Sarah Jane Evans of Nightmare Snatchers
What do you make or design?
I make Nightmare Snatchers, handmade journals for writing down your fears and worries. They are a combination dream journal and dream catcher with a twist. They have fuzzy little faces, aged tea-stained pages, and a tail for a bookmark.
What made you decide to design the things that you do?
Well, I wanted to make something that was magical, and in my illustrative work i tend to use monsters a lot, so the Nightmare Snatchers were a natural progression from that, I suppose. So, I thought up the idea, asked my dad to write the spell, and that was that. My work has always been an odd combination of creepy, cute, and whimsical.
Who inspires you?
Anything mystical or fantastic inspires me. I remember being convinced as a child that so many things in my house that were old and/or strange must be magical. My dad helped me believe that magic was real, and my mom helped me understand I could do anything I put my mind to. So, if there’s a who in what inspires me, it would have to be them.
How would you describe yourself?
Hmmm... that’s a tough one. I think i can sum it up in one word: nerd.
What’s the last book you read?
The last book I read was Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell: A Novel by Susanna Clarke
Are you a neat freak or creatively messy?
I suppose I would say I am creatively messy, there are always Nightmare Snatcher-hair tumble weeds rolling around in my apartment. But for the most part I try to stay organized.
What is one of your fondest memories?
One of my fondest memories is of my father reading The Hobbit to my sister and me when we were young girls. I somehow believed it was ancient fact and not fiction at the time.
What’s your biggest pet peeve?
Working with monster fur through a heat wave...with no air conditioning.
If you could be a bird, what kind of bird would you be and why?
I guess I would be a kiwi because they are nocturnal (as am I), have a finely tuned sense of smell, and are all around ridiculous creatures. I’ve always wanted to visit New Zealand...
