If you're like many surface pattern designers I know, you may be worried about the impact of AI - will it replace us?  Is there any way to compete with it? Will we lose business because of it? You're not alone if you're worried - this is a super hot topic at the moment, so I wanted to come in this week on the Design & Shine podcast to share my views on it. I'm hoping I can reassure you with a fresh perspective on:

• The impact of AI on the surface pattern design industry - how will it change how designs are made and sold - or not!
• How we can use AI to our advantage and why I believe we should be using it.
• How some designers I know personally are changing how they create their artwork because of AI
• And the one priceless element and advantage humans have that AI will never have!

If you feel worried about the impact of AI on your surface pattern design business dreams and goals, this episode is for you!

I'll be honest—pitching your surface pattern designs to companies can feel downright terrifying. I’ve been there and I know how difficult it can be to hit send on an email! 

It’s intimidating to put your work out into the world and face the possibility of rejection. But every designer feels that way, and you’re not alone!

In this episode of the Design & Shine podcast, I’m sharing tips and actionable steps to help you pitch your surface pattern designs with confidence.

Whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your process, I’ve got you covered.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

✨ Why you shouldn’t limit your pitching to companies in your own country (think global!) ✨ Key things to consider when preparing your portfolio to make it irresistible. ✨ How to find the right companies to pitch to—because not every company is your perfect match. ✨ The importance of creating a repeatable system for pitching (and tips to build one that works). ✨ The mindset shifts you need to pitch successfully and keep going, even if you hear “no.”

If you’ve been holding back from sharing your surface pattern design portfolio with the world, this episode is for you!

And if you’re ready to take things a step further, don’t miss my FREE workshop: My Simple Process to Turn Your Art from a Hobby into Profit.

In it, I’ll teach you the secrets to creating successful surface pattern designs and building a thriving creative business.

Let’s get your work seen—and sold!

There's one thing that successful surface pattern design business owners have that unsuccessful ones who give up trying to succeed almost ALWAYS have: a 'WHY.''

In this episode of the Design & Shine podcast, I talk about why having a 'why' you choose to have a business at all is so critical to your ability to succeed.

I share my personal 'why' and a habit that I have that helps me keep going despite disappointment or setbacks in my business.

I also give you some critical questions to ask yourself to help you gain some clarity on your 'why' if you're not sure about what it may be! 

Ready to get started on your surface pattern design business?

Sign up to my FREE WORKSHOP to learn my simple process to turn your art from a hobby into a profit here! 👇

https://my.patternanddesign.com/passion-profit-org

 

 

 

If you've ever wondered how to become a successfully self-employed surface pattern designer and course creator, this episode of the Design & Shine podcast is for you!

I share my personal journey on how I got started as an employee to becoming a university teacher, and then on to self-employment as an online course creator. 

 Listen to this episode to learn:

• What it's like to work as a professional employee in the surface pattern design industry
• The advantages and disadvantages of employment and why I decided to transition to freelance designer
• The pros and cons of putting yourself out there when you are a freelance designer (especially when you're an introvert like me!)
• Tips for creating your own surface pattern design course, including how long it took to create my Pattern to Product comprehensive course
• key skills you'll need to develop to be successfully self-employed, including tips on business systems and email marketing!

I also share how I experienced many of the same struggles that you might be experiencing if you are aiming to become self-employed, from trying to figure out what I liked to do to knowing where and how to get started! 

Don't miss this episode if you dream of becoming a professional surface pattern designer and course creator as I have!  

If you're struggling to make your color palettes work, this episode is for YOU! 

In this episode of the Design & Shine Podcast, I’m breaking down the BIGGEST mistakes designers make with color and sharing my top tips to help you create stunning, cohesive palettes that POP! 

Listen to this episode to learn:

• The importance of colour in design and the primary reasons consumers are drawn to or repelled by the colours in a design.
• The 3 most common mistakes new designers make in creating a cohesive colour palette 
• How to improve your use of colour including how to experiment with tone, balance saturation, and design with the end consumer in mind

I'll also share some practical exercises that you can use to improve your use of colour right away!

Don't miss this episode if you're ready to uplevel your use of colour in your designs to improve your sales today! 

 

 

Last year I came very close to experiencing burnout in my surface pattern design business... 

I'd got to the point where things had begun to feel too heavy, hard, and demanding.

Everything seemed to be taking me further and further away from the things that mattered the most to me, from my daily art practice to time with my family. 

When I started to become resentful of my business, that is when I knew I had to take a step back.

And so I did - and what an amazing decision that was! 

I'm excited to be back now for Season 3 of the podcast and am kicking things off by sharing what I've been experiencing over the past year.

Just a few things I cover in this all-new episode are:

• The biggest lessons I learned over the past year, including low points and highlights
• Finding healthy boundaries between business and life, and what that can look like
• Why working 'seasonally' in business is better than a non-stop grind 
• Finding space for more time to do what you love most - your art!
• How I not only avoided burnout, I renewed the joy and MAGIC in my business!

Join me for this brand-new season of the Design & Shine podcast if you want to learn how to grow and thrive in your surface pattern design business! 

As 2023 comes to a close, I reflect back on the huge changes that I made in my business this year in this final podcast episode before I take an extended summer break at the beach with my family and new puppy.

I share my process of looking back to assess my goals, how I question my progress, and why I believe it's so important to take time to do this reflection work when you run a creative business.

A few questions that I ask myself that may be as important to you as they are to me are:

• Did I create more space in my life for practicing my art?
• Did I streamline and simplify my business to remove overcomplicated processes?
• Does my business align with my creative and lifestyle goals?
• How did this year's goals compare to the previous year's goals?
• Did I create less or more hustle in my life this past year?
• What will next year's goals be and how will I go about achieving them?

Listen to this episode of the Design & Shine podcast to hear my personal answers to these questions and more!

And I'd love to hear how you went with your 2023 goals too!

Did you achieve your goals? Why or why not?

What are your 2024 goals? 

Come let me know on my Facebook or Instagram accounts where I'll be checking in over the holidays before Season 3 of the podcast begins next year! 

Until then, have a wonderful holiday season and a Happy New Year! 

When I left full-time employment as a surface pattern designer, I could not understand why I found it so incredibly difficult to design with the same confidence and ease as I did for my clients... Despite years of design experience and confidence working to a design brief, when I decided to work for myself I immediately fell into a ''surviving creative'' mentality, and everything began to feel so. much. harder! It took a massive shift in how I thought about myself and my ability to design before I was able to grow a successful surface pattern design business. ⚡️ But once I did the deeper work of changing my ''surviving identity'' beliefs, I was able to quickly grow my business to my first $100k and have not looked back since! 💃

So in this week's episode of the Design & Shine podcast, I share my story of how I overcame my lack of confidence and fears about my design abilities to finally get momentum in my creative business. It's an important step that I believe every creative person needs to make to shift out of a ''surviving identity'' into a ''thriving identity.'' I hope you enjoy it!

Recently, my family and I invited a new member into the family - a PUPPY!!! ​​His name is Juno. And while it's been a LOT of fun these last few weeks getting to know him, it hasn't been as much fun training him not to wee in the house! 😅 But it has been interesting to watch him learn. It's made me reflect on​​ how - with anything new we learn - our brains need to be 'trained' just like my Juno's.  I know mine did when I first started my creative business years ago... I had to 'train' my brain to overcome my self-doubt about whether or not I could reach success as a surface pattern designer and artist. That self-doubt, self-sabotage, and lack of confidence come from hidden, subconscious beliefs that we're often not even aware of until we do the deeper work of looking for them and examining them. ​ These are our limiting beliefs, and if you've ever felt stuck, frustrated with your lack of progress, or filled with doubt that you could ever make it as a creative (which ALL of us have, of course!) then you know exactly what it feels like to have them! ​​​​ So in this week's episode of the Design & Shine podcast, I explore what limiting beliefs are and how they might be holding you back from the creative success you desire - and how to get started overcoming them!🎤🎧

While our creativity is a beautiful expression of our own personal unique gifts and ideas, it can also carry with it a lot of things that can end up hindering our progress... Things like criticism, self-doubt, and perfectionism. So in this week's Design & Shine podcast episode, I explore why it's important to cultivate and nurture self-compassion.

I share my thoughts on:

• What having self-compassion as a creative means 
• Why it can help us progress in our creative practice
• How not having it can hurt us and keep us stuck
• What having self-compassion requires and how to nurture it!

So listen to this episode and start nurturing your self-compassion so that you can continue to grow and thrive as an artist today!  🎤🎧