Interview with Susana

I have a set of questions that I came up with that are a little bit Krista Tippett, a little bit Danielle Krysa, and a lot bit my own curiosity. I think talking about our creative stories is a way to bind us together and encourage us to keep going on our own creative path. I’m excited to be asking these questions and to be sharing these creatives’ answers with you. This month’s interview is Susana.

Tell my readers a little bit about you.

I’m originally from Uruguay. I was born in a small town near the border with Brazil. I moved to the U.S. with my husband and two daughters when my husband came to pursue his Ph.D.

I’ve been living in Madison, Alabama, for the past 17 years. Before that, I lived in several other Southern states—Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Texas—all in university towns.

I hold a B.A. in Latin American and Iberian Studies and an M.A. in Romance Languages from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. When we moved to Alabama in 2008, the country was going through an economic recession, and I couldn’t find a job. So, I went back to school and earned an M.A. in English Literature from the University of Alabama in Huntsville.

For the past 20 years, I’ve been teaching Spanish at various universities. I currently teach at Alabama A&M University and continue to live in Madison with my pet chickens, guinea pigs, and two cats.

What is your first memory of creativity?

I was in kindergarten when my teacher gave me scissors and paper to make a collage. I remember how happy I felt in that moment—I never wanted to stop creating collages or using the scissors.

What did you love to make as a kid and are you still making some variation of that now?

As I mentioned before, I’ve always enjoyed working with paper and scissors to make collages. Now, I continue to explore that passion through fiber art and am constantly inspired to create fabric collages.

What is your favorite creative supply and why can’t you live without it?

My favorite art supplies are scissors, thread, and fabric. I especially enjoy repurposing fabric to create something new. When I have those three elements, I feel like I can bring anything from my imagination to life. Textiles are my favorite medium to work with.

What is a creative question you ask regularly?

I ask myself: What is the story I want to tell?

What does your creative practice show you over and over?

When I finish a piece, I feel a sense of relief—as if a story that was inside me has finally found its way out. It’s now out in the world, ready to be seen, heard, or felt by anyone willing to listen.

What gets you to start a new project?

Often, I start a project in response to a call for art—especially when the theme sparks my interest and invites deeper exploration. Other times, I begin with an idea that I feel compelled to bring to life.

For example, I recently started working on a project about pollinators. I’m really excited about it because I’m an avid gardener, and I understand how essential pollinators are to a healthy garden. With this piece, I want to raise awareness about the importance of protecting pollinators, who play such a crucial role in our ecosystems.

What is a book on creativity that you come back to often? Why?

I have many books I like to revisit, depending on the kind of work I’m doing. I don’t have a single favorite. Sometimes I return to a book to look up an embroidery stitch, and other times I’m searching for inspiration—like ideas for color combinations. Each book serves a different purpose at different moments in my creative process.

How did we meet?

We met during our ALWCA meetings, but now we’re more connected as part of the new leadership team.

You work primarily with fabric, what draws you to that medium above all others?

My journey as a textile artist has been a long and evolving path. It began at the age of five when my maternal grandmother taught me crochet and knitting. As a teenager, my mother encouraged me to learn embroidery from a professional. I continued these crafts until I moved to the United States in 1989, where I had the opportunity to take quilting lessons from Ms. Myrtle Juhlin, a remarkable quilter and teacher. This sparked a deep passion for quilting, and I began creating quilts for family and friends.

In 2018, tragedy struck when I lost my son Fernando in a fatal car accident. This profound loss shifted my approach to quilting. I wanted to create something unique in his memory, using his favorite clothes. I started incorporating techniques like quilting, embroidery, and fabric collage to create meaningful textile pieces. Making these quilts became more than just an artistic pursuit; it was a necessity for healing. Inspired by my garden and literary quotes, I found solace and creativity in crafting one or two pieces a month.

How can people find you?

Susana’s website or her instagram.

Susana, thank you for sharing your art and your creative stories with us! I had so much fun reading your answers to my questions. And I know my readers will enjoy it too. (These photos belong to Susana. She graciously allowed me use them for this interview.)

If you want to know more about this series read the post What about these Interviews? Or find the whole series of interviews here. If you are non-binary or women-identifying artist and are interested in sharing your answers to these questions and be featured here on the blog, I’d love to talk to you about it!! Let’s connect via email.

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