The person behind the account @craftplanter is called Hanni Baumgardner, lives with her family in northern Indiana, is a passionate mother of three children and is married to her best friend. We were lucky enough to have a little chat with the artist and are happy to be able to give you a little insight behind the scenes of her visual worlds.
As the Instagram name suggests, Hanni Baumgardner likes to photograph plants in a particularly creative way. We asked ourselves where her love of nature comes from and whether she has always had a green thumb. "All the women in my family are passionate gardeners, so working with plants is in my blood. I have always loved flowers, but unfortunately as a child I was very afraid of bugs and other creepy crawlies, which is why I didn't really start to realize my potential in my garden until I was in my mid-twenties. If I see a spider, I still scream today."
95% of the plants that Hanni uses in her pictures grow in her own garden. This makes it the source of inspiration for many of her works. We asked her if there was a particular picture or series of pictures that she was particularly fond of. “I love creative competitions! In recent years, I have designed many different Christmas trees in December using the hashtag #craftplantingtrees . I have released a similar series called #craftplantingleaves with leaves. I really enjoy solving problems in a creative way and developing new picture ideas within set parameters.”
This joy in creating is certainly a great motivation - coming up with new visual worlds and motifs is her passion. But what else drives Hanni to create works of art and publish them? "If there was no internet tomorrow, I would still be creating things. It's just a part of me. Sharing art online has encouraged me to recognize and appreciate my work. But I also go through times when I don't want to publish work because it's easier and much less scary. That's exactly why I'm so grateful for my small Instagram community, which inspires me to grow and I hope that I can encourage people to do the same."
Hanni has been creative for as long as she can remember. Her artistic talent helped her to get a graphic design degree. She is usually busy with several creative projects at the same time for a variety of occasions. The work that comes out of these projects is usually very lively and colorful. When asked if this reflects Hanni's personality, she laughs out loud. "I'm a bit shy by nature and would describe myself as a mix of Charlie Brown and IA. However, I've often heard that I have a quirky sense of humor and I think that is visible in my work."
Introverted people in particular can find it difficult to present themselves and their work in public. Platforms like Instagram can make this step easier. Hanni told us a little about her social media beginnings and revealed her very personal favorite feeds. "It all started with a garden blog that I ran a few years ago. When we moved into a house without a garden, I unfortunately had to give up the blog. I missed the connection with other gardeners and so in autumn 2017 I decided to share some of my crafting ventures on Instagram. That's how the name @craftplanter came about. I have also often collaborated with other Instagrammers in the past. I have always really enjoyed the connections that have developed from this. I could spend all day listing Instagram accounts that impress and inspire me. I especially like feeds that make me laugh. @denstorm works with wonderful visual puns, @chillwildlife makes me giggle, and @runnerkimhall is the sunshine of the internet!"
