"Blogging is mostly dominated by women!" a sentence that is bound to strike off a heated debate. But if you come to think of it, most of theblogs featured by us in the past are in fact by women, and it is refreshing to find an equally creative blog by a 'bloke' from England who not only creates truly intriguing stuff but is a perfect example for those who are against the motion and agree with us that 'male or female' criterion does not hold true in blogging.

What I Made.com is a blog that gives tutorials or instructions on how to make really cool stuff  by reusing/recycling objects or materials universally found in most homes. Scott has recently won the Webby Award and Webby's People's Voice Award for the best personal blog.

Scott, is a cool dad who creates fun stuff like a candle holder out of motorbike exhaust, a wine rack from old vegetable box, and many more craft eye candies apart from hilarious illustrations that he creates. And he has agreed to spare some time for a small interview with us, catch it below and learn from the genius himself:

Scott, please introduce yourself to E-junkies.

I love making making things. That's me summed up in four words. By day that involves creating engaging digital experiences for brands like Playstation (I am the Creative Director of Digital Jigsaw, a London agency) by night it involves finding new materials (often salvaged from the bin) to create engaging craft projects for my blog; whatimade.com.

Your blog 'What I made' is a visual masterpiece! Who designed it and when did you start your blog?

Thank you - I've been amazed at the reception the design of my blog has received. The original design was completed about a year ago, I started off trying to create a blog that looked very low-tech - I wanted it to reflect the approach I take with my craft projects, which is to use simple techniques that don't require complex equipment and embrace the 'handmade' ethos. So with that in mind I decided to incorporate a lot of hand-drawn elements, over time that grew to include the tutorials themselves, and even the typeface, which is created from my handwriting.

What inspired you to start a blog of your own? What attracted you the most about blogging?

The idea of blogging always intrigued me, but until about a year ago I didn't know what it is I might blog about. In the end it all happened rather organically - I started posting photographs of my craft projects and over the next couple of months developed my blog into what it is today (sometimes it's better not to wait for a big idea, but to figure things out as you go along!). Now, of course, I get a lot of pleasure from interacting with my readers – they tell me what it is they like, they are a constant source of encouragement and they bring new visitors. Even checking my web stats and seeing that a project has been downloaded a bunch of times gives me a kick.

You teach people step by step how you recycle things and make really cool stuff out of them. How challenging you find this whole process of conceiving the idea to communicating it to your readers successfully?

Yes, a lot of my projects involve recycling. My motivation is not purely eco, I love the challenge of taking an object and transforming it into something else. However, they do take time to conceive - that's why my starting point is often my sketchbook. I jot down ideas while I'm on the train to work, many never see the light of day, but some I go on to make. If my wife and son like the result (I'm not joking!) I photograph it and illustrate the instructions - the whole process can take a week to complete.

At 7, you won a National drawing competition and recently, your blog has won Webby award as well as Webby People's Voice award. That's amazing! How do you feel about your achievements?

Yes, they were both amazing experiences! The prize for winning the drawing competition was a trip to the TV studio where they filmed a very well-known UK children's art show - I also got to stay in a hotel for the first time! Winning a Webby award has also been very cool - I have been lucky enough to win a number of industry awards, but this is probably the first time, since I was 7, that the things I love to make and draw in my free time have been recognised. Interestingly, the drawing that won me the competition aged 7 was of a 'Kraft cheese factory', one of my recent blog posts included a 'Twitter factory', clearly I haven’t grown up!

Your projects are really creative and super innovative. What motivates the artist within you?

I’ve worked within the creative industries ever since I left Art College - however, since starting my blog I’ve been surprised by how much of an artist’s outlook I have. What I do is probably too whimsical to be regarded as ‘art’ - however, I still aspire to make things that are original, or at very least, add a new twist to an old favourite, and it’s the constant challenge of doing this that motivates me.

What was the first project you took up and published on your blog? How was the experience?

The first project that came with an illustrated tutorial was the ‘Spaghetti and Marshmallow tower’. This started off as a School Science Project I helped my son with (which we won!). Our tower rather uniquely split into two parts (so it could be transported to school safely) - I thought other people might like to know how we constructed it, so I added a hand drawn tutorial. Since then almost all my projects have included a hand drawn tutorial.

Which project has been the most challenging one?

The project that required the most complicated ‘engineering’ was the ‘Space themed marble run’, but the project that was probably the most challenging was the ‘Pencil and paperclip bugs’ – it was very fiddly and messy (the graphite from the pencil got everywhere), it was also one of my most complex instructions to illustrate.

And which one is your favourite?

One of my favourite projects was also one of my simplest – the ‘Bent fork egg cup holder’. I think this is quite an unusual repurposing, it appeals to my quirky side. For a more elegant transformation I also really like my ‘tin can tea light’ project – I think the before and after states are so different, yet they were created very simply.

Many other artists would draw inspiration from you. What message do you have for them?

I think I spent way too much of my early career focusing on what's fashionable - while it's important to recognise trends, I think people too easily regurgitate what's already out there without adding something new. I’d encourage people to have the confidence to develop their own unique style, and stick with it, even if at the time it seems counter to what is fashionable. And while I accept that some people have something important to say through their art, I have a much more ‘playful’ approach - so I’d encourage like-minded people to have fun, there’s always room for that in the world.

Thanks Scott taking the time for a wonderful interview, I am sure all our readers will eagerly look forward to your next project. :) We wish you all the success in the future.

Visit WhatIMade.com
You can join Scott's Facebook page as well.

To read more interviews of inspiring and creative artists like Scott, you can subscribe to our RSS feeds. You can also choose to receive updates via email.


Do join our Facebook page as well: