite part of crafting was the fact that it was quality time spent with my mom and dad. We would always be making things together and I truly do believe that is why art holds, and will always hold, a very special place in my heart.
Pricing:
- Medium Custom Piece: $100-250
- Large Custom Piece: $250-400
- X-Large Custom Piece: $400+
Contact Info:
- Email: iwouldratherknot@gmail.com
- Website: www.iwouldratherknot.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iwouldratherknot/
- Other: https://qaya.area120.google.com/alisha-ing
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