Leah Duncan is an artist I am lucky enough to have crossed paths with. Yes, she is talented and beautiful but, she is also humble, gracious and a joy to be around.  Listening to her speak passionately about her craft is refereshing but hearing her discuss how she intends to grow the business is an education. Her imaginative illustrations can now be seen on everything from textiles, to stationary, and decorative home goods. I was fortunate to spend some time with Leah in her Austin home before she left for New York City, sadly.

Gosh New York, you get all the good ones….this is Leah’s Inspired Life

What inspired you today? A walk in the park with my dog Oslo.

What are you obsessed with right now? Blue dresses with white polka dots.

Where are your three favorite places to enjoy all that Austin has to offer? Alamo Drafthouse, the hike and bike trails around the city, and Taqueria Chapala on East Cesar Chavez (yummy Mexican food!)

Whole Foods or Central Market? Whole Foods is closer, so I normally end up there. It’s also on the way to yoga at Black Swan Yoga.

How do you maintain those luscious curls? Wash using Aveeno Nourish + Volume shampoo, towel dry, put some Infusium 23 leave-in-condition in a spray bottle and soak my hair with it, mix Garnier Fructis Sleek and Shine and their Curl Sculpting cream-gel in my hand, blot hair with it, scrunch hair with towel, dry with a diffuser if I have time or air dry. They always try to sell me the expensive stuff at the salon, but I swear by this! I’m also notoriously bad as scheduling regular haircuts, you can ask my stylist.

What beauty product can’t you live without? I can’t live without my Burt’s beeswax lip balm and Clinique’s Aglow blush. It’s the perfect amount of color and warmth without over-doing it.

Coffee or tea? Both! Coffee in the morning, iced tea in the afternoon, a hot decaf green tea at night… most of the time not all in the same day.

Who is your favorite rebel? Past or Present? Frida Kahlo

You’ve had a bad day, what do you do to shake it all off? Go for a run and then have a nice glass of red wine on my back porch.

What’s harder living in the present or planning for the future? I’m full of dreams and always thinking about tomorrow. I’ll admit, sometimes it’s incredibly hard for me to focus on today, but I’m working on it.

When I sewed I used to hate sewing corners….anything you loathe to sew? My silk scarves can sometimes be incredibly difficult. The fabric is so wiggly it’s hard to get a straight seam.

What’s up next for Leah Duncan? My first fabric collection, Maya, will be out in February. I’ve just released a collection of wrapping papers with Betty and Dupree. I’ll be focusing on releasing a new collection of my home goods and textiles in late Spring. I hope to get to a point where I’m releasing two collections per year. Up until now I’ve only created when the moment strikes.

Dream big, what does your life look like in five years? A brick and mortar boutique/studio space with a great team working with me. I’d like to expand my wholesale line, continue working with companies to create new goods, and perhaps have some little ones running around. : )

Love Leah Duncan as much as I do? Check her out her site and Etsy shop.