Have you invested in yourself? I finally decided to book a professional portfolio review with agent Brenda Manley, of Brenda Manley Designs. Even though I have a degree in illustration, I have spent the majority of my career working as a graphic designer. The past few years I’ve been specifically concentrating on surface pattern designs …
Featured on Sketch Design Repeat
I’m excited to share that I was selected as the Spotlight Surface Pattern Designer for the month of June on Shannon McNab’s Sketch Design Repeat blog. If you’re not familiar with Shannon, she is an American surface pattern designer living in Dublin, Ireland and has a wealth of experience in the field. She offers courses …
Some of my favorite podcasts
Are you a fan of podcasts? I am a huge listener of podcasts and try to squeeze in as many episodes as possible. I listen while walking my dogs, running errands, doing chores or even while working, particularly on something that doesn’t require tons of brain power. I know many surface pattern designers listen to …
How do you plan?
I am participating in Joanne Hawker’s March Meet the Maker® on Instagram and the prompt for the day was planning. It got me thinking on how I plan my time. For years I tried many different planners: from online planners, traditional planners to a large wall planner. But no matter the planner, they key for …
Building Community
Working from home, and working for yourself, can largely be an isolating experience. Isolation became even more pronounced during the pandemic when our lives were forever altered. Even though I have been mostly working for myself for more than a decade, I can get in a rut. I felt that most acutely in January when …
Uppercase Magazine entry
Uppercase Magazine is having a call for entry for their 5th surface pattern design guide. They will select 100 designers to feature in their upcoming guide. I thought I’d give it a try so today I gathered a bunch of my pattern designs. I tried to narrow down 9 that showcased my best work, while …
Coaching and setting goals
It’s been some time since I worked with a coach. If you’re not already doing so, I highly recommend doing this for your business, or any personal goals you might have. The best part about coaching for me is accountability. This is huge! If you are going to workout, meeting a friend for a run …
New Year…reflections and goals
It’s January 1: A time to look back on the previous year and make resolutions or goals for the new year. Thinking back on my business in 2021, I tend to get frustrated that I’m not further along but I have to remind myself where I started. I began drawing pretty regularly again in March …
Review of Bonnie Christine’s Immersion
I have been out of school for a lot of years. The past 18 I’ve spent getting my kids through their schooling! Now I have an senior in high school and a sophomore in college. Out of necessity, the world went online during COVID-19. After witnessing online learning with my kids, having every client meeting …