Creativity Through Clothes
Above: CREATING CLOTHES: Clarke Central High School senior Kendria Sturdivant poses next to a display of clothing pieces she created in the CCHS courtyard on Oct. 1. Sturdivant found sewing as a way of expression years ago and continues to use it as an outlet. “Art is important to me because it's a way of expression. Everybody says that, but honestly, it (gives me) peace of mind. It's very calming and very rewarding at the end,” Sturdivant said. Photo by Victoria Garland
iliad Managing Editor Victoria Garland talks with Clarke Central High School senior and seamstress Kendria Sturdivant about her journey as an artist and why it’s important for her as an individual.
iliad Managing Editor Victoria Garland: How would you describe yourself as an artist and creator?
Clarke Central High School senior Kendria Sturdivant: I think I'm very experimental. I like a lot of different things, I like a lot of different styles (and) I like a lot of different aesthetics. So when it comes to creating, I kind of create based on whenever I'm in the mood, maybe during the season or whatever's going on that time period of my life.
VG: What mediums do you work with the most?
KS: My medium is fabrics. I work with a lot of denim, I work with a lot of knit fabrics and that's about it. Clothes making is my big thing. I'm (also) getting into more of drawing and illustrating and those mediums are watercolor and acrylic painting.
VG: What particular fabric do you like working with?
KS: What's easiest is knit fabric because knit fabric can stretch to the body, you don't have to do a lot of strict measurements. Denim is the hardest to work with, but it's very fun. Once done correctly, it's very fitting and very rewarding. It’s so rewarding when you complete a garment that you put so much time into measuring it out and trying to get it close enough to fit the body. So it's very rewarding when you work with denim and do it correctly.
VG: What is your creative process in general for anything that you're making?
KS: (In) my creative process, I’m just kind of like, ‘What am I in the mood for?’ Right now, I'm into a lot of prints, cheetah print, zebra print, anything, floral, all that. So I'm gonna move to that, for some reason, and then I kind of think, ‘Okay, the season, what's looking good for the season?’ (That could be) Sweaters, baggy pants, and then I go kind of based on the season, what I'm looking for, and then I start sewing a pattern, (making) a pattern for it, and just go from there.
VG: Where did your passion for art originally come from?
KS: It just came from the minor things in life, like wanting to make a bag. How to make a bag, how to make a pouch, how to make a scarf, how to make a headband. It just came from there. It wasn't anything so big and extravagant.
VG: For you, personally, why is art important to you?
KS: Art is important to me because it's a way of expression. Everybody says that, but honestly, it (gives me) peace of mind. It's very calming and very rewarding at the end. Don't get me started when people like your stuff, when people be like, ‘Oh my gosh, did you make that?’ Or like, ‘Oh, I like your pants,’ and you just be like, ‘Yeah, I made it.’ It's so rewarding.
VG: What kind of feeling does art bring you throughout the process?
KD: So throughout the whole process, it's a lot of being doubted, or when you're discouraged, (thinking) ‘This is not gonna work out.’ It's a lot of trial and error during the process. It's a lot, you're gonna go through the ugly phase before you get to the pretty phase, and the ugly phase can really just make you feel very discouraged.
VG: So what does that future look like for you?
KS: A perfect world is being able to create and being able to be in environments where it's a bunch of creativity going on, and just loads of inspiration, and just seeing different things, seeing the world, seeing how other people create in different parts of the country.
Story by Victoria Garland
Victoria Garland is a senior at Clarke Central High School in Athens, Georgia and serves as the Managing Editor for the iliad Literary-Art Magazine. Garland’s passionate about sharing students creativity, and hopes to provide more of an outlet through social media. Outside of school Garland is on a competitive cheerleading team, plays piano, and enjoys hanging out with friends.