Upcoming fairs

Hey local friends! I'm going to be at the Apple Harvest Festival in Ithaca, NY this coming Saturday and Sunday. This week I've been buzzing around like a busy little bumblebee to prepare for it. I've got lots of new cards and prints, as well as tote bags and temporary tattoos! I've been working on some new signage and decorations too, so I'll post pictures of that next week. This is my favorite time of year and I'm looking forward to hanging out in my outdoor booth all weekend with some apple cider.

Then in two weeks, I'll be at the Salt Market in Syracuse, NY. Last year I was at the December Pepper Market, and this year they have just one big Salt Market in October. Last year there were so many cool indie crafters and I wanted to buy something from each table. I have a feeling this year will be the same! Check out the poster for the market done by Cayetano Valenzuela of Black Rabbit Studio! I can't think of a better phrase off the top of my head right now other than "drool-worthy" to describe his hand painted signs and lettering skills. I know that's a stupid phrase, but it's all I've got for now.

A delayed recap of "make art that sells"

Happy first day of fall! That means it's super late to catch you up on my Lilla Rogers "Make Art That Sells" part B e-course experience, but better late than never right? So here goes the quick recap... Week 3 was for the scrapbooking industry. More paper-related things = yay! The theme for our project was "ink bottles". We were to create a scrapbooking page of stickers, as well as patterns for coordinating sheets of paper. This seemed like a fun industry, and I definitely plan on going back through my notes to see how I can build more work and start proposing some of it to manufacturers.

Week 4 was for the editorial industry. We were "warned" ahead of time that this week would be intense, and it was, but in a good way. The project was to illustrate a map of the city/town you live in, and to pick out points of interest since there isn't enough time in a week to design a full town map. So I focused on the local businesses here.

Finally, Week 5's industry was party paper, so things like party plates and cups and gift wrap paper and so on. The project theme was folk art, so we were supposed to combine that with the idea of celebration and parties. I wanted to explore drawing animals some more, because I'm always intimidated to draw things with faces (I think I'm getting better though!), so I went with a folksy woodland theme. This is one of my favorite things I've created so far I think.

So, in the end, this e-course was awesome, and I plan to take the part A class within the next year. I created illustrations far beyond what I thought I was capable of, and I've already gotten new freelance projects because of it. I think I'm actually starting to turn into more of an illustrator than a designer, but I kind of like it. If anyone is reading this that is considering take Lilla's e-courses, DO IT. It is worth every single penny. Besides the crazy amount of information you learn about the industries and licensing and the awesome projects, it will feel like a wonderful support group/ therapy session. My fellow classmates were so supportive and it felt like we all cheering each other on each week. The part A and part B classes felt more intimate than the Bootcamp class, but that's because those were smaller groups so it was easier to get to know everybody. Before I signed up for the first e-course back in March, my motivation was dwindling and I was ready to throw the towel in and go be "normal" and get a "normal" 9-5 office job. It was a tough winter for some reason, and I really started to lose faith that I was going in the right direction. I felt like I was basically just wasting all my time. I am so, so, so thankful that I took a chance with that course, because it 100% recommitted me to my career goals. One of the biggest things I took away from this course is that as a creative person wanting to make a living as an illustrator, my success and my day to day life will look different from "normal" careers, but that's okay. It's not necessarily better or worse, just different. When I was feeling very down earlier this year, one of the major things that made me feel that way was comparing myself to other people I know. Comparison is the thief of joy, amiright? I'm happy with the decisions I've made to get where I am, but when I looked at how far other people are in life and at "being adults", I started feeling ashamed that I was maybe behind. I don't own a house or a fancy car and I haven't gotten married or created a small human being yet. But I do love being creative and getting to make stuff with my hands every day. I will get to all of those other fancy adult things in due time. After the Lilla Rogers  course, I realized there are plenty of people like me, and I saw a lot of examples of illustrators who do make a comfortable living doing exactly what I want to do. I needed to be exposed to a community of people who want and/or have a life like I want. And that's exactly what that course did. We are not alone!!

Because I was so happy with my progress in that course, I signed up for the Make Art That Sells Bootcamp class that took place over the summer. I missed the first two months because of the Part B class I took, but I still got 3 cool projects out of it and I can always go back and do the first two on my own.

So May's assignment was editorial industry, and the theme was a meditation article and we were to draw PEOPLE. Remember when I mentioned I strongly disliked drawing things with faces? It's an irrational fear, because after being forced to jump right in and go for it in this class, it's not as hard as I thought. In fact, I might even go as far to say it's quite fun. I need to keep at it and perfect my own personal style of drawing them, but I believe I've at least accomplished getting over my fear of it.

Look at that, I drew more people and even experimented with watercolor! Woo hoo!

The next month was for the wall art industry involving a nautical theme. I experimented with more here with the combination of line art and watercolor paint. I also continued to be fearless and draw more stuff with faces! I got a pretty adorable whale out of it.

Then finally, the theme of the last month of Bootcamp was a piece of art based on our favorite beverage. We were to illustrate something we would want on our own walls. Unlike the other projects where everybody shares their progress and gets feedback in the Facebook groups, we were supposed to keep these to ourselves until the assignment was due. This was to help us focus on entirely what makes us happy without the influence of anybody else's opinion. It was a brilliant idea, because I created a piece I am very proud of. I used typography and illustration together. I love hand lettering, and also love illustration, but hadn't figured out how to marry them both. I'm happy with how it turned out, and would like to incorporate more of this style in my Etsy shop.

Week 1 and 2 of MATS

So already 2 weeks have passed in the "Make Art That Sells" E-course. I have been very busy since the first day and haven't had much down time at all, but I do feel extremely motivated and excited about everything I have been working on so far. I haven't regretted the course investment for a single moment! On top of the assignments we have each week, it's been filled to the brim with advice and information about getting work, the different industries, trends, being a full-time freelancer, working with agents, and interviews with illustrators who do this kind of stuff for a living. Which makes me extra excited and motivated because I most definitely want that to be my living. I can't even describe how refreshing and comforting it is to hear about other designers and illustrators who make a living doing exactly what I kind of do/want to keep doing. I think that in my head there has been this unrealistic image of what it's like to be successful, or even that maybe it wasn't possible to be successful staying in this career path. Now I'm seeing that it all actually can be real, and that ups and downs and unsteady income are all part of it (two major things that discourage me the most). So to summarize my thoughts so far, each day that I wake up and work on things for this E-course, I'm like "adlfka;dlfkjad;lkhad;glkajdf;lkadfj;k CAN I DO THIS FOREVER PLEASE?!".

There have been many times where I procrastinated my "real" work to do these illustration assignments. The first week was for the "Paper Industry", and our assignment was to create a holiday card with a gingerbread theme. I was particularly happy because paper is what I do, but also felt pretty excited to focus on actual illustrations, rather than just lettering. I'm pretty much intimidated by all illustration and don't have a lot of confidence in it because my formal background is in design, not drawing stuff in my handdrawn style. But I am surprising myself. I can see my style in everything I draw now, so I try to embrace it as I challenge myself with these new assignments.

So the week started with a "mini" where we start sketches and drawings to warm up. Then later in the week we get the main assignment with all the specs and details. It builds upon whatever we worked on in the mini. 

It took a lot of work to draw the details and then color everything in Illustrator, but I'm quite pleased with how they turned out! They involve much more detail than I thought I'd be capable of! I turned in the wonky three-story house, but worked on two during the week simultaneously.

The second week's theme was for Baby and Children's Industry, mainly clothing. That industry is definitely out of my comfort zone and I didn't even know much about it. After just turning in my assignment an hour ago, I think there is still a lot I have to learn about, but I enjoyed it a lot. There's an emphasis on drawing sweet, charming things, and that's fun for me. I decided to incorporate birds into the theme, because I've always wanted to draw them but have been intimidated. I'm actually intimidated to draw anything with a face. It's probably mostly all in my head though and I think I just need to give myself a chance, like with these birds. Because they were ridiculously fun to draw, especially with eye patches and pirate hats. I was totally entertained looking at them all week, and figured at the least I got a kick out of it.

I also learned how to do "repeats" for this assignment (seen in the three boxes along the bottom). Those are shown as ideas for coordinates for how the design can be used on different fabrics or clothing items. I actually want all of these for myself, perhaps as bedsheets or even a shower curtain.

Getting ready for the Lilla Rogers "Make Art That Sells" E-course!

I'm going to try something new and get a little personal in this blog. I've been struggling lately with feeling like I'm in a creative rut. I'm pretty sure that this extremely long and cold winter has something to do with it, but I've turned a little grumpy and negative. I'm overdue for sunshine and inspiration for sure.

A major thing to blame I think is that I often let my work and personal life intertwine, which I know I should be better at, but it's really hard sometimes because my work is basically the biggest thing in my life now. Especially since I work for myself, doing freelance work and managing my stationery products on Etsy. I love everything about those things, and I feel like I really put my heart into them. But every so often, I start to doubt myself, my path, my abilities. It puts a damper on everything and I definitely let it get me down. I also have a serious issue with comparing myself to those around me. Particularly on Facebook. You probably know how that goes. You see your newsfeed full of baby pictures, wedding photos, big promotions, announcements about fancy houses recently purchased, and blah blah blah. Now don't get me wrong, those are all fantastic things that I want someday, and I'm actually very content with not having them right now, but it's very easy for me to feel a little behind in the game. My journey is a little different I guess, but I've chosen it to be that way, and sometimes I doubt that choice.

There are definitely moments where I feel very inspired and thankful that I'm going down this path, like hearing some good reviews from customers who have bought my cards on Etsy, or talking with people at craft fairs, or even seeing my design work in "real life" (like when it's finally printed and out in the world or on a finished website that other people will see). I feel so alive when I make things with my hands that turn into something that brings happiness to other people. Then, there are plenty of times when I'm totally ready to throw in the towel and settle down with a more "normal" 9-5 job. I've actually been trying to do that over the last few months. See, I also live at home with my mom. There were a lot of reasons why I moved home two years ago after grad school. Mostly it was because I had no idea what to do next after leaving Germany, but there were a lot of other personal, family reasons too. And then, freelance work and my Etsy shop grew into something I've been doing full-time since then. It's work, but it's one of those things that barely feels like work. I'd be happy doing this every single day, forever actually.

My goal is to grow with hand drawn lettering and illustration, to get more projects that would let me use those, and to expand my stationery line into more products and into more shops. In a wildest dream, I'd be represented by an illustration agency. Oh and also live someplace sunnier :) It's a goal I can see so clearly and dream about so easily. As of right now in my life, I'm positive about wanting that fully. The tricky part that messes things up for me is that it's still in the future. I think I work very, very hard, and yet it's still looking far away from where I am. On one hand, I could be a little less whiny because I've only been doing this for two years, which in the big picture is maybe not much time at all. But there is also a part of me that's afraid I'll never reach that goal, and perhaps I'm just wasting time. It's also my goal to make a living off of above said dream, and so far it's quite difficult to do that. Which is why I still live at home.

Anyways, back to what I mentioned before, I have been applying to some "normal" jobs. It would be pretty damn amazing to have the stability of a 9-5 schedule, in addition to an adult paycheck and health benefits. I don't want to undermine how valuable those things are, but I often feel myself wanting it mainly when I'm discouraged or ashamed at the lack of "adult" things I have compared to the rest of my peers.

So since I have been applying to more normal "design" jobs, I haven't heard much back other than that my info will be saved for future openings or freelance projects. It's primarily because this area is quite limited with creative opportunities, but it's still pretty disheartening. I do want stability and little more financial freedom, but I am still in love with my work. It's a torn feeling that makes for some good days and some tough days trying to figure out that perfect balance.

Back to the main point of this post... I am actively attempting to get out of this rut. I'm taking a chance and investing in an e-course by Lilla Rogers, who runs one of the best illustration agencies in the industry. I found out about the agency when I discovered that an illustrator I really admire is represented by them, but blew off the idea of even dreaming of getting represented someday. After feeling very down and discouraged lately, I decided rather quickly that this e-course could be something to make a big change in my happiness and in my work. Maybe it will end up being very influential towards my goals. At the least, I already feel like it's refreshed my motivation.

The course, which starts this coming Monday, will be 5 weeks filled to the brim with advice and information on getting represented and licensing my work. It's also going to be 5 weeks of intense illustration assignments. I want to be inspired and pushed outside of my comfort zone. I want to refresh my creativity and wake up those sleepy little dreams that have got to still be inside me somewhere. I plan on writing each week on this blog to keep track of my feelings and my work to share with anybody else interested in a similar path or experiencing similar ups and downs like I have. I'm really looking forward to seeing how much things can change in these 5 weeks.

homemade granola and resolutions

So my last post was in June of 2013. It was titled "Aspirations to be a better blogger" and that was obviously a fail. Oh well. It may be February, but one of this year's resolutions is to actually blog again, and to floss. I'm still flossing a month into 2014, so perhaps there is hope to get in the habit of posting interesting things.

This last weekend, I made homemade chocolate peanut butter granola. I love granola, but have never attempted making it because I assumed it'd be too tricky or involve ingredients I don't feel like buying. Wrong to both. One of my new favorite food blogs, Sally's Baking Addiction, has a great recipe for this. Surprisingly easy and extremely addicting. This morning I added it on plain greek yogurt, and then topped it with sliced bananas and warm peanut butter drizzle. Not only was I actually full until a late lunch, I had enough energy to run more than usual today (because I'm preparing for this 5k).

Last week I dropped off these Open/Closed signs to a local shop Wabi Sabi. I can't wait to see them on the door soon!

Also, it's cold outside, so it's nice to hang out inside with this guy.

Sometimes I make pretty websites

Along with working on adding more products to my Etsy shop, I've also been busy lately with some freelance work. I recently finished working on a blog website for a makeup artist in New York City. You can see it here. This time, I played developer rather than designer.

I have been taking on more web design projects lately where I do both the design and development of the site, but normally my usual role would be to design the visual aspects of a site and work with a developer who would make it work by writing code and all. I typically just make things pretty, so this time it was a fun change to be the one to make the website come alive. It was made on WordPress (so is my blog), and I think I'm totally on my way to becoming a master of it (how long that journey may be is still in question).

One thing I particularly like about developing sites is the different type of creativity required. With web development, it feels like how math class used to feel for me in school. It's all like a formula that is sometimes agonizing to figure out, and I often feel as if I could punch my computer in the face if it had one during that part, but then it's seriously so exciting once I do figure out everything and know how to make things function. I realized that I have a bad habit of celebrating with some sort of chocolate confection or cookie-like treat when I figure out really tough things by myself. I do hope that urge to reward myself with sugar passes as I become more of a web master.

But anyways, after working on a web development project, it does feel nice to be working on making things pretty again. I'm working on adding new cards to the shop, and have some exciting custom projects coming soon that I will most definitely share with you. They are going to involve lots of pretty hand drawn things.