(DISCLAIMER: Large excerpts taken - and edited or removed - from my Featured Seller Interview for my other shop, LeshasWorkshop, here: http://www.etsy.com/blog/en/2010/featured-seller-leshasworkshop/)

My name is Lesha Denega and I live in FL with the best pound puppy ever, Mac.

I am an artist and turbo knitter who loves to paint, but I also love making hats an fascinators - especially for bridal parties and costume events

I have a couple of disabilities, but I have turned them in my favor as they almost dictate I work from home right now. So instead of being curtailed, I feel free to work on my handmade efforts. It’s harder than it would be for some, but easier in that the nature of my medical problems often leads to intense bouts of productivity. I also eat a lot of chocolate.

--Apart from creating things, what do you do?

Well, I used to swim and run competitively, so I’m going back to the those. My big passion is reading and writing, so I usually have an audio book on while I’m drawing, painting or knitting — kind of like redundant relaxation therapy. I like to see my family, who’ve been so supportive and I love to read, read, read. Did I mention read?

--What first made you want to become an artist?

I don’t know when, which is why I know it’s probably a really, really long time ago. Hanging in my studio is a “My Special Place” picture I drew in crayon when I was about five. It showed the modular plywood blocks and lamp and art supplies we’d set up in a corner of the room for me to work. Since I moved a lot, those blocks kind of grew up with me, and we always hung that picture. I’ve been scribbling, sewing, knitting and crocheting in corners of rooms ever since. I thank my mom for that. She always encouraged me to make, and then sell. I was selling handmade in high school because of her.

--Please describe your creative process.

I have a Master's degree in architecture; I discovered I'm not good at designing space, but that I love PAINTING and DRAWING space. My work is mostly concerned with perspective, especially of alley's and street scenes. My goal is to place you, the viewer, INTO that space. While I work mostly from photographs, I never trace or user a ruler to draw a strait line. I LIKE the inconsistencies. I like the small wobbles here and there - I feel it makes my art more tactile, gritty - more human.

As for my schedule, I’m trying to get one. If I wake up early (like 4 a.m.), I’ll work for a few hours and go back to sleep. I work on and off throughout the day, and am very productive at night, going to bed around 1 a.m. I get to be a morning AND a night person (at least that’s what I tell myself).

--What handmade possession do you most cherish?

Any of the jewelry my mom makes, my collection of jewelry from NobleGnome, my bag from GetReadySetGo, and anything a friend made.

Name your top five books, movies, musicians, and websites besides Etsy.

Books:

This is an evil thing to ask of me, but here goes, in no particular order:
The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkein
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
The Summer Tree by Guy Gavriel Kay
The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher
The Places that Scare You by Pema Chodron
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

Movies:
The Shawshank Redemption
Amelie
Groundhog Day
Batman Begins
Pulp Fiction

Musicians:
Rachmaninoff
Ms. John Soda
James Brown
Nickel Creek
Old Prince

Websites:
Slate
Pandora
Audible
Barnes & Noble
Style

What advice would you give to artists who are new to Etsy?

Assuming you are confident, or semi-confident that someone might, maybe, could want your craft (and heck, anyone would, you’re you, right? DO IT.), my advice would be to focus on the pictures. And then I would recommend pictures again. Then I’d say network — get to know people, make treasuries, and renew as much as you can afford. Use your analytics and other tools like Craftopolis to see what it is of yours that is trending. Don’t try to push your back stock; let it ride the coattails of your showstoppers.

--What are your favorite features on Etsy? What new features would you like to see?

I love all member-curated front page treasuries. I admit I use the Greasemonkey plug-in religiously, so I’d like to see them native to the site. I like the latest improvements. I think I’d like to see it be easier to search by seller for people who don’t know how to use a drop-down menu (laugh).

--How do you promote your work?

Well, I Twitter, I Facebook, I am religious about always having a business card on me, and I make sure to give my customers coupons regularly, so they will come back. I renew and I make treasuries, treasuries, treasuries. Good things come to those who promote others’ work.