Tove Sundén is the creator and founder behind the Instagram account @toveslillahem, where she spreads joy through vibrant energy and strong colors. Her creations are characterized by a playful feeling that inspires more people to embrace the power of creativity and colors. She works with interior design, creates posters and designs unique clay earrings, creating an account with a lovely mix of creative expression and design.

Interview mit Tove Sundén

Can you tell us a little about yourself and your Instagram account @toveslillahem?

My name is Tove, I come from Kalmar but live in Stockholm almost a year ago. Before Stockholm, I've wandered around a bit here and had a longer stop in Linköping. My creative side has always been there, I think. Thousands of drawings as a child, acrylic paint on canvas as a teenager, writing and photography in the media program during high school. Then all the temptations of life came in between and it was only in 2020 that I started properly with the creation again. I bought an ipad and spent so much time learning digital illustration that I had abrasions on my fingers where I had held the pen. Creativity comes from so many places and my desire to create MORE never ends, which is very wonderful.

My little business came about during a tired and idle corona summer when I moved into my newly purchased apartment and created the Instagram account @toveslillahem. Actually, it was intended as an account with moving, renovation and interior decoration, but since I was also on sick leave this summer and didn't get to do everything I usually do, I started doing air-drying clay. I made teat pots that people on Instagram liked and during the autumn I tried my hand at the world of polymer clay. After a year or two, the hobby became a business and now I'm sitting here with a website, VAT returns and lots of lovely customers! It's really crazy that my creations hang in people's ears, windows and walls! Apart from my posters, which are painted in Procreate on my iPad, I mainly create in clay. It is so nice and wonderful to create with your hands and that each pair of earrings is unique. However, it is very time-consuming, so in 2023 I have started experimenting with earrings in acrylic as well, in order to be able to produce more and mainly then to feel that I can spend the time required on the earrings in clay. I also love the combination of acrylic and clay, it makes incredibly beautiful earrings! Using acrylic was initially intended for the solar collectors, but was later developed into earrings in the models rut, doris and snipps. I love color and want more people to be able to have more color in their lives!

What does a typical working day look like for you?

Right now it looks very strange considering that I have just become a restaurant manager in a very nice place, which from the beginning was only supposed to be an extra job to be able to afford to live and survive in Stockholm. So there is no longer as much time, but it is sporadically created when my body and buds can handle it. The creation itself is not something I need energy for, rather it gives me new energy, but when you are an entrepreneur you are also a content creator and accountant and event planner AND SO ON and that is probably where my energy right now is not really to spare.

Are there any particular techniques or tools you prefer when creating?

Tools: the hands! Nothing feels more alive than creating with your hands. I really love illustrating digitally but there is something special about painting on canvas or paper, feeling the creaminess of the colors and the texture of different surfaces and substrates. I don't know of any special techniques. I usually test until it feels right.

Where do you find your inspiration?

It really feels like it's everywhere! A tree, a jacket, some strange sign outside a shop, people in town, fun color combinations and of course other creators.

Pink is a recurring color in your posters – what does it symbolize for you and how does it influence your creation?

Well, what can I say, I really love pink! Haven't always done it, don't know if I used to feel it was too "girly" a color? In any case, I have completely let go because now both the home, the hair, the clothes and the creation are very much pink. I think it's the warmest of colors and a pink poster can really light up an entire wall.

What do you listen to when you create?

I'm actually more than the type to skim through comics when I'm creating. You know the kind of series that you have either seen ten times or that is perhaps quite "uneventful" so that it doesn't matter if you miss a few scenes or an episode. If I listen to music, it's Moonica Mac. Always Moonica Mac.

Are there any particular elements or themes that you always try to include?

Actually not! It can sometimes be a thought to have something special, but since I am a messy person who acts very much on emotion, the result can often be completely different from what was the thought from the beginning.

What advice would you give to young creators who want to immerse themselves in their creation?

Test test test! Nothing is right and nothing is wrong. It's just art and nobody cares. Or, in other words, everyone really cares. But it's supposed to be fun and liberating, so it's better to pretend no one cares.