Talking with Cathy Penton on Milanote MoodBoarding

Have you had the pleasure of meeting my lovely friend Cathy Penton?

If not, you absolutely must! Cathy is an incredibly creative and inspiring artist. An amazing cheerleader and maker of the most magical mood boards.

Cathy took my Milanote Mood Board class a few months back and instantly fell in love with the app.
Her enthusiasm during the class warmed my heart as a teacher. It's always a joy seeing students connect with what I'm sharing.

Today, I have a lovely interview with Cathy about creativity, uplifting fellow creatives, and the joy of Milanote mood board making.

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Let’s Dive into the Interview

Dear Cathy,
I love everything you do!! Including your beautiful Wednesday Musings newsletter.
And your Milanote mood board magic is beyond. Truly breathtaking and so inspired.

Thank you for being here. I’m so happy you agreed to share your creative work and mood-boarding process with us.

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question one.

To start, for those who haven't discovered your magic yet, please share a bit about your creative work and the offerings you provide. It would be wonderful to get a glimpse into your creative world.

Firstly, thank you my friend, being here with you is magic.
I am a designer, maker and owner of Cathy Penton Atelier, an online business where I create bespoke stitched soft furnishings as well as curated pieces from other designers for you and your home. For over 23 years now I have had a creative business, including stitchery design, creating projects for magazines and owning a bricks-and-mortar space. My days are filled with beautiful linens, a 4b pencil, my favourite quotes, a needle and thread and my trusty little Elna sewing machine.

My beautiful linen pillow from Cathy… with my most favourite quote of all time. ♡

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question two.

Hey Cathy, I just have to say, you are one of the most uplifting people I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. The way you embrace and support the creative community is absolute magic and so inspiring. It's like you were born to do it, effortlessly spreading encouragement and love.
Reaching out to those who inspire us can be a bit intimidating. Do you have any advice for someone who wants to be more encouraging to the creatives in their life?

My advice is just do IT, if you feel strongly about someones work, how someone is touching this world, how you admire them just tell them. I was raised in a beautiful, loving household where telling each other how we felt was our every day. I lost my best friend, my kindred spirit when I was 18 and after that it become even more clear to me if there is something on your heart just share it.

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question three.

Now, let's dive into your mood board magic. I would love for you to share a few of your favorite mood boards and tell us what makes them special to you. Your creations are truly breathtaking and I'm sure my audience would love to hear about the inspiration behind them.

Drawing Inspiration Mood Board | Cathy Penton

Well lets start with the drawing inspiration board, I have been drawing since I can remember but for many years I doubted myself and recently started to sketch again and this is a board to inspire me to keep going. Hands in Art is a project I have been working on in my head + heart for quite some time. I love how when you see a photo or piece of visual art that has hands in them it draws you in, makes you feel more part of it somehow and Tina Winter Pop-up Collab is a collage I put together to show an artist friend who was working on some pieces for my Winter Pop-up. Texture, Colours and beautiful pieces to get the imagination going.

Tina Winter Pop-up Collab Mood Board | Cathy Penton

Drawing Inspiration Mood Board | Cathy Penton

question four.

From the initial spark of an idea to bringing it to life, could you take us through your mood board process? I’m so curious to know how you find inspiration and transform it into a cohesive visual story. Your ability to curate and create such captivating mood boards is truly remarkable.

Is it strange to say the ideas are endless and when I see an image or a word/quotes that is all I really need for the process to begin. I usually know straight away if something feels right or it doesn't and simplicity is the key.

Not strange at all. I agree, simplicity is the key. Our brain just wants to overcomplicate things.

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question five.

Lastly, I’m curious about how Milanote fits into your creative process. Do you use it for other tasks or just for mood boarding?

I know this is going to sound dramatic but Milanote has changed my life especially my business. I do a lot of custom work, some very intricate with lots of details so being able to have a board to refer back to is invaluable. I have online-pop-ups 6-8 times a year and being able to share content with collaborators is amazing. I really think I have just scratched the surface on how this app will help me over coming months + years.

I’m so happy you agreed to share with my community. Thank you so much Cathy.

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Dear friends,
I hope this conversation sparks a little mood board magic of your own.
To see Milanote mood board in action, check out this Amaze Yourself blog post.

For a lovely dose of inspiration, pop over to Cathy’s site sign up for her beautiful newsletter and follow her magic on Instagram as well.

Until next time.

xx
Kim

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