Design Tribe Podcast (Lauren Lesley: Atlanta designer + illustrator)

1 | LIVING CORAL EXPLAINED

Unlike what many many initially think, no crystal balls are in use when Pantone selects the color of the year! They collect color information from street trends, fashion, retail, the runway, social media, and travel. Pantone carefully researches cultural shifts, political dynamics, and takes historical events into account. Groundbreaking stuff, huh?

Vibrant yet mellow, Pantone describes Living Coral as “An animating and life-affirming coral hue with a golden undertone that energizes and enlivens with a softer edge.” It is a color that is warm and nourishing.

“[Living Coral provides] comfort and buoyancy in our continually shifting environment.” Part of the reason they chose it is for its sociable and spirited qualities. It symbolizes optimism, the pursuit of joyful ventures, and encourages light-hearted activity.

Pantone’s color choice in Living Coral directly relates to the “onslaught of digital technology and social media increasingly embedding into daily life…” This seems to be a recurring theme for Pantone, though not an irrelevant one.

Living Coral embodies our need for playful expression. I see it as a very happy color.

Do you agree with this?

Pantone says, “Representing the fusion of modern life, PANTONE Living Coral is a nurturing color that appears in our natural surroundings…”

I see it as a happy, beach-y color and it even reminds me of weddings, but I never associate this color with nature.

 Pantone says that “Living Coral emits the desired, familiar, and energizing aspects of color found in nature.  In it’s glorious, yet unfortunately more elusive, display beneath the sea, this vivifying and effervescent color mesmerizes the eye and mind.” I guess that is technically nature. ;) 

 

2 | HOW DOES LIVING CORAL INFLUENCE HOME DECOR IN 2019?

My first slide with the oversized chairs shows how I would have traditionally imagined coral being used in the home. I see it being the perfect color for Southern Coastal homes.

However, we are beginning to see it being used in fresh, modern ways. It still looks very sunny and cheerful. (See: Slide with coral, yellow, and green chairs.)

I also see it as a smart, fluid evolution from Millennial Pink, which has been so popular over the last 2-3 years, which makes it a very commercial choice.

It looks great in an Outdoor Patio space as well as soft textiles like drapery. The Navy or Indigo blues pair very well with coral. As do Teals. Exterior uses also look lovely, bringing vibrancy and personality to the outside of the home. 

 

3 | CURRENT EVENTS THAT EVOKE THE COLOR LIVING CORAL

Let’s recap some of the colossal current events that took place in 2017 and 2018.

 

IN 2017:

President Trump was inaugurated

Women’s March

Jan 21, 2017

Brexit

North Korea Escalation

Self-Driving Cars

Self-Learning A.I.

Artificial Intelligence

Las Vegas Shooting

58 dead

851 injured

Wikipedia

 

IN 2018:

International Women’s Day

March for Our Lives

Organized by survivors of the Parkland, Florida school shooting.

Civic Engagement 

Popularity in voting and importance of midterm elections.

Lots of women were voted into Congress including the youngest woman ever to serve in Congress, the first Muslim women, and the first Native American women.

The World Cup

The Royal Wedding

Nelson Mandela 100

July 18 marked 100 yrs since Nelson Mandela was born.

Remembering: Aretha Franklin, Stephen Hawking, and Burt Reynolds.

 

IN POLITICS

“Lying at the center of our naturally vivid and chromatic ecosystem, PANTONE Living Coral is evocative of how coral reefs provide shelter to a diverse kaleidoscope of color.” Do you think this is an echo of how the current u.s. administration has handled immigrants crossing the border?

Erica Ilene did not think so. The terminology “provide shelter” really stuck out to me and it could mean a variety of things. Pantone chooses their words very carefully and I do think the concept of providing + seeking shelter is very important in our current events.

 

IN THE ENVIRONMENT

is this color choice meant to call attention to coral reefs being endangered?

National Geographic says that our Coral Reefs could be gone in 30 years.  A UN study found that unless global warming is reduced, coral reefs will die of heat stress.

Reef expert, Mark Eakin, calls this catastrophe, “heartbreaking” as it’s already happening.

According to National Geographic, 25 reefs (3/4 of the world’s reef systems) experienced severe bleaching events, the worst to date.

Eakin says, “The Great Barrier Reef damage we’ve seen is greater than anything we’ve seen in the past 20 years.” And, “The last 3 years have been extremely depressing for me.”

Source.

 

4 | HOW WILL SOCIAL MEDIA BE INFLUENCED BY CORAL IN 2019?

There’s no doubt creates a liveliness that is very relevant and effective within social media realms.

Do You See Living Coral As Being “Instagrammable?”

If yes, leave me a comment at the bottom of this blog post and let me know! I’d love to see your screenshots and examples, too.

 

5 | HISTORY OF THE COLOR CORAL

Coral reefs were first harvested for jewelry by the ancient Egyptians, and worn in Rome to ward off evil. Renaissance paintings of baby Jesus often depict him holding a coral amulet (assumed to also ward off evil).

Before the 16th century, Chinese and Europeans would have labeled this color yellow-red.  Europeans learned the Sanskrit word ‘naranga' via trade in the late 15th century, which later became orange in English.

By the mid-18th century, iron-oxide pigments could be mass produced for painting red, orange, and yellow shades. In 1840, the more chemically stable color, cadmium yellow, was created, followed by cadmium red in 1920 - both flooded the market while making the full range of orange hues possible for the very first time.

Coral became a favorite among Impressionists and the rest is history. In the Victorian era, it was carved for cameo portraits.

Coral was prized in sleek Art Deco jewelry during the first half of the 20th century. Hippies of the 1960’s and 1970’s treasured it’s raw form.

Source.

 

6 | HOW YOUR PERSONALITY FEELS ABOUT THE COLOR CORAL

 

CORAL LOVERS

So how do you feel about the color Living Coral, or coral in general?  (I am so-so on it.)  

But I seem to do this every year where I'm a little resistant to Pantone's color choice and then as the year unfolds it starts to really grow on me.  

Here are a few funny revelations about how your personality handles this lively color. Because Coral is a blend between Orange and Pink, we’ll have to draw some conclusions from both of these colors.

A pink person is less ostentatious than a red person, but still has style and perspective.  In softer tints, it is pure, demure, and sweet.  If you love pink, you are generally talented, but not pushy or overly ambitious.

Lovers of orange work and play hard, are expansive, extroverted, and have original ideas. They are good-natured, adventurous, and enthusiastic with strong determination. They are pretty agreeable and happy.

Orange-lovers can be fickle.  Their newest friend is often their best friend until the next shiny new person comes along.

Success in business can often come from this gregarious, charming person.

Coral-lovers will find themselves in somewhere in the middle of the scale - perhaps loving to be social on the weekends, but preferring to stay in during the week.

 

CORAL HATERS

If you hate pink, then it’s innocence is quite annoying to you.  You consider it weak.  Hot Pink is too showy for you and you’re just not a person with that much audacity who needs to be the center of attention.  You prefer sophisticated and friendly colors staying safe in the realm of neutrals and muted blues.

If you hate orange, then nothing flamboyant appeals to you.  You are not a fan of partying, hilarity, loud people, showing off, or public displays of affection.  You may be a bit of a loner, although you prefer to have a few genuine friends and once you’ve made a friend, it’s for life.  You are very loyal and sincere.

Coral-haters will find themselves in somewhere in the middle of the scale - perhaps you have some boldness inside of you when necessary, but you prefer to keep it reserved for extremely important situations.  Maybe you enjoy a nice party from time-to-time, but you would never host a large party yourself.

Source: Colors for Your Every Mood, by Leatrice Eiseman, 1998.

 

5 | HOW LIVING CORAL CAN AFFECT YOUR BUSINESS IN 2019

Before you get totally carried away on the Coral train you have to know your customers and your brand. Is coral relevant to your target audience and does it make sense with what you’re ultimately selling? For example, I highly doubt Ford is going to come out with new coral sedans next year.

However, see if you can work it into your existing assortment or product offering. If you are selling gifts or accessories this is an amazing accent color! See if you can use it as a pop color on a small detail.

The exact shade of coral can be flexible. Perhaps, you want a dull version of coral which suits your customers better. This could work well for textiles and home decor products such as rugs and pillows.

Coral can also be a great shade for marketing and advertisements. It is easy to incorporate into your social media strategy.

And if you can’t physically incorporate coral tones into your business, you can always develop into the overall meaning behind Living Coral by bringing a sense of environmental consciousness to your business messaging.

 

TAGS

Living Coral Living Coral 2019 2019 Pantone Color of the Year 2019 Pantone Color Living Coral Pantone Living Coral Pantone 2019 Living Coral Pantone Color of the Year Living Coral Pantone Color of the Year 2019 Pantone Color Living Coral Pantone Color of the Year Make Up Living Coral Pantone Color of the Year Nail Polish Living Coral Pantone Color of the Year Fashion Lauren Lesley Studio Design Tribe Living Color Coral color of the year 2019 pantone 2019 color of the year pantone Color of the Year 

In this episode of the Design Tribe, Lauren Lesley and guest co-host Alice Serres dive into why Pantone chose Ultra Violet as the 2018 Color of the Year. You'll also discover the history + meaning of the color purple and how purple affects your personality.

Guess what starts TODAY!!!⠀(I'll get to that in a sec.)⠀

But first think:  Do you really stand a chance as a designer/artist/creative who's MAKIN' IT if people can't even recognize your style?⠀

What exactly is your signature?  What does your voice sound like?⠀

I'll be real with you:  when it comes to daily routines I'm literally the WORST.  One night I'm up late, the next day I'm up early.. Discipline just ain't my thing.  BUT!  I really AM a hard worker (... on my own time, lol...) And...⠀

One of the most important things you can do as an artist is:  developing your own Art Style.  Which is why I'm hosting a

90 day ART STYLE CHALLENGE that goes all summer!!!!!⠀

YAY!!!  I'll be sharing daily prompts in my IG Stories and in the Design Tribe FB Group for the next 90 days.⠀

90 days is really the perfect amount of time to accomplish anything you set your mind to.  Quarterly goals are SO attainable!  They're totally in your reach - yet, you also have enough time to really make some SERIOUS change!⠀

And look, I totally failed at starting the 100 days project so please don't feel intimidated by this challenge.  It's here to help you - feel free to do as much or as little as you are able.⠀

Everyone's schedules are different, which is why I'm making this challenge EVERGREEN.  Woooo hooo!!!

Yes, you heard that right.  Join the Design Tribe FB Group and you can refer back to the prompts at any time.  You can do them in order or skip ahead to the same day the group is on.⠀

Use #90DaysofDesign and tag me @LaurenLesleyStudio - I'll be sharing my favorites in my IG Stories!

Make sure to follow my hashtag #90DaysofDesign to cheer on fellow artists.⠀

 

 

 

 

TRANSCRIPT

Speaker 1: 00:01 Guess what starts today? Okay, so I'm actually going to get to that in just a second. But first I want to ask you a serious question. Do you really think you stand a chance as a designer or an artist or a creative who's really making it? If people don't recognize your style? I guess I'm asking you, do you have a style? What exactly is your signature? What does your voice sound like? What is your aesthetic look like? I'll be real with you. When it comes to daily routines, I'm literally the worst. And I found myself in this situation where I was leaving my full time job back in January and I was kind of scrambling because I was like, Oh God, like I don't have my own style. What is my style, what is my style? And it's because I didn't really put in the work to starting to develop my own style before I went out as an independent artist.

Speaker 1: 01:00 Right. And part of that was because of the situation. You know, I, my husband proposed to me and then all of a sudden we were moving to Alabama and my current job wanted me to continue working full time remotely for a while and I was also planning a wedding. So like on top of all that, I don't really have a lot of time to discover my in develop my own art style, but how'd I started, you know, years ago then I would have been well on my way to recognizing my own style, you know, my, my Instagram would've looked cohesive, etc. Etc. So the point is one of the most important things you can do as an artist is developing your own art style. And that's why I'm hosting a 90 day art style challenge that goes all summer. So it's awesome because it's a summer challenge and I'll be sharing daily prompts in my Instagram stories and in the design tribe Facebook group for the next 90 days.

Speaker 1: 02:02 So if you're not a member of the design tribe Facebook group, go over to Facebook. You can type in the URL, facebook.com/groups/design tribe, Lauren, Leslie, Leslie is with an e, y as I've mentioned, and you'll be asked a few questions just to make sure that you actually are a creative and make sure it's a good fit. But I'm just fill out those questions. I am not going to accept anyone who doesn't answer that questions y'all. So you have to answer the questions, um, and joined the group and basically it's going to be so amazing because everyone's going to be posting their 90 day project and you're going to use the hashtag 90 days of design. And in the Facebook group I'll be posting and daily prompts, um, I'll, I'll put it out every Saturday. Yay. Sabado Sabato but I'll, yeah, I'll be putting out the prompts every Saturday and there'll be daily prompts.

Speaker 1: 03:03 And seriously, if you know you're overwhelmed one day and you're like, oh, I can't get to my art style challenge, it's okay. Like, no one's going to die. It's going to be fine. And I'm sure I'm going to have those days as well. Just Fyi, I'm not the most disciplined person in the world, but I had to get my act together because I was showing my designs and collections at blueprint, which happened two weeks ago. So yay. So I had my very first exhibit, um, and I, you know, exhibited at this show and it was really awesome. And basically I was like, you know, starting in, starting February 1st I was like, crap, I'm showing, I'm showing my work at the show, but I don't even have a style. I don't have any work. What am I going to do? And instead, so usually when you're under the gun like that and under a bit of pressure, you're able to figure it out and just pull it off.

Speaker 1: 03:56 And that's what I did. And that's also kind of, you know, it was my inspiration to create this challenge because I was like, holy crap. Like I was able to create my own style in 90 days. Now is it the best style in the world? No, but it's mine and I like it. It's going to continue to develop and get better and progress. The more, um, the more art I make and the more challenges I do. So 90 days is like really the perfect amount of time to accomplish anything you set your mind to. Quarterly goals are so attainable, seriously, their bite sized, you know, it's not like an annual goal where we were like, Oh yes I have the whole year to accomplish this and you know, it's going to get done eventually. No like you have 90 days, this is happening now. So it's totally in your reach but you also have enough time throughout 90 days to really make some serious change.

Speaker 1: 04:49 And that's what I love about this art style challenge is that it is three months. You know, it's not going to take you all year. It's not like a commitment like a four year art school or something like that, but it is enough time for you to make some serious change and some serious progress in your work. And that's what I'm super excited to see. Um, and look, I totally failed at starting the 100 days project. Like, so, you know, I mean, I, I hesitate to even join some of these challenges sometimes because I'm like, oh, I'm not going to be able to do it. I'm not going to be able to finish. I'm totally gonna feel like a failure and I'm here to tell you that I'm making this an evergreen challenge so that you don't feel that way. You are here to, you know, do as much or as little as you are able to.

Speaker 1: 05:36 I realized that everyone's schedules are different. Some of you have kids, I don't have kids and I'm still gonna like fail a day here and there at this challenge. So it is okay. I promise. Um, you know, it's, it's going to be evergreen so you can literally do it prompt by prompt by prompt and if it takes you longer than 90 days, that's totally cool because hey, you're still doing the work. Um, I'm just making it a 90 day challenge because that is what I did in getting ready for blueprints show in New York. Um, but my first trade show and it really did work. Okay. Okay. So 90 days is just a great schedule and I am going to be keeping with the schedule just to keep everyone motivated and to kind of keep the group together. But if you need to go at your own pace, it's totally cool.

Speaker 1: 06:25 Just go back to the Facebook group, you know, go prompt by prompt. And I'm also going to be sharing these prompts every Saturday in my email list. So if you're not a part of my email list, then you will want to go ahead and sign up for that. Um, and you'll do that by just joining the Facebook group already. And if you're not part of my email list or you're not getting my emails for some reason, just shoot me a private message and I'll gladly add you. So yes, that is pretty much it. I don't have a guest on today. I just wanted to tell you about the art style challenge that's going to be happening all summer long and I want you to join and it's going to be amazing and mixture to use the hashtag 90 days of design and tag me at Lauren Leslie Studio.

Speaker 1: 07:11 I'm on Instagram because I'll be sharing my favorites and my Instagram stories as well. And I want to encourage you to also follow the Hashtag cause you know how you can follow hashtags on Instagram now. So follow the Hashtag 90 days of design. 90 is literally the numbers, nine zero days of design. And because I want to encourage you to share each other's works as well. That's how you gain exposure, right? If one person shares my work to their audience and you know, 10% of their audience follows me, then that's amazing, right? And if five people shared my work, then that would be a 50 new followers, you know, so it just, I wanna encourage you guys to share each other's work. I'm going to be sharing your work, but you guys share each other as well. Um, because it's just a really great way to promote each other and give back and just encourage each other and make friends.

Speaker 1: 08:08 Right? Um, but you do want to ask people if it's okay. Um, you can, you know, you could put it in your stories that you're happy to share. If people respond to your stories so that way you don't have to go in and DM like a million different people. But that way people can respond to your story and then you can just share your favorite um, piece from their feed just like that. So it's a great way to share works and get exposure. And guys, if you do this art challenge, you are going to have your own art style in 90 days or less. I mean, sometimes it happens really quick once you really commit to making them this amount of work and you're just, you're never going to find your art style if you can't commit to making the work. And like I said, if you miss a day is okay, it fine.

Speaker 1: 08:55 You are not a failure but you still have to do the work. Okay, you have to get up the next morning and do it the next day or stay up a little bit later, you know, 30 minutes later or draw something on your lunch break. You know, you have to commit to doing the work and just find a way to do it and prioritize it. So that you can have your own art style, because we all want to be like famous in our own field, right? Like now, like Hollywood famous. But you know, we want to be, we want to do a good job. We want, um, we want to be the best that we can be, um, and have that rewarding feeling. So anyway, thank you guys for tuning in. I will catch you in the next episode. Bye.

Is your freelance design business growing slowly online...or...worse, is it not growing AT ALL?!? Your limiting beliefs surrounding money could be holding you back!

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Tags: You Are a Badass at Making Money by Jen Sincero | Law of Attraction | Book Club Discussion Questions | Book Review of You Are a Badass at Making Money by Jen Sincero 2018 | Design Tribe | Limiting Beliefs About Money | Removing Limiting Beliefs | Lauren Lesley Studio | How to Get Rich Solopreneur

 

TRANSCRIPT:

Speaker 1:                    00:01               Okay, so we're officially recording. Um, do you have the ability to trim the ends and it with, so I'm sure you know how to turn the video. Yeah, yeah, I can. Um, I can edit it and I'm moving. Okay, cool. So I'll just send you the file via Google drive when we. Okay. Thank you. So. Hey everyone. Welcome to today's Webinar with Meredith Davis. I'm American. Why do you like to go ahead and introduce yourself and tell everyone a little bit about who you are and what you do? Yes. Hi, I am

Speaker 2:                    00:35               Meredith Davis, merrily creative company. I am a brand photographer for entrepreneurs and small businesses and I mentor small business owners in their businesses. Um, additionally I have a podcast called [inaudible], which is for entrepreneurs and I host networking events here in Atlanta for entrepreneurs and business woman. So I like to say that I am a multi passionate entrepreneur with a single focus on helping women grow personally and professionally.

Speaker 1:                    01:02               Awesome. And Hey, for those of you who don't know me, I'll just introduce myself quickly. My name is Lauren and I'm a senior, a textile designer with um, a company called deb geary. There a manufacturer that works with different retailers like target West Elm Pottery Barn. So I actually designed rugs and pillows for different retailers across the US and I opened an etsy shop in 2011. So I also do a lot of portrait illustrations, clip art and avatars are sort of as nice side hustle. So I'm really glad that you're here today. We're going to be discussing the book. You are a Badass at making money by Jensen Sierra.

Speaker 1:                    01:44               And this book really kind of changed my life. I read it for the first time about a year ago and I listened to the audio book three times in a row, which is crazy. I've never done that with any other audio book, but this book really made me aware of all of my limiting beliefs surrounding money. And I think that as women and as for me being southern, I think that's impacted, uh, my beliefs about money a lot. So we're going to go into 10 different questions that you can also use in your book club or just for yourself, um, that kind of a or 10 discussion questions that really help us dive into the content and deconstruct our limiting beliefs about money. Um, so meredith, if you'll take the first question is, what are some of the things you were taught about money as you were growing up?

Speaker 2:                    02:34               Yeah. So, um, in my family we were very blessed that my parents had great jobs and um, they never discussed money with us, so we never really went without and we showed affection and love by doing things together, whether it was, you know, going with a pedicure with my mom or go on a shopping trip or taking family vacations, that kind of a thing maybe aren't split when I was 13 and they never really put any of it if there were any. They never put any money troubles on my brother and I. So while we were taught to be grateful and understand the wealth of the meaning of a dollar and how to work hard for it, we also never really went without. So, um, I, I never really learned to budget. I never learned the true value savings. So for me money was just kind of always there and was a tool to do things. And while that is so great and I had a great childhood, I don't know how I didn't know how to live on a budget. I don't know how to save. I don't know how to really make a dollar stretch and those things that kind of counted against me in my adult life.

Speaker 1:                    03:38               Okay. Yeah. And they would say for me, um, my dad passed away when I was six and my mom was a teacher so I would say, you know, it was never, like we didn't, weren't able to pay for the electricity bill or have food on the table. Like, we always had our basic needs met, but there were definitely things that, you know, I couldn't always go to the same camps my friends were going to and things like that. Um, and I, I kinda grew up with these limiting beliefs such as, you know, money doesn't grow on trees or even, um, you know, you hear like money is the root of all evil. Like things like that that I think that are just so ingrained into our psyche and I don't know, I mean reading this book really helped me kind of deconstruct those things and think about the fact that money is just a thing that people made up. Like it's not, it's not evil. It's not good at. It can be an avenue for both of those things to happen, but it's really the person behind the money that's um, you know, making, creating, like either good in the world are creating evil in the world or you know, maybe just kind of spending it however they want

Speaker 2:                    04:46               off topic. But I want to ask you, what motivated you to read the book in the first place?

Speaker 1:                    04:51               So actually a friend introduced me to her first book called you are a bad ass and we were always just kind of trading different books that we loved, especially audio books because we had an hour long commute to our jobs. So that was kinda how he passed the time and she was also the one that introduced me to my book club Book Club, um, where I also met Tony. So we were both like kind of avid readers and I loved the first book. It's just called you are a bad ass and it's just a really encouraging buck. And then when she was coming out with the second book, you were a bad asset making money. I was definitely definitely interested.

Speaker 2:                    05:28               Yeah. I picked us up because I own my own business and while I am making enough to support myself, I want to make tons more. So I'm like, you, I loved your first book, but this brought me to such a different place than I was at when I first picked it up. Like, oh, she'll help me make more money in my business. But it goes way deeper. And I love that word, so I was just curious what your original motivation was for it.

Speaker 1:                    05:52               Yeah, definitely. And I think I have kind of a similar goal. Like I don't, I don't have my own business as of yet. Like I still work in my day job and I love my day job, but I am definitely interested in creating more passive income streams. I'm like, I started my etsy shop in 2011 and I've tried to move a little bit away. Like I love serving customers but it takes so much time and because I do work full time I don't always have time to spend with individual customer projects as much as I would like. So I've tried to think of different ways to serve those customers but in a way that's maybe pre made like a digital download or something that they can just pay for and download and have what they need right away. Um, so yeah, so I've tried to, you know, create more like pre made avatars in clip art, things like that. Yeah. So how did you know the way you were raised and taught about money? Like the beliefs that you were raised with, how did that impact your beliefs about money now? And I guess what are some of your limiting beliefs about money are some of the untruths that you tell yourself?

Speaker 2:                    06:59               So I think if you had asked me that before I read this book, I would be giving you a different answer, but because I've read this book, I've done a lot of um, you know, in her looking in self reflection on things and I think as a result of my upbringing I am and these are things that I'm telling myself that I think are my limiting beliefs. I'm a spender. I spend all the money I make. So even though I'm making probably twice what I made when I first graduated five years ago, I'm still living, you know, kind of quote unquote paycheck to paycheck. So because we were always just spending family and I never really went out and I never understood the importance of saving and having an aesthetic, that kind of a thing. And I have always told myself and I told my friends, like, it's one of my characteristics. I'm bad with money. I'm, I miss manage money, I have a pile of credit card debt even though I know better. So I think that's one of the limiting beliefs I've always told myself is that I'm bad with money and so I think subconsciously it stops me from making money because I know that I'm not going to handle it. Well. I'm telling myself and it's a block that I've been given.

Speaker 1:                    08:09               Right. And do you think that that comes from the fact that you're a female or like maybe growing? I don't know if you grew up southern, but um, I definitely feel like that impacted some of my beliefs about money.

Speaker 2:                    08:20               So I think it come. I'm definitely southern. We've ever been and my parents divorced when I was 13, so, um, you know, they're totally not abide by but like lean towards some traditional gender roles like most people do in the south. Were in one of those, is that in the family? The man who handles the money, but my parents divorced, I was 13, so my mom handled her own money but we never talked about money and I think that's where the biggest problem is. No one ever talks about money. I had no idea what the money situation was. If there were money troubles, it was never passed on to me. Lost my parents hurts. They're great. Um, and then even as an adult, you know, as you go into college, no one teaches you how to manage your finances. No one talks about money. I see people who are making money, I don't know what they're doing with it. Um, so I think that's the biggest issue is that it was just never talked about and then all of a sudden I'm making a salary, you know, all I know how to do is spend money on things I want.

Speaker 1:                    09:18               Yeah, I can relate to that. I think also being female and that's kind of being told that, you know, we're bad at math or like you said, like the man handles the finances. Um, I dunno. I think we just kind of tell ourselves that lie when it's like we are just as capable, just as intelligent. Like there's really no, I don't want to say no excuse because I don't think it's intentional, but you know, it's just something that I think that as women sometimes we push ourselves down when we really shouldn't, like we are completely capable of not only managing money but of also getting rich or being the breadwinner and there's nothing wrong with that. Like how awesome would that be for you to be able to contribute to your family as much as you possibly can? You know, I think that that's definitely something I aspire to now as an adult. But yeah, I mean I grew up in a house where, like I said before, like we were told, oh, money doesn't grow on trees and I think I kind of like, I think one of my limiting beliefs is that I thought that in order to get rich you had to be lucky. Like I just thought that. Or like genius level smart, which also is a sort of luck. You know, like you, you either make a really great investment or you inherit the wealth or you know, you have an invention,

Speaker 2:                    10:36               right?

Speaker 1:                    10:37               Yeah. So I think that the biggest thing with this book for me was Jen sincero talking about how she was literally broke until she was in her forties and you know, she's talking about going out to dinner with friends and like ordering a water and being like, oh I'm not hungry. I'm like eating all the bread on the table because yeah. And um, and she got so sick of being stressed out about money and not being able to do things that she kind of set her mind to learning, okay, how do I get rich, how like, like there's gotta be a way to do it. So she just basically studied, you know, how to get rich. And she worked with finance coaches and she took some really incredible risks. I mean, I, when she talks about working with the coach that costs like $80,000.

Speaker 2:                    11:27               There were so many times like you, I partly read physical and I partly list audio, just kind of mix it up to that part of the book. I'm in my car and I was literally driving around like, like she spent $75,000 on a coach, like even still having known all this knowledge that was imparted to me by this book. I'm like, that seems crazy.

Speaker 1:                    11:48               I know. I know.

Speaker 2:                    11:50               And then now, now that we're kind of having this discussion, one other money belief that I have subscribed to Dave Ramsey's. Um, so I went into credit card debt and student loan. So I started listening to Dave Ramsey and Dave Ramsey's theory is death before debt kind of thing, pay it, you know, don't ever have any debt. And so I listened to that for awhile and I subscribe to that belief system, but especially if you're considering making yourself more money and that subscribes to people in business as well, debt isn't necessarily the worst thing. And that's a, that's a shift I'm going to have to change in my head. Now she does say if there are other ways to do it, you know, do that before you go into debt. So healthy respect for it. But that's one thing I'm going to have to shift a little bit.

Speaker 1:                    12:35               Yeah, and I think that, I think that with um, sort of all the cynicism around taking out student loans, which is I think totally valid. Like I,

Speaker 2:                    12:45               I mean don't take out $200,000 for it, but you know.

Speaker 1:                    12:50               Right. And also I just think that, I mean this is just my opinion, but I think that school does not give the value necessarily that it's charging for, um, because when you get out of school and you have a business degree or you know, an a bfa degree or whatever you have, you're not necessarily making a salary that justifies what they're charging. So like I think if you're going to law school or med school, sometimes those salaries do justify taking out the debt. I'm not saying that it's not still like a lot of money to invest, but you know, I mean with a career coach like she did with taking out $75,000 to hire a coach when she was making like 35 or 40 a year is insane. And she borrowed the money from a friend, which she was like, I would, you know, I was so out of my comfort zone, like I can't even believe that I did it, but like she, I guess was so pushed or so driven to make this happen that, you know, she did a lot of things that most of us would be incredibly uncomfortable doing.

Speaker 2:                    13:54               Right? Yeah. That was. I mean I still think about that part of what I. I still can't believe that she spent $75,000 on a coach. I am a business coach. I charge people to help them do better. And I'm like, sounds nuts to me. But it is obviously paid off for her.

Speaker 1:                    14:12               Yeah, definitely. Definitely brought the value, I guess is my point. Like rabbit where were sometimes school doesn't

Speaker 2:                    14:19               our value of what's crazy and what's not as subjective. And that's one thing you have to learn to change if you want to be making money.

Speaker 1:                    14:28               Exactly. Okay. So the next question is, is it bad to want to get ripped?

Speaker 2:                    14:36               So again, I'm trying to think about my answer pre reading the book versus the Oregon. And I have always been ambitious and I have always strived for promotions and I'm striving to run a huge business. So I think that I've, I don't know that I, I never necessarily held any negative beliefs with the thought of getting rich, but host reading this, it's kind of removed some of the negative connotations about it. She says, she says, rich is being able to afford all the things and experiences required to fully experience your most authentic life. And that's what rich means to me as well. For some people that means that they're gonna, they're gonna make $100,000 to live their best life. For other people it's going to mean that they make $5,000,000 a year to live their best life. Um, and so rich is very subjective. And one thing I've been thinking about in the process of reading this book is the negative connotations that come with money or with being rich like rich people are snobby.

Speaker 2:                    15:37               Money is the root of all evil. Money causes more problems and it helps. Those are people based. It's millennial pop. Me and being negative are mutually exclusive from one another. You can be broke and be a bad person. It's very rich and be that person. So it's all how you decided to handle the wealth that you acquire. Um, and for me I'm giving back and making impact is going to be a huge part of my plan as a good human being and the more money I have the more I'm going to be able to do that.

Speaker 1:                    16:06               So that's a really good way to look at it. And I think that reading this book also kind of helped change my perspective on that as well. I don't Dunno. I mean if I'm really honest, I think that before reading this book, I mean I've always been an ambitious person as well and like always went for promotions. But I think that, I don't know, maybe I felt, you know, I didn't want to talk about it too much because maybe i. It made me feel like I was being greedy or you know, maybe we're in other designers are struggling and like maybe I want you to. I'm trying to go for a higher salary. Like, I dunno, um, I definitely was brought up where it's not polite to talk about money, those kinds of things. But then it's like, how do you learn? So I don't know.

Speaker 1:                    16:49               I mean is it bad to want to get rich? I think that definitely not like post reading this book. I think that one of the things she says in the book that really hit hard for me was that, you know, if you care about making an impact in the world or if you care about, you know, you know, I don't know, certain charities that you really, really believe in or even political organizations like no matter what it is the best thing and the most important thing for you to do is to get rich because money is somewhat, it's not an unlimited resource, but almost whereas everyone has the same amount of hours in a day. And like you have to sleep, you have to eat, you have to spend time with family. Like you have other obligations. You probably have to work, you know, so like, you really can't give that much of your time to these causes that you deeply deeply care about, but if you put your mind to getting rich, then you are able to at least give, you know, basically not an infinite amount of money, but like a seeming like you could have more money than you know, what to do with to a certain extent.

Speaker 1:                    17:54               So

Speaker 2:                    17:54               I'm really glad that you said the word greedy because you and I have talked a lot about giving back. I think that's important to us as people. That's not all people. And that's okay. Um, and I think some of the negative connotations do and might have with getting rich is that they're going to appear greedy. Well, as long as you're not pushing other people down to get where you want to be and you're not ruining other people's lives, why does it make you a bad person to want to have nice things? Right? So this idea of being greedy, like if you get rich, you think people are gonna, think we're greedy. If you know you're not greedy, you can either be rich or you can make everyone happy by letting them not think you're greedy so you can have one or the other. Exactly, yeah. That's kind of the mindset mindset shift she helped you make in this book is you can live paycheck to paycheck and people won't think that greedy thought about you or you'll be living paycheck to paycheck or you can make yourself rich and they're gonna think what they're going to think, but you're going to be in this house that makes you happy doing things that you want to do and you know, in your heart you're not greedy person. You just liked nice things. Nothing wrong with that.

Speaker 1:                    19:00               No, there's not. I mean, especially when you're making enough to go around. Like, I dunno, I'm not judging anyone else, but for me personally, I think I would feel like a bad person if I was, you know, and again, it's subjective, but if I was quote unquote rich and I didn't know, if I spend it all on myself, then I would probably feel bad. But if I'm able to, you know, donate to causes that I really care about and give to people that I love that that's a good feeling. Like, I mean, there's no better feeling than that. I think.

Speaker 2:                    19:29               So you giving back is super important to me. I'm just, I want to speak to those people who maybe you're like, well, what if I don't want to give back? Like, like that's your thing different from my thing, but it's your thing, but that still doesn't mean that you can't make money. Of course. Yeah, of course. You make you a better person that goes out and lives in the world, then that's a better contribution than you being a grumpy vote for a person.

Speaker 1:                    19:55               Exactly. Yeah.

Speaker 2:                    20:04               So

Speaker 1:                    20:11               can you hear me? I think it went up a little bit, but we're back. Okay. Okay, good. Yeah. And I want to add one little thing to that. Just in light of current events. I think that, you know, is it bad to, you want to get rich was the main question and you know, after reading this book and a lot of the, you know, aspirations that I've had and like things that I'm learning, I would definitely say no, but then you see things happen like um, like the suicides that have happened recently with kate spade and for gain and then it, it does kind of make me pause and say like, oh, whoa. Like is that what happens to people when they, everything that they set out to achieve and like, and I know that like, like you said, you could be just as depressed if you're broke or if you're rich. So it's not really like dependent on that. But those thoughts do cross my mind when you hear really tragic stories.

Speaker 2:                    21:02               I think if you're looking to get rich to make you happy or if you're looking to get rich to fill something within you, that's where you're going to run into trouble. Yeah. And if you're not doing some self reflection and thinking about how to be happy and she talks so much about gratitude and this and that's an important mindset to have. So you're, if you're, if you're saying to yourself, I'd be happy if only I had a thousand dollars right now, or I'd be happy if only I was making this much money per year before you try to go make another dollar. You need to look at yourself in the mirror and have a different kind of conversation first.

Speaker 1:                    21:39               Yeah, I think that's so true. Yeah. Thank you for saying that. I totally agree. Okay. So what are your biggest fears about getting rich or about being poor?

Speaker 2:                    21:49               And do you have it? My biggest fear about getting rich is that I will screw it all up and I'll lose all the money because like I said, I've had the habit of mismanaging money. I'm trying to change my language. Like she doesn't do it in the habit of Ms Dot managing money. And I'm a spender, a saver. So I fear that I will not be able to manage my wealth and to continue to see it grow. And then another fear that I have and you as a woman, as a southern woman might be able to relate to this, is I fear that I may emasculate my partner. He's incredibly supportive. He is my biggest cheerleader and like he has given me no reason to think that that will happen because. But because of the culture I was raised in and passionate or all kinds of things, I wonder if I start making a significant amount more money with him, is he going to resent me for that? Like I don't think he's the kind of person that would do that, but that's that little bubble that comes up in my head, you know?

Speaker 1:                    22:55               Yeah. That's an interesting point that you bring up because I think that that definitely does. And has happened to couples. Um, there was some podcasts I was listening to as well where the girl for. I totally am blanking now on like a web business. It was, but she built this really big business that we would all be able to recognize and her ex boyfriend left her because he was like, I realized I don't want an equal partner. I mean at least he admitted it, but it's like she was like, Whoa, seriously, and now she's married and she's like really happy. But I think it is important to um, deconstruct those beliefs and also just like have those conversations with your partner and like kind of make sure that they are, I mean that they are encouraging you and supporting you in, in your class because you also don't want to be resentful if you feel like you're holding yourself back. So it kind of gets.

Speaker 2:                    23:49               And like I said, he's literally amazing course scares, no sign that, that would ever work for me to acknowledge that that little nugget is still existing. Um, yeah. And that's one thing she talks about is that you need to acknowledge all of these things. You probably don't know that they are in your brain until you start searching for them.

Speaker 1:                    24:12               Right, right, right. And are you holding yourself back because you have this weird fear that right?

Speaker 2:                    24:17               Yeah. And that's a good point. You said, are you holding yourself back like the whole first half of this book, she's saying you're doing that. You're not actively saying, I'm not going to go cash that check like you're not. These are conscious decisions you're making to hold you back from making money. It's small things that you don't know that you're doing that your subconscious is making me do to prevent you from making money. So that's why it's so much self reflection is required in this book.

Speaker 1:                    24:44               Yeah. I'm being really aware about how you speak to yourself and just even out loud if you're joking, she's like, I think she makes a joke where she's like, why would you say that about yourself? You're standing right there, you know? And it's like, I mean, it's true. I mean I, I don't know if I'm, I tend to like have a sarcastic sense of humor. So sometimes I do that. I'm like, don't take it too seriously. But I definitely think that especially the thoughts that we're telling ourselves inside of our heads, that's something to definitely watch it. Make sure it's nice to yourself and encouraging to yourself. Okay. So I guess I should answer this question as well. Where my biggest fears about getting rich or not being poor? I think my biggest fear about getting rich I think would be maybe appearing greedy. I'm or also that just like people would come out of the woodworks and want things from me for the wrong reason.

Speaker 1:                    25:45               Not that I wouldn't want to get as much as I could, but sometimes people think that you have more than you actually do. I don't know. You just, you see people that have won the lottery and then like all of their relatives and friends and like someone that was in their first grade class who they've never talked to you again something and you're just like really? And I think I watched a show where this woman had won the lottery and she moved because she couldn't handle everyone in town. Just having that expectation and that pressure her to always pay for everything. And she, I think moved in like worked at a starbucks in a place where nobody knew she had that much money. So like those kinds of things kind of make you.

Speaker 2:                    26:23               So what, what kind of solution or resolve or are you telling yourself to combat that fear?

Speaker 1:                    26:31               Um, I think just to surround myself with people who, you know, really care about me for me and don't expect anything and you don't really know I until that happens. And to a certain extent that's not in your control. I think it is, like you said, just being aware of that nugget and making sure that I'm not holding myself back because I have some of these fears that are a little bit deep seated.

Speaker 2:                    26:57               Yeah. Sometimes those fears or anxieties that you have, you can never truly them them, them and you know that they exist just as like your body's natural defense system. And that's the end of their purpose. You can still allow the thoughts to come into your brain without making it affect your actions and your, the rest of your belief system. So, you know, acknowledging it and naming it is so important.

Speaker 1:                    27:23               Yeah, I totally agree. Just observe it and let it pass and just be like, that's not real. That's just going to pass and about being poor. I think my biggest fear about being poor would just be that, you know, maybe I had to work for someone that I really didn't like. I mean I love, I love where I'm working now, but you know, when you are desperate and you really need that money, then you really have. You feel like you don't have choices in that you don't have any freedom. So I think that would be my biggest fear.

Speaker 2:                    27:55               I'm a very natural caretaker. I'm the kind of person that puts everyone else before myself. I just, I want to care for everyone else. I want to make sure they're comfortable and happy and my biggest fear is that I wouldn't be able to do that. And if it got to the point where I had to go into a job, I hated to pay the bills, then not only do I not have the money to support people, but I don't have the time or the mental capacity to support people. So my biggest fear is that I would be able to be there for those that I love because that's how I show love and affection is to care for others.

Speaker 1:                    28:27               Okay. So the next question is, what is the greatest thing that would happen if you were to get rich? We may have touched on this a little bit.

Speaker 2:                    28:36               I would be able to live freely, like we've mentioned, I'd be able to live and do all of the things that I want without second guessing it. Um, I'd be able to give so much more. Um, we go to church every Sunday and my church is constantly talking about these mission trips that people are going on and unfortunately that requires a lot of money to able to do that. And that's always something I've inspired to do. So I'd be able to maybe not only go on a mission trip, but I could sponsor other people who might not otherwise have the opportunity. I could give back. I could, you know, in my wildest dreams I could start my own nonprofit. I could, you know, my dad's been an assisted living place. I could put him in the fanciest, nicest place in the country, that kind of thing. You know, my, my dreams could run wild, but I would, I would be able to live free of the restraints of, is that in my budget?

Speaker 1:                    29:28               Right, right, right. I totally agree. I think having, for me, like the greatest thing that would happen if I were to get rich would be, you know, a to be able to contribute massive amounts to causes that I care about in the world. I'm also just the freedom that it would allow me in either in my schedule or in creative decision making, that kind of thing. Um, I'm getting married in December as well, so my fiance and I have talked about having kids and like, okay, well, like where are we going to live, where are we going to put them in school? Like, you know, just not having to worry about those kinds of decisions and just being able to make a decision based on what's best for my kids or you know, the situation

Speaker 2:                    30:08               kind of all comes back to the freedom to make a decision free of money.

Speaker 1:                    30:12               Yeah, exactly. Okay. So how did religion or church influence your attitudes towards money maybe growing up or

Speaker 2:                    30:22               it can be growing up versus now? I was absolutely raised Christian and we went to church and I was little and I went to Summer Bible camp. Um, and while religion has always been important to me, I kind of fell out of the church scene for awhile. Um, so I think that I was raised to be a good person and to care for others and that being kind to my neighbor is a very important part. So I think that's kind of where that natural caregiver comes in. So I don't know that it necessarily affected me as I was raised, um, other than just hearing other people means that you're a good person. But in the past two years I have fallen in love with the church and my community and um, it has become a huge part of my life. And I mentioned before, you know, we talk about mission trips and my church is moving into a new building and I'm so passionate about the work that they're doing, um, within the Christians that attend the church and in the community, the people that don't attend the church. So, um, being able to not only tie what I think is the appropriate amount to tie but to also contribute to my church and they're bigger missions is becoming a very big part of my why. That's awesome. Good to hear that.

Speaker 1:                    31:36               I think for me, I was also raised Christian. I was raised Presbyterian. We kind of, we didn't go to church every Sunday, you know, we weren't like here and there. And then when I became a teenager it became a much bigger part of my life. Um, I was really into like young life and then the Wednesday night thing and then also some days, um, and that definitely impacted me. I would say as a teenager. Like I started tithing when I got my first job when I was 15. And then, um, yeah, I dunno, I think I created a lot of my beliefs about money from the church I was attending, some of which I still hold onto and agree that like, you know, tithing is, is sort of a form of charity or you know, that it can translate that way and kind of learning that practice early on was really, really great.

Speaker 1:                    32:24               So there are some positive things for me too though. I think that, and again, it's really the way that it's interpreted, but I think that, you know, money being the root of all evil or some of my fears of being greedy kind of come from that place as well. Um, and I, that I kind of started to think that I don't know, like maybe like rich people were bad and in very simple terms, um, from some of the things I was learning at that time in my life and it was probably just my own interpretation of whatever was being taught. But um, but yeah, I think it definitely impacted my attitude towards money and feeling like I would be a greedy person if I did want to get rich, which now I definitely don't agree with.

Speaker 2:                    33:07               Well, it's funny, I'm thinking back, um, you know, you picture sitting in a pew and the offering plate comes around, there's no one's actually watching, but there is some internal awareness like, uh, putting in a, $1 bill versus putting in a $20 bill. You can create money beliefs kind of out of that. But also like you said, being Christian and such, giving people, being rich kind of gives off the vibe that you're not as a giving of a person. Right? Even though we were discussing that, that's not true. I think it's an interesting that you pointed out that church can absolutely have an influence on people. Um, and one thing my church does, they don't pass around an offering plate. They have what are called joy boxes. And every time like the minister or someone mentions the word joy box, the whole congregation goes, Ooh, place throughout the things. So, um, they've like totally tried to take that idea of like, you have to give him money. If you don't give money, you're a bad person. If you have too much money or bad person, they've tried to flip that on its head and like turn the idea of giving money to the church. It's an exciting, you know, empowering thing.

Speaker 1:                    34:20               That's awesome. I like that. Yeah. Would you say that money is a limited resource or not?

Speaker 2:                    34:29               Interesting. So I think this is a tough one because it depends on which perspective you take. From a personal perspective, I think money is a lot of resource because I can make, I know that I can make as much of it as I put my mind towards right. But, and the global economy, political sphere that we're living in right now, finances and the economy is a very powerful thing and I know that money is in fact a limited resource and you know, countries being $5,000,000,000 in debt is a thing. But like I need to separate. I'm trying to separate that from this because we're not talking about making the country rich. I'm talking about making me rich. I think personally for me in my life, the way that I'm going to interact with money, um, it, it has the potential to be an unlimited resource. I like that. Yeah.

Speaker 1:                    35:23               Is there. Yeah. I think that choosing to see it as an unlimited resource even if even if that's not 100 percent scientifically accurate, we all know that like there's a limited amount of money in the world, but you, but the fact that you can have more money than you know what to do with makes it in your psyche and unlimited resource. And I think that as I've gotten older and as I have started to make more money, I think that time has really become a more precious asset then money even, you know what I mean?

Speaker 2:                    35:57               Yeah. As someone who's trying to scale her business, my two, I have a service based business, so I'm a photographer and I'm a business mentor. I can only give you so much time. So in that business model, in order for me to make more money, I have to charge more and more and more for the same amount of time I'm going to hit an economic ceiling. Right. Um, so like you said, time is, is the finite resource here, money is unlimited resource here and if he can learn how to work with those and balance them in certain way, I think that's when you have the potential to make money be an unlimited resource. Yeah,

Speaker 1:                    36:38               I agree. And it's like, yeah, exactly what your service based. It's like you can just continue raising your prices, but then those fears come in as well. Like, well, is anyone going to still hire me if I raise my prices? I've dealt with that a little bit with my etsy shop, but as

Speaker 2:                    36:53               I think there's always room for us to raise our prices and we're kind of constantly making yourself smaller so it's hard for us to charge more, but there actually is a feeling where people will stop paying for your goods or services if you phrase it guy. So, um, you know, eventually you're going to have to scale your time. Yeah.

Speaker 1:                    37:21               Are you there? Okay, we're good now. Okay. So what would you, this kind of goes into my next question, which, what is more important to you? Money or time if you had to choose?

Speaker 2:                    37:38               So it's an interesting question because we're having a conversation about money, but as we've discussed, I think that the reason we want more money is so that we can free up our time to do with it what we want because at the end of the day, if I could spend all day running around the yard with my future family and husband, um, with an unlimited amount of money, that's what I would be doing, you know? So, um, I think they go hand in hand. I think time is more important, but you cannot have an abundance of time without an abundance of money.

Speaker 1:                    38:17               Exactly. Yeah, exactly. I like that answer. I would totally second that. Okay. So what would you say now as an adult as a healthy view of money? Like, now that you've read this book and you know you're an adult and you're, you have your own business, what does a healthy view of money in your day to?

Speaker 2:                    38:35               Sure. I've done a lot of reading on finances, not just with this book but in how to manage personal finances and then how to manage business, finances. The one thing that they are all iterating is that money is just a thing and it does. When you have a little bit of it, it does control so much of your life. Um, and so it's easy to get lost in the thought of, of money, but if you can kind of take a step back and realize that money is just a piece of paper that you exchange for goods or services, it kind of takes away a lot of that power. I actually did a podcast episode on this with the bookkeeper and she explains it in this really crazy way and it just like blew my mind. But as Jen sincero mentions, money is just like a form of energy, right?

Speaker 2:                    39:23               So if you can kind of take a step back and let it or I have taken a step back and kind of um, made it release its power on me, it seems way less intimidating. It seems less scary to go after. It seems less scary to lose. And I think that's a healthier version of it. Then when I first graduated and found myself in a pile of credit card debt, like, oh my God, money controls me, I'm never going to have enough of it, you know, if I don't have money in my life is crap, that kind of thing. Whereas now I'm like, money is just a vehicle for me to live my life. It's not the only thing that's in control of me.

Speaker 1:                    39:59               Right. And I think that having the belief or kind of the faith or the trust that it's coming back to you. So like money is a flow. And I think that was something that I kind of picked up and learned was that sometimes when we hoard money, not that you, you should definitely have your savings and like be responsible in that, but you can also be out of balance with that too. Like I know I have a friend who was like, yeah, my dad won't even buy something on, on demand because you pay like $5 or whatever it is. And his wife is now like, you can buy that, like we have plenty of money, like what's wrong with you? But he's still in the mindset of saving, um, you know, which is good to an extent. But like I think that you have to kind of let that go and be like, okay, like I can spend money and it's going to come back to me. And it was just this flow of giving and receiving, giving and receiving like. Yeah. Yeah. Totally.

Speaker 1:                    40:55               Okay. So this is kind of a funny question and this is my last question. We can definitely dive into any other topics you want to touch on because I know that you took some notes, but um, I remember this part in the book where Jen's coach was telling her, you know, you need to take professional head shots and you need to do this and you need to do that. And she really didn't want to do it. Like she just felt like so cheesy and her coach stopped her and said, look, so you want to be cool or do you want to be rich? So that's Kinda my next question. Would you rather be cool or would you rather be rich and

Speaker 2:                    41:31               be rich? Because something I've learned, I mean I'm 27 years old, so you know, I think between like 22 and 30, is it like a second secondary formative part of your life, right. That's what I'm hearing who you are as an individual. And one thing I've learned is like as long as I know who I am, people are always going to have an opinion about me no matter what. No matter whether it's in alignment with what I think or not. So I might as well be getting rich and continuing to know that I'm a good person, that I'm doing the right things because whether I'm broke or I'm rich or I'm doing things that they think are cheesy, they're going to have an opinion about me no matter what and their opinion of me should not have any bearing on how I live my life now. I know that's easier said than done. Like it's. My husband had a certain opinion of me. It would be hard to live with if I felt that was different. But um, you know, as long as you're surrounding yourself with people who love you and aren't going to be that way, then you should, you should be able to do what you want. And if you can go to bed happy with who you are at night, then you can go to bed with happy with who you are at night.

Speaker 1:                    42:41               I totally agree. I mean, I pretty much feel like I've never been cool. So it sounds like, um, you know, I definitely experienced people gossiping a lot. Especially in my last job. There was a girl that wanted to be a model and so she had already left the company even, but people would kind of look up her pictures and be like, oh, look what she's doing, can you believe it? Blah, blah blah. And I was just like, you know what? I think that's awesome. Like if that's what she wants to pursue. And I mean being a model, like you're really putting yourself out there and be, you know, we have fears about. Or we've talked about the fears about wanting money and like feeling like, oh, people are gonna think we're greedy. Well, you know, with being a model, it's like, oh, people might think you're greedy, they might think you have like vanity issues or like you think you're hot shit or whatever. But um, I mean, yeah, I don't know, like I felt like people talking about her made them look bad. It didn't make her look bad. But I think that kind of thing definitely impacts people and I feel like I see people holding themselves back for fear of, you know, looking Tz or people talking about them or whatever. I mean,

Speaker 2:                    43:49               part of the reason why I never took my business full time for so long was that I was scared that people wouldn't take me seriously. Um, and that's a real fear because if people weren't taking me seriously, that was going to be having an actual effect on the success of my business trip. So identifying those fears and you just kind of have to tell them like, get outta here, man, you don't belong here and you're wrong. Um, you know, we've talked a lot about religion being Christian and I think some of those fears that come into our head and it's, some of those are lies from Dayton and, and he's deterring me from the life that I want to be loving. So you have to, you have to find a way to manage fears that come into your head and, and learn how to live with them in whatever way works for you.

Speaker 2:                    44:38               That's certainly individual thing and it's fearing what people are going to think. That's totally valid. You know, we're humans. We want people to like us. Um, I was actually listening to a podcast like going back to caveman days as women, if our husbands like died hunting, we would only survive if the rest of the pack, like just so like our survival instinct is to make people like us. So you know, it's normal to want people to like you and want people to be on board with your ideas and it's normal to it for it to make you uncomfortable if people don't like you. So don't think that you're nuts for those things, but you have to acknowledge that we're not paid people, we're grown ass woman and we're living our lives. And if someone has a negative opinion about you, it says more about them than it does.

Speaker 2:                    45:28               Yeah, I think that's so true. Thank you for saying that. Yeah, that's really interesting about the caveman. Yeah. She said that and I was like, oh my gosh, that's a really interesting perspective. Yeah, it is. Are there any other topics you want to talk on or touch on from the book and you've highlighted through. I just highlighted like, so whenever I read business books, whether it's like motivational or it's tactical, I'm like, hi, like I have little stickies in here and I have my light it on pages, like I'm a note taker and I'm just trying to, um, a couple of things. So we kind of turn this into like a little mini book club, but for anyone who maybe hasn't read the book or thinking about it, um, these are just a couple of the quote and this is just for one page, so I'm not going to spend five minutes reading it can really resonate to anyone whether you read the book or not. She says

Speaker 2:                    46:25               people hand over all their power to their circumstances instead of taking responsibility and changing their lives themselves. And I think that's a good way to sum up the book. You, if you are constantly saying, I'm managed money, I'm a spender, not a saver. These are things that I'm saying to myself. I'm constantly placing blame for not being rich. I'm circumstantial things. I didn't get a good education. I was raised in a poor household. You weren't blaming, you are not taking responsibility for your own future. Right, and I think that that's so powerful and she says you can have your excuses or you can have success. You can't have both. Yes. Some people have much bigger struggles and obstacles to overcome than others, but we're all given the same choice as to how we perceive our reality and that's just like so powerful. Maybe that's like probably one of those things I'm going to frame and put on a sticky note and keep in my sight line for awhile that you're in charge of how you live your life and yes, we were all dealt different hands and some people worked out way crap. Your hands on other people but you're still in charge of your future.

Speaker 1:                    47:33               Yeah, I think that was one of my biggest takeaways from the book as well as that. You know this, this, the author was broke until she was in her forties and then she decided to get rich and she went about it, hired a coach, you know, and she, she's not. She doesn't get too much into the details of what we should individually do, but she's saying you need to figure out what you need to do and go do it because you can get rigid. I mean this book is more about your belief system around money and just realizing that you are capable really in any industry. I would say. I mean, you know, for me it's like the starving artist story was definitely something that I kind of grew up with because I always knew I wanted to be an artist or designer, you know, like that's shifted a little bit or evolved I would say.

Speaker 1:                    48:19               But um, you know, it's like when I told people I was an art major in school, like, Oh, where are you going to do with that? You know, like in that you're like, oh, like you kinda have to take a step back and be like, really? Like, I'm fine. And I've even dealt with that recently where I was telling. I'm talking about my career too. I'm more of like a middle aged woman. And she started talking about her knees and how she was an art major. But then she went back to school to be a nurse because you can't make money as an artist. And I was like, what? That's handing power over circumstances. Yeah. I was just like, man, like that is so unfortunate because she's always going to have that inside of her and hopefully she enjoys being a nurse, but it's just like, no, like you can, like, you can make money in any industry. You just have to put your mind to it and believe that you can do it and then figure out, you know, and just understand that you can learn how to get rich. Like that was something that, like I said before, like I just thought that you were lucky. No, it's something you can learn.

Speaker 2:                    49:24               Yeah. Last thing I want to say to anyone who's thinking about reading this book or is maybe scoffing at it because they're like a woman and like, I have a hell of your relationship with money or you know, they're like, I don't need a motivational book for me to make money. Well, first of all, if you're here watching this, you're probably not making as much money as you want, otherwise you wouldn't be interested in this topic. And she, she does talk about mantras in meditation and Universe and maybe in a religious person, I kinda had to like shift her version of universal intelligence to God and face so you can do that if you need to. Um, but it's not all about this. We will stop. She gives you practical tactical steps and advice to work on your mindset and to be more open to making money. And if you think that you don't have limiting beliefs, I challenge you to read the introduction and the first three chapters. And if she doesn't change your mind, then you don't finish the book. I'm like, you said, Laura, you can get this for free on. So, um, but I challenge you, if you think you don't have limiting beliefs around money, I bet you do. And you just don't know it yet.

Speaker 1:                    50:39               Yeah, I found it to be incredibly helpful and I mean really, she's just entertaining as well.

Speaker 2:                    50:45               So if you just listened to you like, laughter, makes sense. She's, she's, she's a really good writer. Um, I also recommend her original book. You are a bad ass. They're great. They're totally digestible and audio book. I agree. So give it total recommendation.

Speaker 1:                    51:02               Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Five stars. Thank you so much for coming on today. Um, where can everyone find you online?

Speaker 2:                    51:10               Sure. So like I mentioned earlier, my company is called merrily creative company that's in e R, R I l y, like merrily down the stream. So it's Marylee creative company.com for my website or you can follow me on instagram at [inaudible], creative CCO and I also have a podcast for entrepreneurs and small business centers called the merrily show and it can be found on spotify and itunes.

Speaker 1:                    51:34               That is so awesome. And for those of you who may want to find me online, my website is line Leslie Dot Com. Leslie is within eye. Um, I'm also, I have a youtube channel that you can look up under. Laura and Leslie. Um, I also have a podcast and a facebook group called the design tribe by Lauren. Leslie. So you can also find me there if you would like to connect there. And I'm on Instagram as Laura and Leslie Studio.

Speaker 2:                    51:58               Perfect. Thanks so much for having me on this as a lot of fun and I really enjoyed talking about it with you.

Speaker 1:                    52:04               Me Too. Me Too. Thank you so much. We'll have to do this again soon. Okay, see Ya. Bye.

 

Are you ready to quit your full time job and become a full time, independent artist? This video is for you!

Brooke Glaser, an independent illustrator, tells us all about how she became a full time artist even though she flopped the first time.

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TRANSCRIPT

Speaker 1: 00:00 Hey, what's up fools. This is your host, Lauren. Lastly with the design tribe podcast based out of Beautiful Birmingham. Yep. You heard that right? We've moved. This is the podcast version of my webinar series. You'll find on my website at laurenlesley.com Lesley is spelled with an e y. We'll be discussing all things related to the design side of your online business and interviewing creative entrepreneurs. If you'd like to watch the video version of this episode, you will be able to follow along with awesome slides that I made. Super Pretty and you'll get to interact with me in the comments. I also go live in the design tribe Facebook group. If you'd rather tune in there to sign up for show episodes, go to LaurenLesley.com/webinar-series or if you'd like to join our Facebook community, check out facebook.com/groups/DesignTribeLaurenLesley, thanks for connecting with the design tribe. Let's start the conversation.

Speaker 2: 01:12 Hi, what's up everyone? Thanks for tuning into the design tribe today. We have an amazing special guest, Brooke Glaser. She's going to tell us all about how to make this switch to becoming a full time artist. So Brooke, will you tell us a little bit about yourself, your background, and how you became a full-time illustrator?

Speaker 3: 01:33 Yeah, so I'm Brooke Glaser. Um, I do work that is, you can find on greeting cards and gift wrap and bags, children's apparel, home decor and magazines. Um, I'm also a teacher on skillshare where I have, uh, several popular courses like intro to procreate and making the living for artists. I've been working for myself since 2010 kind of on and off. So I worked in house as a textile designer. Um, I also worked as a designer for an ad agency and I even did a short little stint at a toy company. So I've kind of seen both sides of the coin working as an artist and also working on the company side. But basically I've always wanted to just make cute stuff and I wanted to work for myself. I've always, always, always wanted to work for myself. That's kind of a, a big thing for me.

Speaker 3: 02:24 And, um, so since about 2010, I've been, I've been working for myself on and off and I tried to make the leap to full time artist many, many times actually. And I fought, I fought like I totally fell on my face and had no idea what I was doing and, um, had to go into full time work cause I like ran out of money or it really just felt very directionless. And so it took me a long time to really get a really clear direction of what I wanted to do and then figure out how to do it and how to make it work. Um, but hopefully I'll be to share a couple of

Speaker 2: 03:00 tips that helped me out and hopefully help some people avoid some of the mistakes that I made. So yeah, I think that's going to be super valuable for all of our listeners and viewers. Um, and thanks for telling us a little bit about, you know, how you, you know, kind of failed the first time that, um, that's really interesting and it gives you a lot of, um, I dunno, I guess a lot of credibility in terms of, you know, what not to do and then to make you sick. All right. So I guess as a first step, if you're wanting to become an illustrator or a full time artist, uh, in your opinion, do you need to go to art school to become independent or like as you, as you're getting started, you know, like you, should you work for a company first? Should you go to schools? Do you need that degree to kind of get started?

Speaker 3: 03:47 Um, so as far as art art school goes to, I didn't go to art school. I actually went to film school. Uh, and I did a lot of art stuff. And I don't want to say that like, like traditional college is a worthless, cause. It's, there's a lot of great things about school. I think there's a lot of stuff that you really don't need to go into debt for. A lot of this stuff can be learned online. And even like I've, like I said, I have a skill share course on making, living in art as an artist where I teach things like pricing and how to find clients and like all lots of nitty gritty stuff. And those things are not stuff that you need to go to school to learn. But there are some things that I think, um, in person interaction and school really does well that is harder to do online and that would be like creating, um, creative connections, building, building connections.

Speaker 3: 04:41 Because like if you're going to a school, you, you are probably going to have professors who are hopefully connected in the industry, can introduce you to people who can hire you or um, you know, a lot of schools have like career days where companies come in. I know hallmark hallmark tires, a lot of people, um, from like school fairs. So like that's something that you, you're going to struggle a little bit more finding online. And I also think that it's really important to learn like how to take creative critique because I'm not great at that. It's very painful. Like I'm so attached to my art, I, it's me don't tell me it's bad, but like that is like 100% part of like the working relationship is learning how to like take those critiques. And I think school does a good job of showing you that that's harder to do online as well. So,

Speaker 2: 05:31 yeah, that's, that's interesting. I like how you said it's not worth going into like a major amount of debt over because I feel like that's my big thing is I see, I've seen a lot of artists are, a lot of people, I guess go to art school and then they have to end up getting a different job that's not even creative because they're just massive amounts of debt and maybe, I dunno, maybe the school wasn't really great at fostering those connections with companies like hallmark, like you, like you said. Um, but it is great. I mean, not that, yeah, I like, not that it's worthless or not that it doesn't teach you. Um,

Speaker 3: 06:04 and I think that is a really, really big thing, um, to consider, especially if you are wanting to go into business for yourself because when you are in debt, like having that financial stress of like, oh, I've got like a $600 student loan bill that I have to pay this this month. Um, puts a lot of stress that is, makes it hard to do other things. So I think community colleges are great. I think state universities are great. I think, you know, like all of that. If you can get a full ride, heck yeah. Go to an art school, go to an art institute, that's amazing. Do it. So. Right, right.

Speaker 2: 06:38 I totally agree. And if you can't get a full ride or you know, a big scholarship, then I would say exactly what you said. Go to a state school or go to basically you're a cheapest option that kind of gives you that degree and you can learn. But, um, there is a lot of online learning you can do on top of that so you can kind of fill in the gaps

Speaker 3: 06:58 if it's not the best school that, you know. And I think, I think school is really great if you are somebody who has a hard time, um, maybe setting deadlines or, or restrictions on yourself, like, oh, I'm going to do this thing, then it's really great to be like, Oh, I'm in class. Like I'm putting money down. Um, but honestly, like almost everything I think can be taught online. Like there's so much great information. I mean, youtube is free. Skillshare is incredible. There's creative live, which also does a lot of teaching. There's creative bug. There's so, so, so, so much though.

Speaker 2: 07:32 Right. All right, well cool. I'm glad to get your opinion on that. Um, it definitely aligns with my thoughts as well. All right. So if you're already working as a designer and you're dreaming about going out on your own as you have experienced, um, and I have as well, and being your own boss, what are some of the key first steps

Speaker 3: 07:52 that you need to take? Um, so what I can say from my own experience is that, um, you want to be really specific about what it is that you want to be doing. Um, for me, like maybe I was just thinking at first like, oh, I just want to make art, I just going to make this like art that I enjoy making and, and I don't know, I'll just find somebody, but the more specific you can get about it, like the more success that you're going to have on like actually making money at it. So you want to think really specifically about what companies or clients you'd like to have and um, really think about what kind of work would they buy and make exactly that kind of work. So, for example, like if you're doing greeting cards, you don't want to just do greeting cards, like just like put any kind of art under greeting card, go to the store, see the different sections.

Speaker 3: 08:43 Like there's birthday cards, there's wedding cards, look at the color palettes that they're using. Look at, um, how many birthday cards versus how many sympathy cards do they sell? Well, obviously if it's a bigger birthday card section, they buy more birthday art. So you want to be thinking about art that you can make that burnt. They are to whatever, you know, um, and it's not that you have to do exactly what they're doing. Like it's totally fine to do your own unique take, but it's important that you do the research and understand what it is, um, why people are doing, why companies are doing those things. So the biggest thing is having a good portfolio of work. Even if it's just like six pieces, um, that you're proud of, that a company could look at and say, Oh yeah, that works for us. We can take that right away.

Speaker 2: 09:31 Yeah, that's really interesting because you, especially as a new artist starting out, you're probably trying to figure out which direction to go in. And if you wanted to do something like greeting cards, you might, you know, it's good to know like, okay, what categories am I designing for such as birthday or wedding, but you also want to offer something different and that's kind of in your own style. You know, you don't want to offer them something that they already have because that's not going to be exciting or you know, show something different for their line.

Speaker 3: 10:00 Yeah, and I, and I would also say it like that's such a fine balance too, because I think a lot of companies that are like, oh, this worked really well, so let's just do another version of it. So it's not exclusively like, yes, it has to be total unique and out of the box. But I think I'm most artists what to do something unique and different. Like, I don't know, I don't want to just like copy everything that's out there. So, yeah, totally. You're so right.

Speaker 2: 10:25 Okay. So the next question is, do you need to save six months of your salary? We kind of hear that anyway, as we're starting our first job or whatever. And I've never been able to do that. I'm just going to be honest. But um, if you're trying to go out on your own as an independent artist, is that something that you absolutely need to do to kind of get started?

Speaker 3: 10:47 Uh, I have also never saved six months. Uh, so a bad, bad entrepreneur. Um, but definitely at least three. Like I really would like encourage people to do three months. Some people do really well with having this pressure of like, oh no, I have to make money and making it work. Uh, there's also that fine balance of like, again, having financial stresses as hard to, it's hard to be productive, um, when you're scared just out of your mind. Um, but you really do as like a, as an illustrator, you really do need to have leeway because, um, even if you are working, you might not get paid right away. So if you're licensing, you might not see money coming in for a year because it takes a year from them buying the art or licensing the Ark and producing the, um, whatever it is, and then putting it into stores and then getting your payment. Even with like, you know, graphic design clients or whatever. Like you might have like net 30. So when you build a client, they may not pay you for 30 days or 15 days and you can set those terms for yourself. But again, it's not going to be like you're going to get a regular paycheck in most cases, um, like, like clockwork. So you just need to have that, that leeway, that extra money so that you can keep going and keep paying your utilities.

Speaker 2: 12:13 Right. So I'm interested to hear a little bit more about how you did it in your personal story. So you saved three months and then did you have to go back to work full time? Because I know, I mean, I'm trying to license designs as well and I'm lucky because I can like lean on my husband a little bit. He's like covering the rent while I'm like trying to build this because yeah, you're not going to, if you're licensing, you're not going to get paid for a year or sometimes even two years is what I hear. And I'm just getting started with this. So I can't really give too much advice of what I wouldn't do because I'm still figuring it out. But um, how do you sort of like fill in the gaps with your income if you've only stayed for three months but then you're not getting paid for like a year out?

Speaker 3: 12:52 Right. Um, yeah cause you're like, well how do I keep doing this if I have to go to a full time job again? Like it's like super stressful. Um, so, uh, the, I'm thinking specifically of the first time that I did that. Yeah. I think I said three months and I was like, I had no idea what I was doing and just like ran out of money and had to get a job. And so that was really crappy. And what worked the second time around was that I got a part time job and that was like my saving grace. Um, so I the, I've, I've done it twice, uh, two different ways. I've had like, um, creative part time jobs and doing that kind of work like absolutely drained me creatively and I really wasn't able to be as productive as I wanted to be when I um, went, got off of work and tried to do like my, um, my own personal illustration work.

Speaker 3: 13:48 What really worked well for me was getting noncreative jobs. So like I worked at a yoga studio and because I do aerial silks and they did aerial silk classes, so I got like really discounted aerial folks classes and I just worked at the front desk. So it was, it was super low pressure. It didn't take a lot of my creative energy and it helped me, um, supplement those bills as I started building up my clientele. Um, you could easily do this with a serving job or a retail job, especially anything that gives you flexibility so that you can, um, okay. Hopefully set your hours a little bit so that you're taking advantage of your, the hours that you're most productive, whether that's morning or nighttime or whatever. And I'm going to go into the non creative job when you're, when you're not.

Speaker 2: 14:34 That's a really interesting point. I wouldn't have thought to go to a non creative Java. I mean I've um, I've, I haven't had to work part time but I have considered freelancing again, um, for like an in textile design since that's my background while I'm trying to build my licensing. But that's interesting that you, you're saying that that drains you and it actually kind of like maybe hurt your life licensing side a little bit. Whereas if you are in a non creative job, you're kind of like waiting all day to get home and be able to make something.

Speaker 3: 15:03 Yeah, I think that was probably the key motivator because I was like, ah, I don't, like when I worked at urban job, I was like, I don't want to be doing this. I hate this. Why am I doing this? And that, that like really like motivated me to do that too. Although I will say that, um, like doing like freelance creative work is totally legit. Like that's a great way to do it because you get to set your own hours and your own rates. And I mean that's, that's creative work right there. And like you, as you build up the other stuff, you can just cut that stuff away. So unless he liked doing and then you do it.

Speaker 2: 15:35 Yeah, no, I liked doing it. It's just, I think I'm a little bit like, oh, like would it be a conflict of interest if I'm freelancing for this company and then I want to license something that's like in the same industry, you know what I mean? So like that's my only hesitation right now and I'm just going to have to like talk to them and see if that's something that they would care about or not.

Speaker 3: 15:55 Yeah. Well, and I would say that if you were in house then that would be in your contract that no, you're not gonna, you're not gonna compete. But if you're a freelancer, you have to do that. How else are you going to pay your bills if you aren't like working for as many people as possible? Like obviously they'd probably be like a nondisclosure agreement where you can't let them know like their competitors know anything about their way that they do business or the trends that they're going for. But so yeah, that that's true. That could, that could totally vary by company to company. But I don't think it's fair for somebody to ask a freelancer to be exclusive personally. Yes. He says the one who is not running the business that cares about,

Speaker 2: 16:37 I think I'm just so used to being in house that I'm like, oh no. Like I can't do, you know, rug designs for myself if I'm doing it for them. But yeah.

Speaker 3: 16:45 Well yeah, like I know a lot of companies won't even let you freelance like on anything. Well some companies won't let you even like do like your own side projects, which I think of crazy. Yeah, it's a little,

Speaker 2: 16:55 it's a little controlling. All right. So the next question is, in order to become independent, do you have need to have like your own established art style before you really make that leap so that you, you know, kind of have I guess, your own voice, um, or your own aesthetic as you're moving forward and as you're going independent into your own business?

Speaker 3: 17:18 Um, I think the most important thing is that you have a way of standing out and having like a distinct style is like a really great way of doing that. Um, but the bigger picture being that like it's your strengths. What is it that you are really good at that you can do but that not everyone else can do. And that could be your style. Like, like literally how you draw. Um, but it could also be like the kinds of things that you do. Like if you're really good at lettering, you should lean into that cause not everybody can do lettering, um, or are really, um, good at your presentation of your art. Like that. Not Everybody's great at that either in that can help you stand out. Are you really good with people? Like how can you put yourself in a position where you are dealing with people in person because you're really good at in person interactions.

Speaker 3: 18:05 And some artists are like very introverted and not really good at talking to people or being on the phone. Um, like for example, I'm really comfortable in front of a camera and so I like talking to people and so video is what helps me to stand out from other artists and I'll make videos of myself. Like I do like teaching online. Um, I do videos with my art that helps me to stand out. If you're a good photographer then like you should be taking photos of your work and like a lifestyle photo of, of your art can be a lot more eye catching sometimes than just the art itself. Um, yeah. And, and style also like, um, isn't just necessarily how you draw something, but it could be like your sense of humor. Like, if you're really good at puns or like conceptual work, having that really conceptual strong ideas can help you stand out from other artists who just make like me just cute things, you know?

Speaker 2: 18:58 Yeah. Cool. All right, well the next question is, how do you find clients once you go full time and how long can you, can you expect it to take before you can expect to make a full time income again? So I know we kind of touched on that with the licensing and it can take a year or sometimes two years before you can make a full time income and maybe you can supplement with a part time job. Um, but how are you going to find clients once you do you go full time and how long can that take?

Speaker 3: 19:29 Um, so, so these really are two different questions. Um, uh, yeah, so I'll dive into like how you can, uh, find clients, because I could probably go on like this forever, but, um, so there's a ton of ways to find clients. Um, you can go shopping and anytime that you go shopping and you see something that looks like, uh, oh, that's really cute and illustrated piece or whatever, look at the back of it, see what the tag says, find them, take a photo of the tag, see who manufactured it and look them up. That's a potential client right there. Um, you can do trade shows, there's lots of different trade shows for different markets, but you can also research trade shows. So for example, I like to do art that's really good for kids clothes or just like children's market. So I was like, oh, what could I, what, who would buy this kind of artwork and children's clothing?

Speaker 3: 20:25 So what I did was I looked up trade shows where people who've made children's clothing, where they sold their art or their, not their art there, their clothes or their products or whatever. And so when you look at, when you research those kinds of trade shows, you can see a list of WHO's exhibiting. And all of those people were potential clients for me. Um, and I didn't have to even go to the show. Like, I could just do that research. Um, there's also a book called [inaudible], the artist and graphic, the graphic, an artist's market book. That's probably not the right word, but it's, um, you can, yeah.

Speaker 2: 21:04 Did they do it in the notes and, um, you can, you can let me know what it is.

Speaker 3: 21:10 So it's, I find it to be a little bit outdated, but like what it does is it basically lists in different categories, all these different companies that have historically purchased artwork and it's quite thick. And it, you still need to do the research to see like, Hey, is this a company that my artwork would actually fit for? But it does list in theory like contact information and what kind of art and how much aren't they, they usually buy per year. So it, I wouldn't like totally rely on the information in there, but it's a really great place to start looking. Um, and like all of this work obviously has a lot of research involved and if you're like really not that into research, like I am, um, you can get a collective together. So when I um, started out again on my own, I started a collective called Pencil parade and we pooled all of our resources to uh, do the marketing.

Speaker 3: 22:04 So like not just our financial resources but our time resources. So everybody was saying like, Oh, here's some clients that we could work with. Here is some clients that we could work with. These are different great markets that we'd like to work in. Um, and we split the effort of, of sharing new work with those clients. So once, so that's kind of the first half of finding clients. The second half is sending them work. You really have to always, always be sending them new work. Like every month it took me like they're my biggest client now. I wrote them for six months and they didn't buy anything and after six months now there, they bought their first piece and like they've been a repeat client since then. So always sending new work even if you don't hear anything back. Yeah.

Speaker 2: 22:48 Yeah. That's interesting because I guess if you're not hearing anything back, you might think, oh, it's not a good fit or they're not into my look or whatever. So how do you kind of balance between, um, I mean, do you just continue to send everyone that you think would be interested new work or do you have a way of sort of filtering

Speaker 3: 23:06 got out? Right. Cause it's kind of like a lot of artists and hundreds of people work every month, like all the time. And I, I wouldn't do that. So for me, what I would do is I would get really specific, say like, Hey, is my work actually a fit for this company? Like would this work actually do well? Could that get, I actually see this okay. Um, in their lineup and then, um, if the answer is yes, you know, uh, I would probably write for like a year and if you don't hear back after a year, maybe it's just time to move on and, uh, to a new strategy or, or something else. I think six months a year is a real, like sometimes silence means no, but sometimes silence means they have so much going on and they don't have time to reply to everybody. Art Directors are really, really busy people.

Speaker 3: 23:57 They can get hundreds of emails, you know, all the time and they like literally don't have time to reply back and say, oh, this is great. Um, I'm sending it to a presentation or oh, you know, we just bought for this season so we don't need anymore. Or, uh, this will be great in three months. You, you really, really, really do not know why they're not replying. Because in order for them to be replying, that would be a fulltime job and their full time job is making the art. So, um, there's another couple of ways. Uh, so I use MailChimp to send out newsletters and if I can see that somebody is always opening my newsletter, even if they're not replying to me, I'm going to keep sending them stuff because they're reading it, they're looking at it. Um, MailChimp gives you like a, I've read this thing. Um, there's also, uh, an APP for chrome. I use Gmail and it's called streak. And you can also see if people have been opening your emails. And again, so like if people are reading my emails, I'm going to keep sending them. And if nobody like I can't see that they're not answering my emails. They're not opening. Well who knows? You don't actually know if they're not opening. You only know if they actually are. Um, I can give you like a

Speaker 2: 25:16 false negative. I'm sorry, I'm like rambling, rambling on all good idea. Here's an idea. All good information though and okay, so if you're sending some of these companies new art every single month, how much is too much or too little to send them?

Speaker 3: 25:35 Um, I would say that. Okay, think about it this way. You are like, imagine that you get a hundred emails a week from people. You want this to be short and easy. So you really want to like see what the artists and decide yes or no. So I would send at most eight pieces and at least honestly you can even set, if you have like a PR the perfect piece for somebody just send one, it's fine. Um, but, but honestly I tend to do anywhere from two to four, two to six. Um, I would also, if you can attach it into the actual body of the email, because a lot of people can't open attachments for work. So either I would attach jpegs to the email or I would embed it like, you know, when you can like copy and paste it. Okay.

Speaker 2: 26:29 Yeah, that's interesting. Cause when I was following up after blueprint, I wanted to like put everything in a zip file to like make it smaller. But if they can just open it and see it immediately, that's probably easier for you.

Speaker 3: 26:39 And, and for, for them, they might have instructions not to open zip files because, because like, especially at big corporations, they like it. They're like, oh, we don't trust you not to download a virus. No Zip files for you.

Speaker 2: 26:55 I didn't know that. That's interesting.

Speaker 3: 26:57 I've only worked at smaller like manufacturers and whatnot. So, yeah. Well, yeah, I worked at a smaller one too and they were like very like, no, be careful. Be Very careful.

Speaker 2: 27:07 Cool. This is probably just the tech person, not necessarily the size of the company, it's just whoever's the tech person. I hear you. I hear you. All right. So what are some different routes that illustrators can go down in terms of industries? You mentioned you design things for like children's industry, whether it's clothing or whatnot, but you know, when I was like growing up in high school and even in college, I used to think that illustrators only worked on children's books. So that's, I mean, that's crazy to me now, but like if you, if you've never been in the industry, if you, if you're not a designer yet, you might not understand exactly like what are the industries you can work in. So if you'll tell us like, what are the other types of jobs that are available and like what's important for illustrators or is it important for illustrators to diversify in, you know, among different industries when they do go solo?

Speaker 3: 27:59 Yeah, totally. Um, yeah I didn't, I didn't even know that like surface design was a thing until like five years ago.

Speaker 2: 28:07 But you weren't the rugs. I mean that's, well I did. Yeah, eventually I did. So I was an oil painting major in school so that tells you like in double majored in art history and then I did graphic design for four years cause I was like, Oh I guess this is the next best thing to being a fine artist. You know? And I hate to graphic design. And then as I was in that job, that's when I started seeing these other artists that were designing a lot of patterns and how I was like, oh like how do you get that career? Like I've never heard of this. Like no one in my, you know, liberal arts school like mentioned. So it's funny. Yeah. So I figured it out eventually. But you know, when I was choosing a major and all of that, yeah, I didn't, I had no clue what surface

Speaker 3: 28:45 that was totally my experience too because I was like, oh, well if I want to make money as an artist, I have to be a graphic designer, a web designer. And that's like I am. I did it and I hated it and I was really not that good at it either, not my thing. Um, and for me in my head it was like, oh, either you like have like an Etsy store and you make crafts or you are a fine artist. And so actually that, um, that there are kind of like two splits of making money as an, as an artist. Um, one way is working with companies and the other is selling to customers. So, um, and like in boring business terms, that would be like B two B business to business or B to c business to customer or consumer or whatever. But that's boring.

Speaker 3: 29:30 Let's not talk about it that, right. Um, so as an example, if you sell greeting cards in your Etsy shop that's working with customers, you are selling to customers directly. And if you sell your art to hallmark who makes greeting cards and they sell it to their customers, that's working with a company. And the only reason that I bring this up is because that the way that you, um, market yourself to those two, those two different ways like working to customers versus companies is different. The way that you try and sell to them is totally different. Um, and I kind of talk about this more in my making a living, uh, as an artist class, kind of like the different pros and cons and the differences of Blah, blah blah. But like in like the business side, like, you know, if you're working with companies, you could be working for magazines doing like editorial stuff and that could be like anywhere from, uh, you know, there's food magazines and there's like sports magazines if feel like illustrating sports things.

Speaker 3: 30:32 But like a lot of like portraiture gets done in those magazines. Like, you know, like maybe like a little illustration of the author or the team who works on the magazine. Um, let alone just the topics that the magazine covers itself. Um, there's also, like you were saying like the textile and home decor, uh, kind of work and there's greeting cards and stationery, fashion and apparel. There's video games. Uh, there's TV and animation. Like there's like concept artists who make backgrounds and like the ideas for what a character would look like. And that's like a whole nother industry itself. Um, there's advertising which can be anything from the packaging on, um, soap or cereal boxes to murals on the inside of like the apple store. Um, and then there's like you were saying books, so that could be children's books. That could be like if you go into the bookstore, there's a whole world of other kinds of books too, so you don't have to be into kids' stuff.

Speaker 3: 31:32 Um, graphic novels and comics. And that's all on the business side if you're just working with businesses. But if you want to just do exclusively your own thing, like you can also open an online store where you make stickers and pins and prints and all of that stuff. And then you can be selling to your own customers. Um, you can self publish your own books, you can teach art, you can, um, sell your art wholesale to other retailers who sell it in their stores. Um, you can do in person markets. Um, I think, I think I've, I've, I've, I've gotten enough over this, but there's like tons and tons of ways, um, and different markets that you can, that you can work in

Speaker 2: 32:14 and so awesome to hear the variety and like you can just see all the different personalities that were you working in these different industries. Yeah, totally. Um, okay.

Speaker 3: 32:23 And you are still right. Um, uh, diversity is really important to actually diversifying your income streams. Um, for example, like when the 2008 crash happened, like if you had had all of your money coming from one company, um, you could have been absolutely devastated, but it's really important that you do a variety of work. And actually like you're, you're likely that you're going to need to, um, a lot of licensing deals. Like you don't make that much money in them. So like, you need to make sure that you're, you're working some with this one company in some with this company. Um, and, and a good mix of like having money that's coming in right away versus licensing and passive income. Like there's, it's really important to have a whole mix of all of that.

Speaker 2: 33:09 I know you have your skillshare classes and you also have a youtube channel, um, which is awesome, but is that a good way to also kind of supplement your income as an illustrator if you're not afraid to like get on camera or work with people and kind of, um, you know, get in front of people and teach.

Speaker 3: 33:23 Yeah. Um, so this was, this is something that I also did as a part time job. Um, even before online, like I worked at a museum and I taught art classes. I worked in art schools. Uh, I taught adults and kids like a, have you ever done like any of those? Like, um, have you ever seen any of those like a drink and paint classes where like, everybody's got like a glass of wine that's, those are really great steady sources of income for artists and that can help you. Um, well if you love teaching then it's great because you get to paid to make art and show other people how to make art, which is it totally a valid way of making money. Um, and if you're like, ah, whatever. Like it's also another way to make money while you're building up the other parts of your business as well.

Speaker 2: 34:13 Right. Okay. So I guess my next question would be then, um, how, like what is your final advice for anyone who's wanting to, to make the switch to be a full time artist and can you tell us a little bit about what you did? You know, maybe the second time around that was super successful and allowed you to, you know, become a full time artist and not have to go back to another full time job.

Speaker 3: 34:36 Yeah. Um, uh, creative community. Get involved with your creative community and whether that's online or in person or both? Ideally both. Um, it's incredibly important because especially people who are trying to do the same thing that you are, it's going to make a world of difference to be able to ask them like, oh, how are you doing this? Or what do you think? Is this my, I'm trying to do this way of getting clients. Is this a good idea? Do you think this is a good idea or do you have any advice or help for me and help them? You never know where those connections are going to lead to work down the road. Or like collaboration's where like you lift them up so that they get seen more and they lift you up and you get seen more. Um, they're going to understand your struggles. They're going to understand, they're going to be able to celebrate your wins all around. Like creative community is super, super, super, super important.

Speaker 2: 35:29 Awesome. So you would say that was the main difference between the first time you tried and then coming around the second time. Was that having that creative allowed you, um, or helped you, maybe gave you advice as well, you know, into becoming

Speaker 3: 35:43 honestly, yes, yes. Uh, well probably it was partly experience, like knowing a little bit more of what I was trying to do, but also like I, I was, I was, I was going back and forth with, um, like my, my, um, collective pencil parade and there was something about that accountability of like, okay, well we've got to do this marketing effort by this date. We've got to send out these postcards to these clients. And just like having that extra like, um, motivation and also like pressure, not to just let it slide and be like, it's okay, I don't have to do that thing. Right. That's interesting. That's really, really helped.

Speaker 2: 36:19 That's interesting that you send out postcards. Um, do you have a favorite social media platform for your marketing efforts? Uh, with Pencil parade or either just for yourself,

Speaker 3: 36:27 email, if it's, if it's with companies, email, email, email, email, email. Um, I love Instagram because it's fun and it's easy and I think it's a great second portfolio. You never know what art directors are looking at it, but I don't, I have never been found via my social media platforms. I think it's all come, not that people let, not that our directors don't look at them. It's not that it's not in, it's not insignificant. It is, um, important. But I think most companies that I've worked with have found me because I reached out to them. Um, hopefully as I, you know, like grow in my career that will switch and people will discover me. But right now that's, that's not what's happening for me. It's all email. Yeah.

Speaker 2: 37:12 Interesting. I love that. And they say that email marketing is definitely not dead, so it's, no, not at all. Yeah. All right, well I'm brook, where can everyone find you online and tell us a little bit more about your skill share class if people are wanting to take your skills, skillshare class and find out a little bit more about, um, how to make the switch to a full time artist.

Speaker 3: 37:35 And you can find me on skillshare. Um, I'm Brooke Glaser on there. You can just kind of search for me. There is a, I've got an intro to appropriate class that shows people how to use procreate. Um, the making a living as an artist class. Uh, it really does cover like a lot of stuff that we've talked about a little bit more in detail. Um, pricing, um, helping yourself, like figure out what your business strategy is. Um, and then you can also find me on Instagram and a, I'm paper playgrounds on Instagram because nobody seems to remember how to spell my name, either one of them correctly. If they get one right, they get the other wrong. Um, and I also have a mailing list, so I do, um, anytime that I come out with a new class or I'm doing a meetup or a workshop in like a specific city, I send that out in my emails. Um, and you can sign up for that, uh, on my website, which is BrookeGlaser.com. You can also find that by going to my Instagram and uh, there's always links to find things everywhere. I have a youtube channel too, but.

Speaker 2: 38:41 Awesome. Thank you. Oh, tell us about, tell us a little bit more about your youtube channel before we sign off on what kind of videos are you posting there?

Speaker 3: 38:49 Ah, nothing right now.

Speaker 2: 38:54 What are some of your most popular videos? Can you tell us that?

Speaker 3: 38:56 Um, so I, I do some uh, some blogs just about like my day to day, like life on it's uh, as an illustrator working freelance. And I do some like advice like how to set goals and that sort of thing. Awesome.

Speaker 2: 39:12 Well everyone, thank you so much for tuning in today. If you liked this video, please give it a thumbs up and make sure to subscribe to my channel. Hit the little bell so you get notifications every time we come out with a new video. And thanks so much. We'll see you in the next [inaudible]

Speaker 1: 39:28 say, thank you so much for listening to the design tribe of podcast. I hope you enjoyed the conversation today. Here comes the part where I need to ask you for a little favor. Help a sister out. Next time you're in iTunes, please leave a rating and a review. Seriously, please. Only things of few seconds and it was quite literally make my day for real. It helps this podcast get found so that other often people like you can join the dialog and connect with each other. And as a quick reminder, you can watch the video version of the most podcast episodes too. To get notifications. Head over to LaurenLesley.com/webinar-series and remember that Lesley is spelled with an e y or check out the design tribe Facebook group where I'll be streaming on Facebook live as well. Have a great day, a great attitude, and a great life.Talk Soon.

 

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Is Surtex really worth the time, MONEY, and energy that designers invest?

Surtex recently moved their show to February, giving designers only 9 months to design patterns, textiles, and prints for the show when they normally prepare for an entire year.

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.................................... Transcript: ....................................

Speaker 1:                    00:04                I'm Lauren, of Lauren Lesley studio and today I want to introduce you to special guest, uh, Amanda Brady and she's here to talk to us about her very first experience showing her pattern and designs at Surtex. So we're about to dive into 11 questions and Amanda is going to honestly answer all of these questions so that moving forward, if you're thinking about showing at Surtex, you'll have a great idea and know what to expect in 2019. So before we jump into the questions, make sure to like this video, leave a comment or question below and we'll try to answer those to the best of our ability and definitely subscribe to my channel if you haven't already. All right. So Amanda is a founder of Green Hound press and I'm at her very first Surtex show she was on print and patterns blog, which is incredible. Not sure how she did it, but she's very talented and amazing. So here's just a little snapshot at her Surtex, um, with her artwork. And um, I've been uh, rubbed designer for the last seven years and I'm excited to say that some of my rugs have ended up in anthropology, so that's like any designer's dream. Um, so that's just a little bit of my background and we will jump into the questions. So Amanda, can you tell us how did you become a designer in the first place?

Speaker 3:                    01:27                Um, well in high school I was on our journalism staff and discovered photoshop and I loved it and I went into college, going to be a journalism major because I didn't really know graphic design was a thing, so I was like, I'll just be a journalism major and then I can lay out the like, newspapers even how little I knew about anything. And then my cousin is a graphic designer in Maine and she flew out for a wedding and she was like, oh my gosh, I'm a graphic designer because our families aren't really super close because we live so far apart and I'm. So yeah, she showed me all of her stuff, gave me all these magazines and I like changed my major the next day. So that's how I became, that's the very beginning of how I became a designer. Okay, cool.

Speaker 2:                    02:19                Okay. So what inspired you to go to Surtex in 2018? Like how did you get from deciding to be a designer to ending up at Surtex?

Speaker 3:                    02:28                So back to my cousin Aaron in college, I will flow out to her house and she showed me all of these patterns she had made and it never had dawned on me like, oh, people actually make these. I mean it's just one of those things you don't think about them because they're still part of our lives and I'm so I became obsessed with making patterns in college, but I kinda just did it as a hobby, you know, I'd have files in my computer and I did that for like four or five years and my husband was always like, what are you gonna do with those? I was like, uh, put them on instagram. Some, of course I'd heard Surtex. So I, in February of 2018, I emailed Surtex to ask about the 2019 show and the woman who runs the show called me and she was like, why would you wait til 2019? Why don't you do it for 2018? I was like, I don't know because I don't know. And she's like, you're totally ready. And so I just like made kind of like an impulse decision. It was like, alright, I guess I'll sign up for the 2018 show.

Speaker 2:                    03:24                Oh that's so cool. I can't believe that happened. I didn't realize it was that spontaneous and

Speaker 3:                    03:29                it was. I mean I've been kind of checking in on this show, like for a year or two, but like, oh yeah, I'll give myself a year and a half to get ready for the show and myself three months basically.

Speaker 2:                    03:43                I know I would feel like I needed at least a year to get ready. So when you signed up kind of last minute, did you feel ready once you were there or were you like, that's okay. Like I could have had more, but I'm, I have enough.

Speaker 3:                    03:55                No, actually I am glad that I didn't have a year because I think I would have waited till close to the last minute anyways, and since I had such a short amount of time, there was no time to really stop and second guess anything. It was just like I had to go on pure instinct. Like this looks good to me. This is what I'm doing. I like this, this is what I'm doing because I didn't, I didn't have the time to debate it. Really? Yeah. So, um, especially like with the booth design and stuff, because you have to have so many weeks to get that stuff printed and shipped to you. And then I wanted a little wiggle room in case something was wrong to get a reprint. So it was just boom, boom, boom.

Speaker 2:                    04:33                I kind of love that

Speaker 3:                    04:36                actually for me it worked really well. Good. Okay. Well, what can you tell us about art licensing? I'm still not that much. I didn't know what to expect when it came to the actual, like selling a patterns at the show. And I brought like order form sheets and I couldn't find anywhere in anyone's blog or anyone who had talked about Surtex about the actual selling of the patterns. Oh, okay. So I came prepared if people wanted to buy them. And then I just, what I've been doing now is I got, oh great number of contacts from tags. So I started like an e-blast basically that I send out when I make a new collection and I will send it to these people first so they get, before I even put it on instagram or anything, I'll show it to them to give them an opportunity. So that's just what I've been doing since the show. But I haven't actually done any licensing deals yet. So that's why I don't, I'm, I'm still not sure how that works. And I'm really curious to see in the future how that goes.

Speaker 2:                    05:47                Yeah, yeah, yeah. Is that um, sort of the path that you want to go down with showing your things at Surtex or do are you wanting to do more like client work? Work?

Speaker 3:                    05:57                I'm really anything I, I would definitely love to get some licensing deals, but since I'm still so new I'm not, I'm not sure if like I'm going about getting the licensing deal the right way or yeah, I'm still, that's very murky waters for me still. I understand that side of stuff. I'm like, can someone else just take care of this for me? I know I think so many artists are like that and I think that art school doesn't really prepare you well for the business side of things or there's not like. I Dunno, I mean it seems like some artists out there have a agents and work with agencies and that seems like one way to do it, but you don't really even know how to make those connections in the first place. And so my next question was going to be, are you working with an agent?

Speaker 3:                    06:49                I'm like, are they trying to get you licensing deals or are you still looking for an agent or are you going down that route at all? So the first time I ever even thought about an agent was at Surtex and an agent came up to me and was like, I would love to work with you, here's my card, um, and she's like, reach out to me at such date and it was a couple months after and I don't even think I've reached out to her yet because I'm still deciding if that's what I don't want to waste her time. So I didn't want to reach out to her until I researched more like, okay, this is what I want to do. I'm an agent or um, yeah, I'm still trying to figure out just where I want to take this and where I want to go with this. And I think I've been kind of waiting to see something that naturally happens. But since I'm probably gonna have to like really, you know, start working a little harder at figuring out which direction I want to go with this, you know? And so I would not be opposed to using an agent. I just don't know if that's like, I just don't, I can't commit to that yet. I got Ya. So always.

Speaker 3:                    07:57                Okay, well my next question is how did you prepare for Surtex, and I think you kind of answered this with them, you know, just talking about how last minute everything was, but are there, um, is there any advice you would maybe give to someone who is thinking about going to Surtex in 2019 and what are some, like kind of practical steps they could take to get prepared for this show? Um, well I did a lot of research and I, I tried to track down any blog, anything on pinterest I could find of people's booths. Um, you know, what they did for Promo items, just anything I could get my hands on. So, and then I spent probably a couple weeks, you know, when you get in that zone where you, you're trying to, hard things aren't flowing naturally. So I was definitely there. So once I got through that and I was like, you know, just stop thinking so much in doing what I naturally know to do.

Speaker 3:                    08:53                It went a lot smoother. But I um, I definitely looked at a lot of booths and was like, okay, what's, and I was really kind of harsh thankfully, like it was just in my head, but like what's working with this booth, what's working with this booth, how can I incorporate that into my booth, you know, and then I noticed like how did people actually showcase their patterns and a lot of people had that big portfolio books are like printed large pieces of paper and I, I don't know why I just did not want to do that. So I made an actual catalog of like a magazine spread of all my patterns and I took that and I made like 100 copies and gave those out so people could take my portfolio with them. I'm not smart. It worked really well. I was in um, yeah, the magazines weren't super expensive to print because that was one of the reasons like I didn't want to like print this super expensive portfolio or even like the sheets of paper. Um, because like they'll print like these big sheets of paper. Yeah.

Speaker 2:                    09:55                Where did you use to print? Um, your magazine? I've heard of like blurb and I don't know,

Speaker 3:                    10:01                I used a company called overnight prints. Okay. Yeah, it's decent quality, especially for what I wanted it for and it was pretty inexpensive. Um, and so yeah, that worked out really nicely for me. So yeah, was like, well was traveling. What's the question again?

Speaker 2:                    10:23                I know I kind of got you off topic, but yeah, just getting or any advice to get people. I'm kind of like a checklist of things that they might need to feel prepared for their tax going into 2019, like obviously your, you did a lot of research on your booth and kind of what that is because like you could have all your designs, but if you don't have a way to showcase them then you're not really going to be able to show at Surtex. So you know, you can go in with an ipad and be like, here's my staff. Um,

Speaker 3:                    10:52                I definitely think you have to think about the whole picture. Um, when I was at Surtex one woman, I forget who it was, she was a buyer and she goes, I love your booths. Set up and she goes, I love that you even matched your booth. Like, my outfit matched my booth. I didn't plan that. That's just colors. I'm kind of gravitated towards the details. Do matter so much. Like I would have never even thought to match my clothes to my booth, but it made sense if like, you know, you have a muted color Palette that's kind of your aesthetic, but you're wearing like neon bright clothes, like you're kind of like presenting yourself as a brand almost. Yeah. I would definitely say think about the entire package from setup to what you're wearing to what your promo items are. And then I also had printed fabric samples and I had pillows made. Oh cool. Brought them down. But um, yeah, my cousin made me these cute little pillows with my patterns on them and I had them up on the behind me so people had things they can touch and hold as well. And I think adding just a little element of like, oh this is where so people could see were these patterns could live I think really helped. And I got a really positive response. Awesome. Yeah, people want to go grab them. I can like pause our recording. Yeah, I'll go grab them real fast. Hold on.

Speaker 3:                    12:19                I grabbed all my stuff. Okay, cool. They're up in my kid's room so I had to go track them down. So yeah. So I made this pillow while at my cousin made this fabric I just had made at spoonflower and then I had this little pillow and so these were like setting up on a little shelf so it kind of looked like a mini store. Love it. And then I printed off some fabric samples that I had hanging off my booth so people could come up and touch it and look at it and look through the fabrics. Okay. And that was a very um, especially for it because, you know, a lot of my stuff is very childlike and sew fabric would be like a very ideal. So, um, that was like created some huge talking points. So did all of the fabric you get printed on spoonflower and is it all digitally printed?

Speaker 3:                    13:21                It is all digitally printed. I um, I actually just like made squares and then made this huge file of like each square and then uploaded that one file and then to save on costs and then just cut like each fabric. Oh, that's so smart because like, it's so expensive to go. So it's like you don't want to like, you know, break the bank on all this stuff, but at the same time you want to like, you know, the details do matter. So of course my little catalog that I made for the show did some mock ups, like I found some nice photoshop ups online and like, you know, because I really wanted to show people like here's what you could do with this pattern. So. Right. Um, but yeah, this was like a big hit because people could just take it and then, you know, like a business card gets lost. But this is like, yeah, you're not going to lose that. Yeah. So, and I'm sure buyers are meeting with so many different artists at Surtex that they probably have a hard time remembering who they met with or you know, it's like even with a business card, they're like a kinder, remember, but maybe not. But with that, they, there's no way they're going to forget like your style and. Oh no, because I put everything in here that I showed. So yeah, they were.

Speaker 3:                    14:44                So yeah, it was um, this was like, like I said, it was supposed to be like a cheaper decision is why I initially it and then it just ended up, I had a lot of success with it. So that's awesome.

Speaker 2:                    14:58                Yeah. There's only kids pillows. Okay. Did you focus on a particular medium when you were creating your patterns for Surtex? Like did you focus on more like digital drawing or like watercolor or. Um, and tell us a little bit about your, more about your style and kind of what you focused on and if you kind of noticed what other artists were doing as well.

Speaker 3:                    15:22                Um, so I am very vector art. Like that's my thing. That's what I love to do. Um, so everything I do is vector. I'm like 98 percent of my work I do as an illustrator. So that's what I know. That's what I love and that's what I stuck with at the show. I noticed every style under the sun at the show you see a lot. I saw a lot of watercolors, a lot of, a lot of digital art. Just. Yeah, there was. I'm trying to think.

Speaker 2:                    15:55                Any new trends that you noticed? Like in terms of like medium, I'm like, did you see more hand drawn? Things are more like graphic or modern style. It's got clean styles.

Speaker 3:                    16:08                I would say watercolor was probably the style that I saw the most that it actually stuck out in my mind. Like, oh, there's another watercolor. Oh there's another water color. But they were still so different. So I'm, I'm guessing that that was kind of trending at this show a lot, a lot, a lot of Christmas art.

Speaker 2:                    16:28                Oh, okay. I bet that's a huge. Um, I know, I just feel like, yeah, the seasonal businesses is really huge. I interviewed with um, international greetings at one point and I ended up deciding not to take the job, but they were saying that they would need me to come in like every week for their Christmas season and for Valentine's Day it wasn't like that all year, but it was an app like that enough where I was like, I don't know about this.

Speaker 3:                    16:58                Oh, a whole booth. That was just Christmas. Like that's all he did, that's all these women did was Christmas stuff. And I mean I knew it makes sense that the holiday market is the biggest. But one of the big agents that I talked to, um, she told me that it's like 80 percent of surface design is florals or Christmas or like. Yeah, it was like, yeah. So that was, that was eyeopening.

Speaker 2:                    17:26                Yeah. So then it's like, what do you do? Because you know, if that's 80 percent of the business you want to be a part of it. But then the competition, I'm sure it was also so high that you're like, you, I should focus on something more niche.

Speaker 3:                    17:38                It is. Well, I think because like buyers know that that's the stuff that sells, like florals are always going to be in florals are always going to sell, so it's like a safer by to buy a floral as opposed to like a Llama were only like a few people like llamas or you know.

Speaker 2:                    17:53                Right. It's funny though, I will say that in rags and this is so nice and specific, but I'm a rug designer for those of you who may not know. And I mean they have been like anti floral for like a long time. I think just because the lattice designs and even like Persian designs more like oriental, unlike traditional designs have kind of come back into style. Um, but I think we're just now starting to like get back into florals. Even an outdoor, like I design outdoor rugs and I'm like, come on, like I think we can do some florals now. Now that you said that, it's like, oh yeah, I don't ever see floral rugs anyway. Yeah, I think it'll come back, but it's like fitness. All right, well my next question is what kind of collection did you present? Um, and I know you just kind of showed us your products, but if you want to tell us kind of what was your thought process in terms of making a collection, like were you trying to focus on kids products or some other kind of audience or niche

Speaker 3:                    18:58                market? So like I talked about earlier, I really struggled the first couple of weeks and I was just overthinking it over trying and just everything I came up with was like, so forced that you could just to me it read is like forest. So I went to a couple parents, I created a year or so before that I loved and never did anything with and it was a farm theme. And so kids, um, the kids stuff is what I really love and, but I, I try not to be too babyish. Like I like kind of like the kids stuff that like you could turn it into an adult thing and it still totally work. Um, like go for anyways. So yeah, so I kind of went with this whole, like farm theme farm. Like there's like a little farm truck and a cow in some corn. This was like a coordinate to go with it. And I had this little, I had this little pig everywhere, a little pin of him. And so yeah. So, you know, when I made these patterns it was just for fun. I didn't have any shows lined up. I was like, maybe I'll put this on instagram, but it's, I, it was just for fun. And so to me they appeared more natural of my style.

Speaker 2:                    20:14                Yeah, yeah. That's interesting that you were able to kind of go back into the archives and pull out, you know, things that were just you like that you did for fun and they ended up standing out a lot and getting onto the print and pattern blog, which is incredible.

Speaker 3:                    20:26                I mean, I'm a doubt. I didn't even know I made it up there. I just was like, because, you know, I check that blog all the time and I submitted my stuff and I was like, man, you know, good luck. Go out into the universe and about it again until I'm scrolling by and I see this armadillo pattern that I did and I was like, yeah,

Speaker 2:                    20:44                oh

Speaker 3:                    20:48                yeah. That was like that. I mean, that alone makes it worth going to certain texts. Like the fact that I made it on that blog.

Speaker 2:                    20:56                It was crazy. It's amazing. Yeah. Congrats. Thanks. So how much did Surtex cost in total and do you feel like it was worth the cost?

Speaker 3:                    21:08                Oh, this is where it gets tricky. So by the time was between flights, hotel food and the booth and all this stuff. I bet I spent between 4,505 grand. Yeah. So it was a very huge investment so far. I would say it has not paid off financially, but that being said, I also am so new to this world that I feel like I needed to take a very crucial step like this to keep going forward and to figure out, okay, this is what I need to do to make money at this. And so since the show, I've just been doing things to keep working towards getting a licensing deal and making money at this. But um, yeah, it was, it was very expensive.

Speaker 2:                    21:59                Right. So yeah. My next question was going to be, um, did you walk away with any licensing deals, which we already sort of touched on? Um, yeah. So you're, you're not doing that yet, but it sounds, I don't know, I follow you on instagram and it looks like you are working on some, you know, client work, some illustration.

Speaker 3:                    22:19                I did. I have one client that came out of nowhere and I think the fact we talked about me going to Surtex and I think that gave me a level of um, the word, um, my credibility. Credibility. Thank you. And so I do think it helped me get some other gigs but not in surface assigned, but yeah, so I have been getting a lot of um, I have been in client work, um, illustration client work, which is really exciting. So um, yeah, no it was, I wouldn't say it was a waste of money, but it definitely, it was a, it was a nice chunk of it

Speaker 2:                    23:02                change. Yeah, it's enough to make you maybe second guess. Are you planning on going back to Texas in 2019?

Speaker 3:                    23:13                No, and I was never planning on going back unless I like knocked it out of the park. I wanted to make my money and like double it before I would commit to going back because since I was a first time showcase or you get like an intro discount and you get a really small booth which is awesome because I mean the bigger the booth more expensive it is not only in terms of like it jumps I think from 3000, I think it was 3000 for the intro booth and it jumps up to $5,000 for one of those big boost. So not only did you have the $5,000 but then the banners and stuff to fill this space is more. And so I was never, like, it wouldn't have, I would have to make so much money to commit to going to Surtex 2019 because I wouldn't be a first time show buyer or show her.

Speaker 2:                    24:10                Would you have gotten the same amount of space or would you have like you're required to be bumped up to that next? The bigger booth.

Speaker 3:                    24:17                I mean they might've changed it because I think they changed a lot for the 2017 show. But yeah, you just had to go up to the next size. Like you couldn't get that intro space again and get like someone like me that's just because those spaces are really for like the agents who have like multiple artists. So it's really easy to fill. I mean because the blues are like the size of a room. They're huge. So it's like little old me in this like, you know, I just, I couldn't justify that yet. So yeah, I never had plans to go back as bad as that is. I like, yeah, I made like a ton of money but I didn't. So I was like, well,

Speaker 2:                    25:00                yeah, I mean, I don't know, it makes me wonder, you know, like how many times would you have to go before I did start to pay for itself? Um, because I read some blog posts by some other artists who felt like they had gotten enough gigs out of it to justify the cost. But I mean at the same time, I don't know, like I have to wonder, I don't know, like you're still like, yeah, you're maybe justifying the cost, but do you really want to give that portion of your earnings to a show like that? And would you maybe still be okay without the show? Like do you really need this show? Are People gonna forget about you. Do you have those relationships with buyers where they're still gonna come back to you year after year, um, for work or maybe is it that you go every other year or something like that? Um, I don't know. Like what was the general feeling that you got from other designers at the show?

Speaker 3:                    25:56                So that was really interesting because the general vibe, everyone was like super pumped. I'm hearing from people who had gone to the show multiple times that like there was no one there, like it was really slow show your buyers know, buyers. I think the show itself have how many designers were. There was so much smaller than in past years. And um, I heard from a couple people that were also went to the blueprint show. Have you heard of that?

Speaker 2:                    26:27                I heard about it from you. You had mentioned it to me before.

Speaker 3:                    26:30                Blueprint was taken at the time I last year. Blueprint took place. Like it kind of overlapped with Surtex like a day or two. So it was like Blueprint's show and then right into Surtex show and there was a ton of people that showed at blueprint and Surtex and they were talking about how much better blueprint was in terms of how many buyers were there. The atmosphere was different. So I signed up for blueprint show coming in May, you did a third of the cost and everyone was talking about how much better of a show it was. So it was like, well I hate to totally give up on shows yet, but I, you know, so I wanted to try this show before I, you know, make a final decision on

Speaker 2:                    27:16                these

Speaker 2:                    27:18                surface design shows. Yeah, that's really interesting to hear that. It's a third of the cost. So do you feel like Surtex is, um, I dunno, I mean, do you feel like they need to come down in price? Do you feel like the price is justified? Do you feel like they just need different tiers or different options because it's like can't get the artists to the shows and the buyers aren't going to come because what's the point? The buyers aren't going to spend a week or three days or whatever it is if they don't have a good selection of artists to choose from. Like their job is to buy the best artwork possible. Right. So it's just kind of a ripple effect.

Speaker 3:                    27:55                Well, once I got there, you know, and hearing all the thoughts and people talking about shows in general, it's like people go to instagram to find new artists now and they go to flower to find new artists. So it's like these companies aren't paying to send buyers out when they can just have their buyers scroll through their phones and so that totally makes sense. I still think there is something about meeting the artists and seeing their work. Um, so I think there's still a place for them, but I wouldn't be surprised if in like 10 years there isn't any of these trade shows.

Speaker 2:                    28:34                That's interesting. I've heard people say that before, um, just even in the rug industry, which you would think with their rug, you would need to touch it and feel it more so than maybe with a pattern because the pattern can go on anything. But that's interesting. Yeah, it is nice to have kind of a meeting place for, um, yeah, like you said, like for the buyer to actually meet the artist and cultivate that relationship. But at the same time, at the end of the day, like there's a little bit of personal in it, but for the most part it's business and they're just going to want the best artwork.

Speaker 3:                    29:06                Exactly. And what I learned from, you know, like the big fabric companies like Birch and um, cloud nine they want. This is just like some things I've heard from the show, so this isn't like factor or anything but that I heard that they want to see that you have a following before they sign you to a big fabric deal. Oh, that's interesting. That totally blew my on instagram specifically. Grant, they want you, they wanted, you know, to. I don't, I don't even know what the magic number is. But before, yeah, they want to make sure you have so many followers, you know, because then they know it's safer, you know, because they're like, oh, they have fans already. So these fans. Yeah. So that really was eye opening and it was like, man, I really need to focus on instagram.

Speaker 2:                    29:56                No, I'm fine. I mean, this is kind of a tangent, but I find instagram to be so difficult to, um, I guess to gain a true audience on because there's so many people using bots and like on follows and follows and like even when people comment, it's like, you know, I love instagram for the visual aspect of it. Like I'm being an artist. Like I mean I really do love it and I love stories. I love using it, but I don't know, like I went in terms of growth they say to like focus on one platform and I really liked the SEO qualities that pinterest and youtube have because people can search and then the content that you made is evergreen, you know, like as long as you have the key words in there, like it can be found over and over again. Whereas instagram, it's only really relevant for like a day. Um, and he just is so much work. How do people do it? I don't know.

Speaker 3:                    30:50                I talked to one woman, her name was Erin and she was, I'm writing an article so we had like a nice little talk about this and she was talking about how like not only do they want like instagram followers, but they want to see how many likes. So because like anyone can, like I could go by in theory a million instagram followers, I'm posting something and there's two likes that's like, oh, there's something off here. And it was just like so many things that I just never thought about like that. And then leaving the show I was like, Oh wow, you know, so. But it gave me a good thing to focus on like you said, because it is hard to like which platform do you focus on? But

Speaker 2:                    31:30                yeah, I mean I definitely think instagram is a good one to focus on because it seems like that's what buyers are going to be looking at more so than like they're not going to go to your pinterest and say like, oh, how many people are following her on pinterest? Like maybe they should. Because once you actually look like there are some people that have hundreds of thousands of followers on Pinterest, but it's just not as popular, especially on your phone. Um, as instagram is,

Speaker 3:                    31:53                it's so funny because I feel like I use pinterest as a tool for myself and like forget that it is another, like it is another media platform like that.

Speaker 2:                    32:02                Yeah. Well, if you're trying to drive traffic to your website, it's really good too. That's what I've kind of found with it is that it's slow, but it's very steady growth. So I feel like when I first got serious about my pinterest strategy, I had about like 300 followers. It was just like my friends from when I first signed up for it, like back in South Carolina when I still lived there and we first met. Um, I mean, yeah, that cod, that was like 10 years ago. I don't know, I'm so old, but um, yeah. But then I started to implement like a more serious pinterest strategy and now I have over a thousand followers on pinterest and it's driving traffic to my website which should lead to sales. You know, so

Speaker 3:                    32:49                okay.

Speaker 2:                    32:50                You know, but if, if a bigger buyer seeing your stuff on instagram and you get a licensing deal that way, I mean you can go about it obviously multiple ways

Speaker 3:                    32:58                but can't hurt to have. Especially because pinches, I feel like it's like you can link instagram to pinterest so you can close on instagram posts on pinterest. Same time completely given up on facebook though. I will say, yeah, well the business, I was like no things.

Speaker 2:                    33:15                No, they suck with their algorithm. I think that's what scares me too is that they own instagram. So that's a little scary for me. I'm like, what if they do the same shit? They did the facebook and businesses spent so much time trying to get people to like their business page and I mean facebook owns it and they just took away the. Took it away with the algorithm. It didn't even show up in people's feed. Even if they liked your business page.

Speaker 3:                    33:40                I found that and I get annoyed just with like your friends and like you know, so because they did that a couple months ago with instagram where they changed it where it wasn't in chronological anymore. It was like based on what they thought you wanted to see. Yeah. So frustrating. Like I'll make that decision as a woman. Like I will make choices of who I want to follow.

Speaker 2:                    34:06                No, it's, it's messed up. I don't really don't like it. You should at least be able to toggle, you know, whether you want to see things and like recent in like chronological order or if you would rather see it based on their algorithm. Like you should be able to choose I think.

Speaker 3:                    34:19                Yes.

Speaker 2:                    34:23                Yeah. So, sorry for the tangent, but my next question was going to be a, do you think February will be good or bad for Surtex because they, I think they realized that they need to change something. So they've changed it to February, but do you see it as like a good or a bad thing?

Speaker 3:                    34:39                I can't Surtex, or not Surtex, is national stationery show moving to February as well. I don't know about that. See, that's the part I should have researched that because certain texts is in this huge, huge convention center and there's Surtex on one side. National Stationery show was right on the other side, so it's all in one big room. And honestly most of the traffic I got was from national stationery show. They didn't realize I had so many people were like, what do you guys do? Like, what are you selling? And they were like, oh, we're part of the like, what's that, you know. So um, I'm wondering if like they're separating them if that is going to hurt them, but it definitely tells me that something is not going right to make because it's been in may forever. Right. So, um, yeah. So I just googled that. And the national stationery show is February third to sixth in 2019. So maybe that does have something. So is that, is that when Surtex is the beginning of February

Speaker 2:                    35:45                and I know it's in February. Let me see when the exact dates are because that is an interesting point. Did were any of the artists talking about. Yeah, the dates are the fifth or sorry, the third through the fifth. So they are overlapping. So that's good at their key to they're keeping them together. Yeah, I definitely thought that was interesting.

Speaker 3:                    36:12                Um, but I kinda just ignored it because I already knew I wasn't going back. So it was like, well good luck. Hopefully it works out better, but I know there was a, a general vibe in the air of like the artists were not particularly happy

Speaker 2:                    36:27                about February, have less than a year to like make their new collections. Right.

Speaker 3:                    36:33                Just that like people were like, where is everyone? Like what is this like, you know? And so it was, it was interesting for sure. There's a lot of gossip going on. It was kind of like high school but with pattern designers. Oh Gosh. But that's it [inaudible] like I hate to say I had a bad experience because I didn't cause it was so cool to get to like hang out with likeminded people, you know, how many, how many times have you like hung out with like another pattern designer? Like not very often, you know, so

Speaker 2:                    37:09                I will say like my best experience was probably when I studied abroad because I was only with other artists and it was so fun. I loved it and I like grew so much just from being in that environment.

Speaker 3:                    37:20                You really do. So that's why like, you know, because people have, I've had people message me on instagram asking about would you do sir again? And um, you know, I never know what to tell them because it's like, oh, financially did not pay off, but personally and like

Speaker 2:                    37:36                you just point them to this video

Speaker 3:                    37:40                because like typing on the ground, like I hate that. So yeah. Um,

Speaker 2:                    37:47                okay. Well, okay. So the next question which we kind of touched on is if you wanted to approach a career in art licensing without attending shows, how would you do it?

Speaker 3:                    37:57                Social media. And I heard from several people there, spoonflower, which surprise me because there's a lot of, um, I guess I just never thought of using. I'm sorry, my dogs whining at me. I never thought of using spoonflower as a platform. I just always used it for my personal projects or stuff like this. Um, and so that was really eye opening to me, but it totally makes sense that if you're going to do a fabric collection, you'd go to a place like spoonflower to see.

Speaker 2:                    38:31                Right. And I've heard designers also complained that they don't make a lot of sales from spoonflower, but if people are using it in a different way and it's more to get found, that's an interesting point as well. But I correct me if I'm wrong, but when you upload a pattern or designed to spoonflower, they technically own it. Like you can't then go put it on creative market or another platform. Is that right?

Speaker 3:                    38:54                I don't think so. I think you still own the rights to it, but if you put it up for sale, like anyone could print that fabric and do whatever they wanted with it or a paper or, you know, make, make their own stuff from it. So that kind of, you know, it was a little unsettling way because you have no control. Right. Right. But yeah, so there's definitely some flaws with it. But like, I have so many patterns that are just sitting in technique, like I also heard at the show that buyers want patterns that nobody's seen. They want to be the first, they want exclusive rights. So basically it's like you put it on Instagram, it's like you, what can you do with that pattern now? Which is so discouraging because it's also how you get found. So it's like this weird double digits.

Speaker 2:                    39:44                So much work. I like what you did, but now do something just for us and you're like, okay, then I don't know if you're going to like it.

Speaker 3:                    39:52                Exactly. So um, you know, so I've been struggling with that as well because like, yeah, you're trying to build an instagram following but you can't post stuff on instagram because they want exclusive rights. And so a lot of my old patterns and when I say old, I mean they've been out, people have seen them, so they're not exclusive. I had been putting on spoonflower because they're just sitting in my computer. So you know, no one I know for a fact, no one seeing them in my computer. So if I can at least try to get them out, maybe it will lead to more licensing deals. Was my thought process.

Speaker 2:                    40:25                Yeah. That's a really interesting point. So is it kind of stuff that maybe you've used as like a piece of a design back in the day and you're like, well I could actually use this and put it out there and like people can see it or maybe it'll sell on spoonflower. Um, is that kind of your thought process?

Speaker 3:                    40:42                Basically? Like, so these, I waited, I waited until actually, like last week I started putting on still fire. I wanted to see if I got anything from the show for these particular patterns that I showcased. If I didn't hear anything I was going to put him on spoonflower so I hadn't heard anything. Um, so now I'm starting to upload them and sell them on spoonflower just to know, try to build that following. Yeah. Have you tried, um, pattern bank, just out of curiosity? I haven't. I think you told me about that awhile ago and then I think I looked at it and then it was one of those things that I never followed up on.

Speaker 2:                    41:20                Yeah, I mean it, it's hard to, to know which platform to beyond like their spoonflower, which is kind of more for fabric and then there's pattern bank and they both want exclusivity to your work. Not that they own it, but just that you're not selling it on another platform. But it's kind of hard to be like, well, I mean if you're not attracting their customers, I should be able to sell it somewhere else. No,

Speaker 3:                    41:45                I actually wanted to sell my patterns on create like places like creative market though for some reason, like, especially like the vector files would make me so nervous. Like if I think if I designed something with the intent that like, okay, this is a vector file, they can do whatever they want. But um, yeah, I. because I do have small fears of being ripped off even though like I had like no followers, instagram, but it's still a legit, legitimate fear when you put artwork out there that someone's going to rip you off.

Speaker 2:                    42:19                Oh, they definitely. Well, especially like when you do get big and you will. I mean it's gonna happen. Like do you listen to the honest designers podcast? No. Okay. Well it's really great and I'm. Lisa glands is one of the designers and she's huge. She's like made a really nice living on creative market and kind of inspired me, but she's talked about getting ripped off is a huge problem and I think it's just kind of inevitable. I hate to say that, but unless you want to actually get a lawyer and sue people like Orla Kiely did and she almost went bankrupt to doing that by the way. Um, and she got her point across, but like, I don't know if it's really worth it. Like you could spend all that energy creating new designs rather than like being in court

Speaker 3:                    43:06                all the time. A rifle, paper company sued Walmart to Ooh know I need to follow up because that would be a huge. That'd be huge if like she won that for all artists really because it is so, such a prevalent problem in our industry.

Speaker 2:                    43:21                It is, it's a huge problem. Yeah. And sometimes like, I dunno, I'm the first drug company that I worked for, they didn't even have designers for awhile so they would just buy things from vendors overseas. So they were working with Chinese vendors, Turkish vendors, Indian vendors, Egyptian vendors, Belgian vendors, like vendors from all over the world. And so if these guys, the vendors you were looking on pinterest or wherever and getting inspired by some someone like rifle paper, Co, they may totally have knocked them off and the sales guy who is just buying stuff wouldn't even necessarily know that because they're not an artist or designer. So it's, it's a problem everywhere. It's hard to control. It's hard to control. But um, anyway, well, Amanda, do you have any kind of final thoughts on Surtex or any final advice for aspiring surface designers?

Speaker 3:                    44:16                So I'll tell a quick story from Surtex, um, it was kind of slow afternoon and this woman walked in front of my booth and she was looking at my booth and I could tell she was like, you know, like she's not admiring, but she was definitely like intrigued by is the right word. And I kept looking at her. I was, I know this woman wired, I know her from and it was Elizabeth Olsen and I was like, oh my God, when I realized I was like forever, blah, blah blah, and she can't even talk to me for like 10 minutes. And it was amazing and she was like, she told me, she's like, the biggest mistake new designers make is they give up too easy. And like, I don't even really remember all what we talked about, but that has really stuck with me because, um, I could definitely see how it would be like it'd be so easy to quit after my first cert tech show. Like I think get any art licensing deals. So it'd be like, well, I guess I'm not good at making patterns so I'm going to move on. But it did the exact opposite. Um, and so that would be my advice I guess is a.

Speaker 2:                    45:16                I Love that advice. Did you know that um, when I was at genealogy I felt like that because Michael, I don't think it was intentional but he wanted me to just recruit artists instead of like actually work on anything creative. And so I kind of felt like what? Like do I suck, you know? Um, but yeah, I dunno, I got some freelance gigs on the side and that kind of helped boost my confidence. But it is, I mean when you're an artist you're putting your heart and soul out there and it is really easy to get your confidence crushed if you don't have some kind of reassurance. But yeah, I mean you just have to keep going, keep working and you will get better. Like the more you do it, like with anything,

Speaker 3:                    45:54                it's just practice especially like on instagram or you know, if like you post something that you really love and it gets like Ken likes this is how we make money. So like, you know, it sounds superficial but like likes are important because that means like, oh, people would be interested in buying us, people would want this. So it is so easy to like

Speaker 2:                    46:12                get so discouraged. And then you also think, well, I mean on a platform like instagram, you're like, well, did I just posted the wrong time of day? Is that why nobody is. No one's seeing it in the feed or you know what's happening?

Speaker 3:                    46:29                Yeah. So it's been A. Yeah. So don't give up because like you said, like you get better as you go along. You learn things and prove your skills and.

Speaker 2:                    46:41                But Hey guys, I'm definitely leave a comment down below and let us know if you have any further questions about Surtex or about becoming a surface pattern designer. Um, we will definitely try to answer those as best as possible. Um, and definitely subscribe to my channel like this video and click the little bell so that you get notified the next time I come out with a new video, you can find me on my website at LaurenLesley.com. Lesley's with an E-Y. And also look into description for a little Freebie pdf that I have for you guys. Amanda, will you tell everyone where they can find you on instagram and on your website?

Speaker 3:                    47:23                Yes. So I am at Green Hound press on both my instagram and website. So greenhoundpress.com. And My instagram handle is @greenhoundpress. And so awesome your thing.

Speaker 1:                    47:36                And I'm @LaurenLesleyStudio on Instagram. Lesley's with E-Y and um, we're also going to have a podcast version of this video so that if you want to kind of listen along to the next episode, you can subscribe on itunes or spotify and that way you can listen in your car. You don't necessarily have to meet. We also have a facebook group. And thank you guys so much for watching. Amanda, thank you for being here. I really appreciate it. And thanks for sharing your experience. That's my girl. Have you have a good day? Yeah, you too.

 

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Transcript:

Speaker 1: 00:01 Hey, what's up fools?

Speaker 2: 00:03 This is your house. Lauren. Lesley, the design tribe podcast based out of beautiful Atlanta. This is the podcast version of my webinar series. You'll find on my website at Lauren Lesley. Lesley is spelled with an e-y. We'll be discussing all things related to the design side of your online business and interviewing creative entrepreneurs. If you'd like to join my webinar series, you will be able to follow along with awesome slides that I made super Pretty and you'll get to interact with me on live video. I'll also be live streaming to youtube and in the design tribe Facebook group. If you'd rather tune in there to sign up for the live webinars, go to laurenlesley.com/webinar-series or if you'd like to join our Facebook community, check out facebook.com/groups/designtribelaurenlesley. Thanks for connecting with the design tribe. Let's start the conversation.

Speaker 1: 01:07 Okay. Hi everyone. I'm Lauren from Lauren Lesley Studio and today we have special guest, Elizabeth Silver on to talk about 2019 trends for surface pattern designers. So Elizabeth is an amazing surface pattern. Boss. She's a licensed artist and knows all about trends. She does 10 tons of trend research and has a really cool, um, newsletter for you guys that we'll talk about in just a minute. I'm Elizabeth, would you like to kind of introduce yourself and give everyone a little bit of background about who you are and how you got started as a surface pattern designer?

Speaker 3: 01:43 Yeah, definitely. Thanks so much for having me, Lauren. Um, I have, I studied surface pattern design in college actually. And um, when I graduated I was living in New York City and I designed for bedding and then table linens and finally for baby apparel for baby gap. And then I wanted to leave New York City. I'd been there for about nine years. And so, uh, my husband and I moved down to Raleigh, North Carolina and I went into freelance. So I have been freelancing for about six years now. And I, um, have a lot of different types of clients, do a lot of client work, um, for party paper so you can see my work in party city, um, for like wrapping paper and gift bags, a lot of stuff in different, I'm like Tj Maxx and Marshall's and target and kind of all over the place. And I also licensed my artwork, so greeting cards and rugs and also give bags and wrapping kind of stuff, a lot of stationery. Um, and so that is kind of a

Speaker 1: 02:53 me in a nutshell. Awesome. And for those of you who don't know me, I'm Lauren. I have been a senior textile designer for the past 10 years. Um, and I'm really excited because my outdoor rug designs are selling at target this season. So if you're in need of our raw, go check that out. Um, but now, uh, starting as of February 1st this year, 2019, I'm starting as an independent surface pattern designer. So I'm really excited to go to blueprint in New York and meet a bunch of other surface pattern designers. Um, but yeah, so let's get into some of the trends. So first we're going to start talking about, um, Elizabeth Atlanta Gift Market Trend PDF. So if you sign up for her newsletter, you get all sorts of really great trend insights that she puts together and kind of does all of the research ahead of time for you. Um, so to get the free pdf, you can visit her website and sign up for her email list. I'm, the link is here and I'll also link it in the description below. Um, so let me pull up whore, uh, here is her pdf. Okay. And so Elizabeth, um, if you don't mind going ahead and kind of explaining, um, what is important about America's mart gift and home show? I'm, why is that important for surface pattern designers?

Speaker 3: 04:15 Definitely. Thanks so much. Um, yeah, so I went to, uh, in Atlanta, um, they have a two times a year is America's mart gift and home show. And they have like three buildings in downtown Atlanta that have showrooms of gifts, companies, home decor companies, uh, rug companies, um, apparel companies, all kinds of like giftable things stationary. And they have a permanent show rooms down there. And so they have different shows throughout the year. But the gift and home show is a time when they also, people who don't have permanent show rooms can also come down and kind of set up a temporary showroom and they're all showing their wares for people, uh, for buyers who mmm. Who buy for their stores, you know, for their gift stores or their home decor stores or their both teaks all that kind of stuff. So it's a all in one place to, it's basically like going to 150 gift show, uh, gift shops at once. So it's like a perfect, you know, opportunity to see what's going on in the gift world, in the stationary world, in the home decor worlds. So, um, I had gone since 2013 and so I wanted to check it out cause I'd been going to Sirtex every year and this year I decided to skip Sirtex and go to America's mart.

Speaker 1: 05:43 I see. Okay, cool. So for those of, um, for designers who are kind of new at discovering trends or finding trends, how did you, out of, you know, you said this is like going through hundreds and hundreds of gift shops. How do you decide what's a trend

Speaker 3: 05:58 versus something that's not a trend when you were just kind of overwhelmed by seeing so many days for art and gifts patterns, you figure out what is a trend actually quite overwhelming I have to say. Um, and also I would note that like this is the stuff that's like going to be in stores shortly. You know, they're selling their current line, but it was designed probably a year ago at least, you know, six months to a year ago. Um, you know, and then it had to be produced and then it's, you know, the samples are ready and they're hoping people are ordering it and it's going to go into stores. Right? So this isn't necessarily like the cutting edge things that are coming. Right. You know, out of, uh, you know, very trend for a person's brain necessarily. It is stuff that's probably a little bit older, but still it hasn't fully gone into stores and trends kind of do tend to last at least for a couple of seasons are a couple of years.

Speaker 3: 07:00 And one thing I noticed is there is, you know, there was definitely a lot of stuff that we've seen before, stuff that, you know, wasn't brand new. Um, one wrap up or like roundup that I read, uh, you know, kind of hypothesize that the reason for that is that people are, you know, a little bit nervous that, um, you know, they want to see something that has sold already and it is a proven, you know, good bestseller or whatever. And so they're a little bit scared maybe to jump into new things. The wrap up that I was reading was talking about, you know, like for economy reasons, but I don't, you know, I don't know. But there is a lot of stuff that we've seen in before. So like the farmhouse trend with a lot of like home decor stuff with, you know, big script lettering, brush script lettering, um, and sort of like the, uh, like galvanized metal and wood, you know, whether it would, and sort of that, that sort of style was, you know, really prevalent, um, saw a lot of stuff that I'm sure you could recognize like flamingos and llamas and Unicorns and mermaids and all those kind of like a fantastical creatures that we've seen a lot of, you know, in, in the, in the market.

Speaker 3: 08:20 Um, and the big thing that we see at all these places, all these gifts shops are a Christmas trends, right? Christmas is a big, big seller. And so, yeah, you can see, I'm kind of talking about some of the things that we've seen already. Um, Christmas Pharm House was a big thing. And, um, you know, buffalo plaid, I say that green buffalo plaid was a little bit newer, but red buffalo plaid was definitely still in there. And lots of chemicals. Um, some really, you know, things that we've seen in past Christmases, the kind of like vintage red truck with the Christmas tree is still out there. Um, but to find, to figure out what is, you know, a trend, I think that for me it's just kind of what pops out, like, um, you know, as something a little bit newer that I've, that I see, uh, you know, a couple times more than more than just like one little interesting thing.

Speaker 3: 09:19 So he having, you know, studied trends for the past couple of years with my newsletter, it's like, I feel like I've seen it all. So if it's something that kind of like perks my interest and says like, oh, that's kind of weird, or like, oh, I haven't seen that. Like, even if it's just one like animal off to the side, it's like, oh yeah, you don't usually see like, you know, I don't know what animal, but that if I then see it again later in the day and then again, then I'm like, Hey, okay, that could be something. And so I try to highlight trends that are, um, that could, you know, spark something sparks some creativity basically. And that aren't necessarily like everywhere. Um, you know, I'm not going to feature unicorns because everyone has seen a million unicorns and it is still trending, but that's not really what I do.

Speaker 1: 10:10 Right. I think that as a designer, once you sort of get into that process of researching trends, it's almost sort of intuitive. Like something that does, like you said, kind of perk your interest or you are kind of responding to innately then you know, and especially if you start to see it over and over again, you know, they say that in order to buy something you have to see it seven times. And so I think that as, as designers it's like, well, you know, we are sort of picking up on an evolution of thing is too, like one design trend could naturally evolve into something else or it could marry with another trend. Um, I don't know. Like I remember just in rugs, um, the trellis and lattice patterns were so big for a long sort of the two color. And now they're sort of starting to be a little bit dated, but it's like, okay, how, you know, how can we evolve that trend? How can we maybe make it three collar or multicolor or, um, maybe make it a little bit more global, you know, there's different things you can do to a trend once it starting to kind of get some age on it, I guess, um, to make it evolve and grow the I agree. Okay. Okay. So,

Speaker 3: 11:27 so this first page, um, just for fun was kind of things that I couldn't make a full like trend board out of, but I just kind of want to call it out because again, I kind of pricking my eye and I thought they were sort of interesting. So, um, last year for 2018, um, I did a trend guide of a roundup of SIRTEX and a national stationery show and one of my trends was called anatomy class and it was sort of about a female anatomy, uh, you know, like naked ladies boobs. Like, literally, there were cards out there with like, you know, like the whole, like female anatomy, like, like a real, like ovaries and stuff like that. So, um, so that is, you know, has been trending. The female form has definitely been trending, but, uh, this little, um, this first image with the like really, really happy jumping around naked ladies just made me smile.

Speaker 3: 12:22 And so I just wanted to kind of call it out because it's sort of, you know, it reminded me that that trend is still going and they just seem like they're loving life so much that I was happy about it. Then the second one is I had also recently in my newsletter sent out a, a trend about floral crowns on animals being so huge in illustration and greeting cards and things like that. And one interesting thing that I saw, um, it was a green box, uh, which also like it's kind of owns oopsy daisy and they do wall art, right? And so one of their artists, actually a couple of their artists, um, had, you know, floral crowns was still big with the animals, but one sort of like evolution of that, again as talking about how to make it something newer and different and kind of bring it forward was I'm having sort of dessert and food items as crowns on animals.

Speaker 3: 13:15 So I thought that was interesting. Take. And then the last thing that I showed there, it and that I saw a couple call outs of at the gift show, but couldn't really find enough reference to say it was a trend was the sort of the idea of pills and pharmaceuticals as like a little bit of a joke or just like something, something kind of interesting. So that card says hope they give you the good drugs and get well card by Lionheart prints. Oh, cute. Cool. Okay. So my first trend that I, um, wanted to call out as called plant ponds. And um, as I say here, uh, food ponds have been around for a while. We've seen, you know, Tacos and Sushi and pizza and give me a pizza, my heart and that kind of thing. Um, but I saw a big, uh, you know, a big showing of plant ponds because house plants have been a really big trend.

Speaker 3: 14:13 Um, and now that's sort of evolving. So now we're getting sort of the two things together. The food ponds or the ponds I should say. And the house plants are coming together and these planters and different products have all these kind of, you can see, oh yeah. And here to make fronds and just like all these kind of like silly little ponds on plant life. So that was my first, um, call out. I left Penn. So this is making me really happy, you know. All right. My second one is called masters of Maine and this was a trend that actually I think it started probably in the home decor worlds. Um, and maybe with your rug experience, you've kind of been seeing it around, but I sort of pay more attention to gift and stationary because that's sort of my, um, you know, lane for what I designed.

Speaker 3: 15:06 So I hadn't really noticed it necessarily, um, until it sort of started seeping into what I do. Um, but you know, I guess are ready in home decor is seeing these kind of, um, Ming vases and these, uh, uh, Chanel Zari vases with this, you know, like traditional Chinese look to them. The blue and white, um, has been, you know, those vases have been, you know, a decorative item that you can get for your home for a while. And now sort of it's becoming a surface pattern thing where you could see their feature featured is like, you know, uh, a tray that has those vases and, you know, Napkins and prints were those vases are being drawn out and illustrated and use for, you know, for artwork. And, um, I also liked the kind of the take on it where it's like sculptural pumpkin's up in the top right. Um, where yeah, they use the kind of imagery, but they put it on a pumpkin. And so that's just kind of, you know, something a little bit different. So I thought that was, I noticed a lot of that around, um, markets.

Speaker 3: 16:15 Cool. Yeah, I've definitely seen this in home decor and um, there have been trans in rag with a kind of related to this more bent, a little bit more like Shibori or teak or things like that. The indigo thing is definitely been around and yeah. Shit. Yeah, you're right. I agree. And then the last one is sort of, I think it's, I think it's going to kind of emerge. I sort of hedge my bets when I talk about it and uh, in the uh, intro, but it's been sort of a graphic design trend for a little bit. Um, Paper Cup progress is what I'm calling this. And so it's sort of these paper cut paper sculpture, um, flowers which are really beautiful. And you can buy something like this on Etsy. The very center image is like an Etsy image that you can buy this kind of decor for your wedding or your party or whatever.

Speaker 3: 17:10 Um, and the top, uh, center. And then the top left are both sort of the graphic design, um, versions of it where, you know, it's a, um, poster for one of the gifts companies and the center one was an invitation and that's where the, that kind of imagery was used. But then going around the show, I was seeing a lot of the home decor companies had these sculptural wall are that looks like Paper Cup florals, you know, they were made out of ceramic or resin or whatever, but they kind of looked this 3d paper cut look and then kind of looking it, I saw a couple other references, a wallpaper like that looks like a foe. Um, the bottom left is like a wallpaper that looks like cut paper. And, um, and I, I'm seeing it a lot per like decoration, um, decoration items. So I think that if there's a way, I'm not sure because I mean, I'm an illustrator, I'm not, you know, uh, paper sculptures. But you know, if there's a way to sort of give that cool flat flat turning 3d look to some of your flowers in illustration or whatever, it could be a really cool technique.

Speaker 1: 18:26 Yeah, the dimension there is really interesting. I haven't seen that.

Speaker 3: 18:30 That's cool. So those were my three big trends that I took away. Now I wouldn't necessarily say those were the biggest trends of market because like I said, some of the biggest trends, the farm house look and you know, um, I, I still saw a lot of lamas and that kind of thing. Um, those were, you know, bigger trends, but those are ones that we've seen before. So what my trend book kind of highlights is that, you know, hopefully something that's a little bit new and kind of sparks your creativity and you know, makes you ready to design some new stuff for your clients and for your portfolio.

Speaker 1: 19:05 Did you see any spots? Yup. Yup. Definitely. Still off

Speaker 3: 19:12 Kenny and not quite as many. I think that one might be fading, but, okay.

Speaker 1: 19:16 Well, I don't know. Hopefully, if that's my opinion, it's, I'm going to Costa Rica on Saturday for my honeymoon. So I'm going to get in to see some real slots. Awesome poster. He gives the best. You've never been. So I'm excited. So fun. Okay, so next we're going to get into the trend of the month, um, which if you're a part of Elizabeth's newsletter, then you're going to get this every month from her. So we are in March and she recently released a new trend called sunshine day. So Elizabeth, can you explain this trend and kind of the impact that that has also on surface pattern designers?

Speaker 3: 19:52 Yeah, definitely. So, well, we're all ready for spring, right? I mean this is, it's still, yeah, today here and rainy in Raleigh, North Carolina, but we're ready for spring and I had been seeing a lot of sunshine lately. I've, uh, in on gift products. So you can see from this board, there's a whole array of like rugs, reading cards, mugs, wall are all kinds of things here. And there are all kinds of sporting that, um, bright sunshine. Uh, look with the rays coming out of it. A lot of wordplay and puns. I'm not on here, but I on this board, but there was one that I saw the girls just want to have sun, which I love. And um, I think it also goes back to uh, we'll be talking, you can see there's some, you know, orange and pink and like it's got that living coral vibe and the top, but also mustard yellow is so huge. So it's kind of perfect. Um, that this, this ties right into that too.

Speaker 4: 20:51 Cool.

Speaker 1: 20:53 All right. So, um, also, and those of us newsletter, she mentioned that apartment therapy has just released a pattern of the year, which they've never done before. So I was really intrigued by this and had to look at APP. So I'm going to actually pull up there web

Speaker 4: 21:11 Paige.

Speaker 1: 21:13 Um, we can start on that for just a minute. Um, because I was really intrigued by this and good job for Elizabeth for finding it.

Speaker 3: 21:23 Cool. It's, I'm happy because, you know, we've, of course we've been hearing color of the year for a long time, but as they explained in this article, they were just, you know, they're like, all right, enough with his color of the year, we're ready for the year. And I'm like, as a surface pattern, I'm totally for it. So, um, they kind of described, I mean definitely a link to the article, you know, hopefully, but check it out because they talk about their process of kind of narrowing it down and some of the other contenders, which were, uh, I think did, they said blush botanicals was a big one that they thought about. Um, and trying to remember what other things, but basically the pattern that they named was, uh, animals, but not the animal prints that we think of in a traditional way, but the full animals. So leopards, zebras and a Cheetah's kind of, you know, walking around.

Speaker 3: 22:15 And I've definitely, I agree with this. I have seen this for the past year or two at featured, a couple of these, um, in my newsletter. In fact. Uh, so I, I definitely agree that this is, this is up and coming. I've seen it as wallpaper, it looks to me and saying, and um, when I was at America's mart, I didn't necessarily see that many cats kind of like walking around necessarily, but there were still a lot of like animal prints more than I was really expecting for the gift world. So I was kind of seeing, um, you know, a part of that, a version of that.

Speaker 1: 22:52 Yeah. I'm really loving this and I've been seeing a lot of, um, like big cats as well. Like whether it's like tigers or leopards or 100%. Yeah, I've seen this a lot. So it's really interesting that apartment therapy called this out, especially because they have such a big focus on home decor. Um, I dunno, like coming from a rug that, and obviously we, you probably wouldn't put this on her drug. Um, I dunno, you know,

Speaker 3: 23:17 crazy. It is crazy, but it's also not, you know, I don't know how scalable it would take a minute for like, you know, everything takes a while to kind of seep into like what people are going to put. Like a rug is a big investment. Right.

Speaker 1: 23:31 Right. Could probably pull it off. But other than that,

Speaker 3: 23:35 yeah. But it's not going to be, you know, definitely your trellises or you're kind of more safe option, but right. Some of those more trend forward places might start featuring this and you know, as it, if it has legs, we'll have to find out, you know, we won't know until next year or the year after that if it's still kind of around. But it, I could see it seeping into, you know, some rug fashion.

Speaker 1: 23:57 Hmm. Okay. So yeah. Apartment therapy saying, but it's a big maximalist but we're seeing a shift away from the stark minimalism, which, I mean, that kind of resonates with me as well because I have a little bit of a hoarder too. I think every artist is with all their supplies and whatnot. Um, but yeah, I love maximalism. I love kind of that Boho global feeling. So, um, but yeah, they're saying that, you know, even in pattern and I'm like surface design that it is a bit maximalist and [inaudible]. MMM. I think also the idea of kind of layering patterns together, coordinating patterns together in the home is going to kind of be a big trend coming forward to definitely. MMM. Yeah. So here is this, um, other big cat on like the bathroom wallpaper. It was really cool. Um, and I'm sure we'll see it in like throw pillows, like that'll be kind of an easy way for people to incorporate this trend. Oh yeah, definitely. Um, but yeah, they kind of just talk about like, you know, why a pattern of the year, like you said, we've always heard about the color of the year. Um, and I will link this article in the description below so you guys can check it out on your own. But

Speaker 3: 25:11 yeah. And it has some good, uh, when you read it as some like suggestions of kind of like I said, what they were there other contenders were. So those are other kinds of big things that are happening. Um, so yeah, little hint as to what's going on in the home decor world and also, you know, it translates to gift and stationary and, and kind of everywhere.

Speaker 1: 25:33 Yeah, definitely makes sense. Then gift in stationary for sure. Um, but I love seeing it. I love seeing home decor, get more creative like this too. So it's fun. Definitely. All right. Um, okay, so, um, I'm going to touch a little bit on living coral because it is the pillar of the year and we just talked about the pattern of the year from environment therapy. So I couldn't leave out living coral and I do have a nother youtube video, the owl, um, I'll put the slide up for you guys. Um, so this is also in my youtube channel if you want to watch the full video, but I'm just going to give like a really quick summary over living coral. MMM. So living coral kind of embodies our need for a playful expression. I see it as a very happy color. Um, it's very bright and fun.

Speaker 1: 26:24 Um, and representing the fusion of modern life. Pantone and coral is a nurturing color that appears in our natural surroundings. So when I first heard this, I thought, what natural, like, you know, when I think of nature, I think of Greens and kind of Browns, but maybe that's just because of where I live, but then when I started to think about it, yeah. Was kind of like, oh yeah, like I guess coral really does exist in the sea, but I'm not in the seat all the time, or it's in a sunset and things like that. So, um, Elizabeth, do you agree with this? Who would you think of coral as being like a natural color?

Speaker 3: 26:57 Uh, yeah, I think I'm on the same page as you. Yeah. I wouldn't necessarily think that it's, to me, it's sort of like that pop of color, you know, w um, a little bit different than what I, what I normally see in my actual surroundings, but I guess depending on, yeah. You know, sort of in the Caribbean or wherever, they have a lot brighter colors, um, around them. So it sort of depends, I guess.

Speaker 1: 27:22 Yeah. I mean, I definitely see it, like you said, Caribbean. I see it as a happy, like beachy color and it, I, it even reminds me of weddings, like I feel like bridesmaids dresses and things like that, but I just don't usually associate this well or with nature. But again, yeah, I mean it could be, um, a flower, you know, color for flowers, things like that. But I just generally, I think of like more neutral stones and,

Speaker 3: 27:45 um, I think we just need to leave the east coast and moved to Hawaii and then we would be living the living coral lifestyle that we all dream for.

Speaker 1: 27:57 Ah, I like that idea. Let's do it. But yeah, this is kind of how I traditionally see coral being used. Um, just like in, you know, kind of beachy weddings or as prom dresses, things like that. But, um, when I started to do, so I'm trying to research, I did see how living coral was starting to influence home decor, which was really cool to see. So again, this is kind of how I traditionally imagined coral being used in the home, if at all. Um, and again, I am on the east coast, so I kind of saw it as, uh, you know, in southern coastal homes, kind of a little bit of a preppy vibe. But, um, as I was doing my trend research, I was beginning to see it being used in these like fresh, modern ways that still looks like very sunny in tearful, but kind of gives a thorough back with a mid century modern looks or just kind of like the modern art on, which I thought was really fun and new.

Speaker 1: 28:49 It felt very fresh. Ooh. And then also seeing it as kind of this smart and fluid evolution from millennial pink, which has been so big over the last, you know, two to three years. Um, it makes it a very commercial choice as well, which we don't always see pantone making a commercial choice, but you can see it even in, you know, this rug or a pillow or dishes. Um, it's just, it seems like it's a very kind of easy color to incorporate with colors that people and consumers have already been buying over the last couple of years. Definitely. Um, it also looks great and an outdoor patio space. If you're, you know, not this bold inside, then your patio is a perfect place to kind of bring some personality and some pop in it. It's, I'm going really well

Speaker 4: 29:42 with soft textiles. I like drapery as well. That gives your indoors a little bit of a pop if you're, um, feeling a little bit bold and want that bright coral color inside, uh, in the navy and indigo blues can a pair really well with the coral as do teals. Okay.

Speaker 1: 29:59 And also I was noticing some exterior uses, um, bringing some vibrancy and some personality to the outside of that home. And again, it kind of depends on, I think where you live, where this would be suitable. But, um, even if you just painted your door a fun pop color. Yeah, that can be great. Yeah, that can be really fun. Okay, so to watch the full video, I'm going to leave or I'm linking this other video here so you can just click on that to watch the full video of living coral. Okay. So next I wanted to let you guys know about my trend guide for 2019 so I did a ton of trend research and I'll let you know kind of what I was finding in terms of colors and then we'll touch on a few other things. So this is my ultimate 2019 trend guide that I'm giving away for free. So you can download the pdf and I will link that in the description below, so be sure to check that out. Okay. So some of the color trends I've been finding for 2019 include this blush and forest green combination. And like I mentioned earlier, millennial pink has kind of been out and about for quite a while now, but we're kind of seeing these muted tones coming into the blushes and seeing it kind of contrasts really nicely with [inaudible] this, sorry. Um, is really beautiful. So that's in one color combinations.

Speaker 3: 31:30 Sorry, I love this combination. This is, this is kind of, yeah, like a new look. Um, that I think is really pretty. I think, um, what I was seeing a lot of last year as the stationary show was um, sort of millennial pink and like cobalt and this is just kind of pushing it a little bit farther towards the, you know, obviously towards the green and then the pink is a little bit deeper and it's kind of again, like a nice evolution but really a unexpected.

Speaker 1: 31:59 Right. And um, what was it two years ago that pantone is called the green? Um, it wasn't this crane but it was a green. So I think it kind of got everyone thinking about Greens a little bit more seriously because we didn't see, especially in home decor, we didn't see a lot of Greens. But also the house plant trend I think has kind of influenced us to think about yeah.

Speaker 3: 32:18 And tropical, all that tropical patterning that we've been seeing for years.

Speaker 1: 32:23 Yeah. So shades of green I think are definitely going to be here for a little while.

Speaker 1: 32:29 Okay. So the next slide is hello yellow. So I'm a, I'm a lover of yellow anyway, but I was really excited to kind of see some different of yellow coming out, whether in clothing they, we have sort of some muted like butters and mustard colors, but also even in these hair trends you're seeing this like really, really bright fluorescent yellow almost, which was really fun. Yeah. So iridescent Schein is the next color trends. So this isn't exactly one color, but you're kind of this mother of Pearl. Look, we're seeing everywhere whether it's in these hair trends or um, and clothing or indifferent like kind of home decor accents. Um,

Speaker 3: 33:14 it's really a hundred percent. And in the gifts in the gift market and stationary market, hologram foil is so huge like that. A couple of years ago that was like the new thing and it's still holding on like the metallics of like gold and silver and copper are still big, but the Hologram foil and that you a destined look is, is big in those markets.

Speaker 1: 33:34 Oh, so fun. I love it. I feel like I've even seen it and I'm a silverware.

Speaker 3: 33:40 Oh yeah, definitely. Yeah. I had a trend like this a couple of like a last year called oil slick and it was sort of the like rainbow effect on and the same thing. I had some silverware featured as well. Those sort of like a deeper version of this. But I'm similar.

Speaker 1: 33:54 Yeah. Cool. I'm really pretty. Okay. So the next color trend is lavender loves. So again, I think that millennial pink has been so big for the last two to three years and this is sort of another evolution of the millennial pink. It's kind of the softer lavender's, um, and kind of soft purples. And again, last year was ultra violet for the 2018 color of the year. Now, this isn't ultra violet, but I do think it is a spin off of that to get people thinking again about purples. What purples are people excited about? What do they want to see on their clothes or their shoes or in home decor or in you know, stationery and gift. Um, so I think that these colors are a little bit softer and they're kind of easier to use. So here is millennial pink that we have been talking about that a lot and I don't think it's going anywhere quite yet. Again, we are kind of seeing these evolutions and kind of be spinoffs of millennial pink, but I think these colors also kind of playback and work well with millennial pink and I don't really think it's going away yet. Like I think that pink is still big, big, big. Yup.

Speaker 3: 35:06 Agreed. And like now a hot pink is coming into, into play. I think after like award season, right. There was so many dresses out there. I don't really follow fashion too much and you have a lot of like fashion inspiration and home decor inspiration. Whereas my trend boards tend to be really like gift and stationary and a little bit of home decor. So that's kind of like my, my perspective on it. But I, um, from award season, I know that all the like dresses where this like hot pink Fuchsia. So that's, you know, another thing kind of mix in there.

Speaker 1: 35:38 Cool. Yeah, I love seeing all the different shades of pink and I love the bright colors too. This is a little bit more soft and muted, but um, yeah, I think especially in home decor, we were seeing sort of the blushes come through a lot. But I'm hot pink. I love, so that's exciting. Okay. So pastel perfection. So I feel like pastels have been out for a few years. It's not like the most new thing, but I do think that some of these color combinations in the pastels are a little bit new and different. Um, so I was really loving just the softness of this and love seeing it. Also on kind of more winter items like this winter coat for example, or more long sleeve thinking. The pastels. Traditionally we, I guess we think of pastels as being associated with Easter time or spring. But yeah, seeing these pastels being applied and like totally different ways as exciting.

Speaker 1: 36:37 So peach perfect is the next color trend. And I think that this is sort of related back to live in coral. It is a lot softer and more pastel. Again, I'm going to say it again, but I think it is related kind of to another evolution of the millennial pink seeing kind of what plays with that or how it could shift and change a little bit. But I think these soft peachy colors are just on point and I really love it. They play nicely with a lot of other colors. Okay. So the pink, green and gold is just another sort of color combination I was seeing over and over again. Yeah.

Speaker 1: 37:18 And the, I called this royal blue sign because I felt like the cobalt blues, the Royal Blues, we're mixing really nicely and having that amazing contrast with these really bright sunshine colors, these yellow colors. And I feel like, yeah, we're seeing it in all different ways, whether it's in fashion or in an artwork or um, in these bottles or stoneware, whatever's at the bottom left. I can't remember exactly what that, what product that was. But yeah, I feel like we were just seeing it all over. It looks gorgeous. Yeah. Okay. And soft sage. I feel like what we were just talking about earlier with all the Greens, the house plant trends, um, the tropical trend and greenery being the 2017 pantone color of the year, it's just really gotten people thinking about Greens in a different way and really paying attention to Greens more. Um, so I was noticing this kind of soft sage trend come up all over the place, whether it's in house, how paints or sofas and home decor or fashion.

Speaker 1: 38:25 Um, and just again with these, um, succulents, they kind of have that exact same color. So I agree. I have heard that stages is trending as well. And I feel like I haven't seen it as much in my work, but it's probably just a matter of time cause it's probably starting in fashion and home decor and that it's going to kind of filter in. Gotcha. Yeah, I think it feels really fresh. So I love it. But yeah. Okay. And so the next one is called spice turmeric earth. And I think this is just sort of a new, a new neutral if you will. I think that gray is starting to finally kind of make its way out and we're turning towards these really hot neutrals. Um, I don't really see the chocolates coming back in yet, but I think that's kind of where we're headed. But I think first it's going to be more of these kind of like spicy colors, um, that you would see in your kitchen. Um, but it is coming into fashion. I think first most of these images are fashion images. We kind of tried to play with this in home decor. I don't think they were quite ready yet because everyone's at this point bought a gray sofa. So it's not going to matter.

Speaker 1: 39:39 But I do think this is where it's heading and you know, it's a great color for like leather furniture, things like that. So I think we are going to see it coming up more and more over the next few years. Okay. So you got all of my color trends, but I wanted to go over some of the other trends that I've included in my free trend guide. So I've included illustration trends that are not going to share with you. You'll have to go download the pdf in the description below to get these trends. But I am also included a section on print and pattern trends and surface design trends and textile design trends. So definitely go check that out. Yeah, a lot of great stuff in there. Thank you. So this is my website. If you want to get my free trend guide 'em you can either go into the description or you can go to my website@lauraandleslie.com slash friend.

Speaker 1: 40:35 Um, and you can download it there. Definitely share a comment or share any ideas. If you see some trends coming up in 2019 that we didn't mention, let us know in the comments below. We would really love to hear from you. If you have any questions, just let us know. Yeah, definitely. All right, so your assignment for today is to go ahead and research trends in your niche, so whether you are more in the gift and stationary like Elizabeth or if you're in home decor or fashion, whatever it is, start researching some of the trends in your niche and create a one page trend board for a new trend that you discovered because there's no way that we can possibly see every single trend that's coming out this year. These are just ones that we've noticed and we've shared with you. So create a one page trend board and upload it to the design tribe Facebook group and share it with other designers.

Speaker 1: 41:32 That way we can all mutually benefit from each other's research and save time. So to join the Facebook group, go to the design tribe, Lauren Lesley, you can see the link below on this slide and you'll have to answer a few questions and just make sure that you are actually a designer, um, and is a private group, but we would love to have you, so please go over there and join. Um, and if you liked this video, uh, to get notified, please hit the little bell, subscribe to my channel, give this video a thumbs up. We'd really appreciate it. And in the future if you want to listen in the car as you're driving or whatnot, um, we do have a podcast version and I'm putting all the audio on the podcast of these conversations. So go ahead and subscribe to the design tribe podcast. You can listen on iTunes and Spotify. Um, I'm at Lauren Lesley studio on Instagram and Elizabeth, do you want to give your Instagram?

Speaker 3: 42:33 Yeah, definitely. I'm at east silver design and um, yeah, you can subscribe to my newsletter@elizabethsilver.com uh, slash fresh. Um, Yup, there we go. East silver design and Elizabethsillver.com/brush um, has, uh, where you can subscribe and the 15th of every month a new trend board and all kinds of resources for designers, for illustrators and you know, creative freelancers basically. So would love to have you.

Speaker 1: 43:04 All right. Well Elizabeth, thank you so much for coming on and really enjoy talking to you about all the trends we're seeing in 2019 thank you so much. Lauren.

Speaker 2: 43:15 Thank you so much for listening to the design tribe podcast. I hope you enjoyed the conversation today. Here comes the part where I need to ask you for a favor, help a sister out. Next time you're in iTunes,

Speaker 3: 43:29 please, please leave a rating and a review.

Speaker 1: 43:33 Please.

Speaker 3: 43:34 It only takes a few seconds and it would quite literally you make my day for real. It helps us podcast get found so that other awesome people like you can join the dialogue and connect with each other. As

Speaker 2: 43:47 a reminder, we go live on the Webinar version of this podcast. Uh, so to get notifications, head over to Laurenlesley.com/webinar-series or check out the Facebook group where we will be streaming on Facebook live as well. Have a wonderful rest of your day. Talk soon.

 

WHAT DOES A TEXTILE DESIGNER DO?

Now, you may be wondering, “What does a Textile Designer actually do?” and if you’re curious about the job responsibilities and the day-to-day of a Textile Designer you should check out my other video here, What Does a Textile Designer Do?

Otherwise, to explain a Textile Designer’s job briefly, a Textile Designer basically creates the designs and patterns seen on soft products like fabric or apparel and is often times also responsible for the product development end of things as well which involves the construction of the actual product.

1 | FABRIC DESIGNER

So not surprisingly, the most common understanding of a Textile Designer is a Fabric Designer.

Fabric Designers will create commercially appealing fabrics for the textile interiors market including office, residential, hospitality, and healthcare segments. They are generally responsible for researching trends, understanding the industry needs, and coming up with original ideas for fabrics.

Fabric Designers should be able to develop their designs from the concept phase all the way to the product launch. They should be able analyze their samples and prototypes in a smart way, and receive feedback openly.

Fabric Designers generally report to a Design Manager, Art Director, or Creative Director. Some companies that Fabric Designers could work for include companies like Milliken, Robert Kaufman Fabrics, or Kravet Fabrics.

These are U.S. based companies so my apologies for my overseas viewers - I’m mostly familiar with U.S. companies.

 

2 | SOFT FLOORING

The next category I called “Soft Flooring” because it encompasses designing different textiles that go on the floor.

For those of you who know me, you know I was a Rug Designer for 7 years working for a manufacturer in Atlanta, GA and I absolutely love rugs! If you are new here, make sure to hit that subscribe button and click the bell to get notified every time I come out with a new video.

So, in the “Soft Flooring” category, you could be a Rug Designer, you could design Wall-To-Wall carpet, or you could design things like Bath Mats or Door Mats.

Your responsibilities would include trend research, creating a color palette, sometimes working with private label clients or licensors, and developing new projects to show at market at least twice a year, sometimes up to 4 times a year.

 

3 | BEDDING DESIGNER

Bedding Designers often work with private label clients and develop trend strategies that support the specific brand. They are responsible for the design, development, selection and approval of materials, trims, silhouettes, colors and patterns.

Bedding designers usually report to a Design Director or VP of Design or Product Development and help execute a strategic vision that is very customer-centric. Bedding Designers also have to think about how to deliver on sales and profit objectives with their projects. In other words, they need a commercial brain when they are designing.

Bedding Designers are often responsible for developing an assortment - which means you not only have to think about the individual designs, but also how all of the products will coordinate as a collection.

Imagine a bed that has sheets, a duvet, maybe a quilt, Standard Shams, Euro Shams, a bed skirt, and perhaps a throw on the end of the bed. All of these items must work beautifully together on 1 bed.

 

4 | SOFT GOODS IN HOME DÉCOR

Other Textile Design jobs involve working on a variety of textile products within a certain industry like Home Décor.

For example, if you worked at a company like Envogue International, based out of New York City, you would design a range of products such as pillows, throws, window curtains, aprons, kitchen + table linens, etc, as per the project requirements.

In this kind of role, the designer should understand how to use programs like Photoshop and Illustrator and should have a basic knowledge of fabric and embroidery techniques.

If you have a serious interest in becoming a Textile Designer, but lack some of these skills - please check out my signature course, Textile Star, where I teach designers how to gain a more creative career in Textile Design.

 

5 | FASHION DESIGNER / APPAREL DESIGNER

#5 is a Fashion Designer or a Textile Designer who designs Apparel.

Take my friend, Alex Duffley, for example! We worked together as rug designers back in Atlanta, but then she moved to New York and became a Fashion Designer for Michael Kors.

Often times, Textile Design Jobs can transcend across different industries.

As a Fashion Designer, you would be expected to work with the Design, Merchandising, and Product Development teams to design compelling and market relevant designs.

Depending on the company’s market and values, your core priorities may be to something like comfort, fit, and or durability. If you work in “Fast Fashion” then your core priority may be to low prices and new key trends.

 

If you work in “Ethical Fashion” your priorities would be to source natural fibers that are biodegradable such as cotton, wool, linen, or silk, or to source recycled PET, and to ensure you manufacture products with companies committed to good labor environments and practices.

You may even work with natural dyes or develop a line that has a more “earthy” or eco-friendly-looking color palette.

 

6 | BABY / KIDSWEAR DESIGNER

#6 is a Baby or Kidswear Designer. There are several niches within the Fashion or Apparel realm and Kidswear is a fun industry to work in!

Textile Designers in Kidswear are expected to create original designs, illustrations, graphics and prints that make sense for children. Sometimes they’ll have to translate textile designs into development that specify product attributes.

They’ll need to understand various kinds of textile design and execution techniques on multiple fabrications, including printing, weaving, and embellishments. They’ll need to collaborate with design and technical teams to ensure high quality in production by identifying, troubleshooting, and resolving textile production issues.

Some popular Kidswear companies in the U.S. include Carter’s, Gymboree, and Mudpie.

 

7 | ATHLETIC WEAR DESIGNER

As a Textile Designer for Athletic Wear, you’ll need to think in terms of performance, durability, and lifestyle. In other words, you’ll always need to keep in mind the high energy activities that people will be doing while wearing the apparel.

Does the apparel need to retain or resist moisture?

Does it need to be absorbent or allow a good amount of air permeability?

Should the apparel be loose or tight?

As a general rule, the apparel should be comfortable and not rub the skin during vigorous exercise.

The designer will responsible for researching seasonal trends in activity, silhouette, color, fabric, trim, etc. The designer would also attend trade shows, meet with vendors, suppliers, and key customer accounts as required.

 

8 | SWIMWEAR DESIGNER

Swimwear designers will research concepts from magazines, runways, other retailers, as well as vintage designs!

They will source waterproof fabrics and will approve or revise color lab dips, strikes offs, etc.

Like other Textile Designers, they will present concept boards for the Swimwear Line, will work on garment construction, and will sample ideas with overseas factories.

 

9 | FREELANCE TEXTILE DESIGNER

Now, all of the Textile Designer roles I just mentioned were described as In-House positions… However, as a Textile Designer you can also work as a Freelancer!

Freelancing can offer a lot of freedom, but it can also be unstable. I DO NOT recommend trying to work as a freelance Textile Designer if you have never worked for a company before. There is so much to learn ON THE JOB and about the business side of things that it really is to your benefit to work for a company first.

 

10 | ART LICENSING FOR TEXTILES Also, Known As SURFACE PATTERN DESIGN

Art Licensing is also a wonderful field to get into as a Textile Designer once you feel ready.

It can also be referred to as Surface Pattern Design, because often times as a licensor you focus more on the 2-D side of things by presenting prints and patterns, but you don’t always have a hand in the product development. For example, you might not see new constructions developed by a supplier or what goes on with new textile techniques, new yarns, etc.

Art Licensing can be difficult to get into, because you get paid in royalties. This means, it could take anywhere from 6 months to 2 years to start earning a full-time income again. Many have broken into the art licensing world by saving 6 months of their salary, leaning on a supportive family member, or freelancing or working a part-time job while breaking into the business.

In art licensing, you can exhibit at trade shows or work with an agent who will represent you at trade shows such as Blueprint or Surtex.

 

 

GET MY FREE TRAINING IN TEXTILE DESIGN Sign Up For My Free Webinar Training Session If You Are Serious About A Career In Textile Design:

http://www.laurenlesley.com/masterclass

 

 

 

VOTE BELOW:

For your assignment, leave me a comment below and VOTE ON which type of Textile Designer or industry you’d like to work in the most!

Fabric Designer

Soft Flooring

Bedding Designer

Soft Goods in Home Décor

Fashion Designer / Apparel

Baby / Kidswear Designer

Athletic Wear Designer

Swimwear Designer

Freelance Textile Designer

Art Licensing

 

Surtex vs Blueprint:  Which Trade Show is Better?  In this episode of the Design Tribe, I interview illustrator and surface pattern design, Lisa Clow, on how the trade shows compared.

She exhibited at both Surtex and Blueprint in 2019 and has great feedback!  She also gets real honest about which trade show she will be returning to in 2020.

 

 

In this episode, we hear from special guest, Tyrone Webb Jr, on the importance of spiritual scripting for your creative online business or design business. 

FREEBIE: Guide to Spiritual Scripting

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Is your freelance design business growing slowly online...or...worse, is it not growing AT ALL?!? Your limiting beliefs surrounding money could be holding you back!

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Tags: You Are a Badass at Making Money by Jen Sincero | Law of Attraction | Book Club Discussion Questions | Book Review of You Are a Badass at Making Money by Jen Sincero 2018 | Design Tribe | Limiting Beliefs About Money | Removing Limiting Beliefs | Lauren Lesley Studio | How to Get Rich Solopreneur

 

TRANSCRIPT:

 

Speaker 2: 00:27 Hey everyone. Welcome to the podcast. This is lauren or Lauren with Lauren Lesley Studio and today we have special guest, Tyrone Webb Jr and I'm super excited to introduce you guys to him. He. I'm Tyrone and I met about two and a half years ago and he introduced me to this practice called spiritual scripting and it basically completely changed my life and it's really encouraging for Solopreneurs and entrepreneurs to have this type of spiritual journaling practice. So Tyrone if you'll go ahead and introduce yourself, I just tell everyone a little bit about your background in how you got into scripting.

Speaker 3: 01:10 Sure. Thank you for having me. Lauren, and my name is tyrone Webb Jr and I've been doing spiritual scripting for about four and a half years now and I got into this because I was searching for something more, something deeper and always knew that I had power in me, but I was always afraid to tap into that power. And one day I went to this church called the spiritual living center of Atlanta and I saw Joyce Reynolds speak and she offered us to go to a class on Tuesday where you can learn about spirit description, which is all around the law of attraction.

Speaker 3: 01:47 And so I'll stop there and I'll give the audience a little bit of my background. I moved here six years ago from New Jersey and I had no friends. I had a little bit of family but not panel that I was close to. And during my time of not scripting and to scripting four and a half years ago in my life has changed tremendously too. Buying a home, having a car. I want the career I went traveling, the financial well, the friends, the family, even giving and being grateful. Even that whole aspect has changed my diet, what I eat, how I see the world, how I view the world. And I can say fast forward to 2018, my life has completely transformed with the mixture of spiritual scripting and taking ownership of my life. And I just have to say it's a beautiful thing.

Speaker 2: 02:38 Yeah. So awesome to hear you say that, and I can say similarly for me like it's really impacted my life and I'm also like in a my career, I would say for sure and just for those of you who may not be as familiar with what scripting is, tyrone, will you tell us what is scripting?

Speaker 3: 02:56 Sure. So scripting is this unique, cool way of, I don't want to say journaling, but it's really owning your life and you write up your life the way you want it, the way you see it, all your desires and everything that you want to manifest. So a great example wouldn't be

Speaker 3: 03:14 if you want to buy a home in Inman Park and you'll free something as divine right action or you can say divine right order divine God, whatever you call your God divine right order. It's taking place in my life right now for me to buy the right and perfect comment. Inman Park. And then from there you have to embellish for what you want. That's going to be the color, the price, how many bedrooms, how many bathrooms. Um, if you want a lawn, if you want to swing, if you want a porch or whatever you want, if you want to satellite TV script down to my neighbors and I even take it so far too when I'm getting on a plane, I had the opportunity to travel for work and for pleasure that a week or two or sometimes three days before I get on the plane, I'm scripting for what I want my plane neighbor to be like and I'm scripting out that entire detail of the conversation. I'm scripting with the flight we'll leave on or before time that I land owner before time that the weather's perfect and it completely changes your entire outlook on life and it allows you to just have control and not have that worry or that anger or that fear, which is what this world really instills to us.

Speaker 2: 04:29 So are you writing in the future tense or how are you writing on your plane ride?

Speaker 3: 04:37 I'm doing everything now. And you don't do anything in future tense because if you do future tense, it's always going to be. I'll eventually get there. So it's like one day I went to buy a house and it's like, okay, well that one day could be in 20, 25. Don't set your intentions out. Two stopped the delay of the universe for what she went now. So everything is now. So I'm buying that house to him in park, now I'm having the right and perfect flight. Now everything is in the now because time and time isn't an illusion. It is an illusion and we get caught up on, oh, I want to have kids by 29, I want to be married by 28 and I would have my first house by 32 and I want to do this by 35. And it's everything's now. And people always say, you can't have it all. I disagree. I think you. I believe you can have it all. It just might not be at the same time because you're going to outgrow things. You're going to outgrow your career and your job. That opens up the door for entrepreneurship. That opens up the door for door for kids and the list goes on. But everything that's in the now

Speaker 2: 05:39 that's really cool. So tell me a little bit about how it works, like how are you taking this idea of what you want in your life and manifesting it, like how that sounds kind of, you know, I'm just going to come from, you know, a place of someone who maybe has never of it, um, or some, maybe some questions I would have asked in the very beginning, but how it sounds kind of like magical or you know, like, like praying or something. How does it, how does it actually come to fruition?

Speaker 3: 06:16 Oh, the age group.

Speaker 3: 06:25 Sorry, say that again. I think we were breaking up a little bit. Do you remember the infomercial? Set it and forget it. I don't. Okay. All right. So it was this guy like back in the early two thousands. He created this device almost like a George foreman grill, but you were able to roast turkeys in there and it was set it and forget it. So you said it, you prepare your food, you throw it in this device, you set it and you forget about it. You set a timer, you don't think about it, you just clicked automatically. Scripting is very similar to that. You write out what you want, the way you want it,

Speaker 3: 06:59 put it out into the universe, out into the atmosphere, and you just watch it manifests and t is not your job to worry about how it's going to happen or when it's going to happen. You just have to believe that it is going to happen and once you change your thoughts, you start to open up your mind to new beginnings and new things that you've never seen before. So a good example would be my first scripting story was I an unexpected income. People were taking me out to eat. People were um, I had to free mileage points from delta. I was able to expense certain things through work. And in my mind I'm thinking, well, that money is going to come in my hand from someone given me gifts, but no going out to eat. That's a free meal. That's unexpected income. Being able to expense things through my job as unexpected income are those costs anymore? Like my cell phone bill, being able to travel and have points that's unexpected income because I'm not paying anything except for $13 in taxes. So once you open up your mind to a new way of thinking, you'll start to see how automatically manifesting which you really want to live. So it's almost like set it and forget it and you just have to believe in you. Have that be

Speaker 2: 08:08 cool. Yeah. I would add onto that that um, the way Joyce describes it and I kind of, um, yeah, that's made a lot of sense to me when she described it this way, but that everything in the universe is energy. Everything is made up of energy. So whether, you know, like you said that time isn't real, it's just sort of something that we all subscribe to you. Um, and you know, the thoughts that you're thinking, the actions of what you're saying with your mouth. All of these things are energy that ended up kind of telling the universe what your reality is or what you, your reality should be or what you want it to be. So if you're constantly putting out negative thoughts or negative, um, you know, you're saying negative things than the universe is like, oh, that must be, you know, what you want or what your life is.

Speaker 2: 08:54 I don't know. I feel like you have to get specific about what you really want, what your goals are. And then, like you said, writing it out, embellishing it. I'm talking about it as if it's already happened and already like it's already real. I'm like, there's the story of Jim Carrey and him doing a lot of visualization where he was literally living out of his car, but he knew deep down that he was talented and that this goal was going to come true of him being a famous actor. And so he wrote himself a check for a million dollars. Um, I can't remember the exact number, but I think, yeah, a million dollars. And he dated it like two years in the future. And at this point he was literally living out of his car and struggling and not getting jobs. And he kept getting rejected over and over and over again.

Speaker 2: 09:46 But he would just sit in his car and imagined himself and seeing himself being this famous person being successful, um, having the career that he really wanted and that he knew deep down was his truth. I think that's part of, you know, related to having the faith is just knowing that deep down like this is my truth. It just hasn't happened yet. Um, and putting those thoughts out into the universe. It's all energy. It's all coming back. It also makes me think of the scientific study that was done that showed that praying for people in the hospital actually had an impact on them becoming better and healing. Like people healed at a faster rate when they were being prayed for rather than people who were not. Um, and the catch or what I think is really interesting, and obviously people are going to have all different beliefs. But what I thought was really interesting was during the study it had, it didn't have any impact on which religion people were subscribing to it. They had people from all different religions praying for people in the hospital and it still had the same results. So to me that's saying like, okay, well you really are putting that energy out there, even if you're just thinking good thoughts for someone that also makes a difference.

Speaker 3: 11:03 Absolutely. And I totally agree with everything you said and I just wanted to add on one thing that Joyce talks about his, I forgot which article it is, a science journal article, but when you're writing and when you're writing about your life in a positive way, you're creating new neurological cells in your brain to help you reprogram how you think. Because anyone who listening or watching this, you are not who your mom, dad and uncle, teacher, pastor, sibling, you're not homeless. People say you are. And it goes back to exactly to what you said about your truth. You know your truth and your truth may not be the same as mine or Lawrence or your parents or your friends or even your neighbors. But you have to know your triggers, know your truth, own your truth

Speaker 2: 11:51 and believe in it. Yeah, I couldn't agree more. That's awesome. So, okay, so the next question is what kind of results have you received from your scripting practice? I know you kind of just talked about your, um, wanting to receive finances from unexpected sources, but is there anything else that you can kind of describe more specifically?

Speaker 3: 12:14 Yeah, I would say the House that I'm living in, I think maybe three years before I bought the house, I scripted exactly what I want it, how many floors, bedrooms, the type of neighborhood, two car garage, town hall. I scripted everything will enable pools and everything and I even scripted that I want in my mortgage to be less than my rent.

Speaker 2: 12:44 Oh cool.

Speaker 3: 12:46 I wanted to detail right because it's you can get the house, but then it's like you don't want to upset, you don't want to forget anything when you script and you want to script out every single detail and it's okay to talk about the finance part because I think a lot of times as people were afraid of that, money can sometimes be a touchy subject. So the more that you just bring it out into the light and be more comfortable with it, the easier it will be free to talk about. But in this home I've got this whole new. It was a short sale way below market value. My mortgage is way below the rent that I was paying when I lived in Brookhaven, Georgia. I have awesome neighbors. I have. I mean I love this house. I had everything that I never want it from this house.

Speaker 3: 13:26 And another scripting opportunity that came to me was starting my own business and learning what I, what I've been doing in incorporating, incorporating that into a business, on helping companies with brand strategy of doing photography and that's more unexpected income that's coming my way. And it's also given me the confidence to become an entrepreneur and to script that out and see what that's gonna look like. If I want to be an author or international speaker, a motivator, I'm going to write that out. I'm going to be speaking in China now and I'm going to be able to motivate people from all around the world and I just watched all of that coming together.

Speaker 2: 14:01 That's so awesome. So do you also practice visualization or is it mainly scripting

Speaker 3: 14:10 or do you say that's kind of an integral part of your scripting practice? Scripting is part of your spiritual regimen and for me, I meditate. I script my vision board, I read, I read a lot of books around Deepak Chopra, even some of the books over. Right. And I also attend the class with joy. So those are my five, I think four or five regimen that I do to keep me in that spiritual practice. So scripting is just part of your prayer, but also with prayer and at this is where meditation comes in because scripting has basically telling the universe what you want and in meditation you're listening to what the universe is telling you. Gotcha. And what you have to make sure you don't want to just tell, tell, tell. Because you also have to listen.

Speaker 2: 15:02 Yeah, I like that, I love that. Okay. So, um, how has scripting impacted the creative side of your business? I know that, um, you know, you have worked in corporate for a while and then you just explained how you've gone out on your own and sort of you're interested in becoming more of an entrepreneur and you have your own business now and you also do photography, which is really cool. Um, so can you explain some of the creative side of what you do and how scripting has impacted that specifically?

Speaker 3: 15:36 Absolutely, and I'll even take you to the creative side of how I even created my website and what I want it to look like. And I wanted it to be me. I didn't want it to be what other photographers are doing or other people are doing rob branch energy. I wanted something unique and if it wasn't for scripting, I don't think I would have had the confidence to do that. I think I would have mirrored what other people are already doing out there. And I've gotten feedback from some people that have that seeing my website and they said, oh well this part seems a little childish, or this part should be like this and this just seemed like this and this is who I am and that's what you believe in that thank you for the feedback, but my mind's made up and I stand strong in my truth and this is what I believe in.

Speaker 3: 16:21 I don't mind telling the world that I have a fear of spiders, you know, as I don't mind people knowing who I am. And I think that's one of the key things scripting does help with and even with the creative side, because then you feel empowered as you start to see how as you manifest smaller things, you start to manifest a bigger things and it just increases your creativity in your mind, in your power. So now when I'm scripting, I'm scripting for fun clients and I'm scripting for clients, I think outside the box because we always tailored towards what's comfortable and why do we do that? So again, what I was saying earlier about the Science Journal article that Joyce talked about, it creates new cells in your mind, your catch like, Hey, I want to be involved. It creates a new cells in your mind to help you just think differently as a team and to think bigger and better and I wouldn't be as creative as I am today or as colorful. Um, actually I would be, but I wouldn't be as proud to show it. And scripting has helped me with that. That's interesting.

Speaker 2: 17:22 So you feel like scripting has given you the confidence as well to like kind of unleash that creative side of you and without apologizing or without feeling like, okay, I have this corporate side of my career but I don't have to necessarily implement everything corporate into my business or the way I speak to my customers.

Speaker 3: 17:42 Exactly. I was terrified of started my website and talking about it at work because I felt like, oh well they're going to let me go. Like, what does this mean? I have a safety net. All different types of negative thoughts went through your mind that before too. Yeah, it's scary and it's when you script and when you know and you believe in your truth and you know that the universe has your back, all bets are off. That's awesome. So we've talked about scripting but just to kind of break down exactly what it is for people. Um, will you kind of go through what are the different pillars of scripting? Like how do you create balance in your scripting practice so that your life isn't, you know, your career doesn't take off, but your relationships are totally falling apart, you know, like you want to keep that balance and the different aspects of your life.

Speaker 3: 18:37 Um, so what are some of the pillars of scripting? And before I get into that, I just want to say because when I start to explain, some people may think, oh, what about work life balance? My belief is there is no work life balance. It's all life. You have to balance everything because it's work life, family, friends, career, technology, TV, relaxation, vacations is everything. And with scripting, the first thing I do is I normally script in the morning. So when I wake up, I think God for waking me up and then I'll do some stretches and do some yoga and then I script and the first thing I scripted, thank you for waking me up. The second thing got script is I set my intention for the day so that truly important. So today we'll be back and then I go into what's happening throughout the day.

Speaker 3: 19:26 So I skipped it for this podcast to go. Well, I'm playing tennis later, asked me and my friend have a great tennis match. So it's scripting about in the beginning being thankful is setting your intention for the day and this is just how I do it. It's there's no right or wrong way. And then I'd go into my pillars. So the six pillars would be spirituality, relationships, career, health and wellness, a fitness and wellness, financial finances that the other one, the fifth one is finance. And then the sixth is being grateful, just giving things and just being grateful. And then sometimes there is. Well there is also a seventh which is fun. So you want to make sure you script funnier life, which is all about that balance, right? Because then we can get so focused on career, career, career, and then we forget about everything else.

Speaker 3: 20:17 And I think for a lot of people to travel comes up, which could fall under the fun category, but that was something you scripted for as well. Right? Right. And then, so I scripted for travel is a great example. I traveled through work. I didn't have to pay for that. That's awesome. So you know, you may script for travel and you're thinking, well my bank account doesn't allow me to travel, but then you might get a job that does have you travel all around the world. You just have to be open. And that goes back to my beginning of my opening statement. When you script it opens up your mind to something that you never. So there's five. There's seven pillars. You script things the way you want it, what you want to have in your life. You embellish, you go into detail, you believe it, and you can build on your details, but give yourself two to three days, five days Max, and then you forget about it. You don't really script about that Pacific thing anymore. And then you just move onto something else that you want in your life. In one day you may be inspired to be a poet. You script around that. Then you move on. And again, it's about you can have everything, just not always at the same time. Okay.

Speaker 2: 21:21 Yeah, totally. And I think the way I do it, I try to structure it so that I'm not leaving out something that is really important. Um, so that my life just stay balanced. But I'll do different paragraphs for the pillars. So I'll title it, you know, like finances or spiritual growth or health and wellness, you know, and I'll kind of write out my little paragraph. Um, and I try to do it daily, but sometimes it's more like weekly, um, but I do try to keep it a consistent practice. Um, but you know, sometimes there's only 24 hours in a day and you have to sleep and things to do, but as long as you're consistently like coming back to it and keeping that focus, putting it out into the universe that hey, like a, I am, I eat healthy. You know, I eat plenty of vegetables.

Speaker 2: 22:08 I drink eight glasses of water a day, I get eight hours of sleep per night, I exercise three times a week and I feel amazing, you know, describe how it makes you feel to be keeping you know, your ideal health and wellness routine. And then, you know, talk about your spiritual growth. You know, I feel more patient today. I am closer to God. I am grateful. You know, I feel these things in my body and I'm able to be more loving to people. You know, you can script all of these things. Um, and at the end of each little paragraph, for each pillar, I sign it like, thank you God or thank you universe. You know, you can do it. Like you said, it doesn't have to be exactly one formula. You can tailor it for what makes sense for you, but I think that being grateful aspect of, you know, feeling like you're healthy or being healthy, being feeling like you're growing spiritually, like just being deeply grateful for all of those things for your relationship.

Speaker 2: 23:03 You know, I have an amazing partner. I'm in love with my partner, you know, like describing, you know, we talk about everything. We have amazing sex, you know, he looks amazing meal, you know, whatever you feel like you need and that's important to your relationship. Scripting that out as if it's already there and I swear this shit works great. It feels magical even though it's not, you know, we can explain it as energy and all of that, but it feels magical because when I started scripting it was like holy shit, like all these things are really coming true. Like everything that I've. It was really important to me and I'm still. It's always a work in progress, but I feel like

Speaker 3: 23:44 there's certain that happened where I was like, wow, I did not expect it to happen this soon. Or like the House that I want it to be able to buy a house as well and

Speaker 3: 23:54 you know, I had some ideas about what I wanted but I thought it was going to be in a certain area of town that was more in my price range. And then I got the area of town that I'm currently renting in, um, and I, it was just to buy. I felt like it was way out of my price range and I was kind of thinking, oh, I'll script for it, but that'll be one day, like 10 years from now I'll be able to live there. And it just, I don't know, just magically happened really fast. It's really important for people to know. You have to be careful for what you say because it can happen really fast and it also can to really slow. But what's important is when we say things and it's really important and scripting, and I forgot to mention this, try to use positive words only and not saying no.

Speaker 3: 24:49 Don't say what I won't do not, don't care nothing with you. Do not want to have any nose or not doing your scripting. If you are, let's say your manager makes you file paperwork and you dislike doing that and you can say, okay, even though I dislike filing paperwork for my manager, he or she recognizes my true potential and I am working on bigger and better projects that served me and my purpose. Now you turn it into a stepping stone instead of a box kind of thing. Exactly, and that's a great point, right? Because we're great at playing victims and you can say, I now have the courage to speak up to my manager and say, I prefer to work on something more meaningful because a lot of times people don't know they're giving us something they don't know if we do or don't like, we have to speak up.

Speaker 3: 25:50 Right, right, right. Yeah, and the scripting again goes back to that confidence that you can find in scripting and taking ownership of your life. I think that's a huge thing is when you said the word victim, that really clicked in for me because I feel like a lot of people are kind of caught in this web of pain and they do see themselves as a victim and they feel like they don't have control, but when you start a scripting practice, it gives the control back to yourself and that you really are in charge of your life and you are creating the best life for yourself and your power. Yeah. Taking back your power and even if it hasn't happened yet, believing that it's gone to. Absolutely, and it was something you mentioned too. I don't want people to feel ashamed. Remember, this is your God so you can script about in the thing, and I mean you mentioned that you script for a grade six. It took me a long time to do that because I felt it was the, the past religions where it's like, oh, you can't tell. There is still taboo. And it's like, well, wait a minute. This is my guy. This is what I believe. Why won't about that? And it's, God has created us to have fun and to live the life that we want to live.

Speaker 3: 27:00 And it's okay to talk about those taboo things.

Speaker 2: 27:04 Yeah, of course. I mean, I would say too that when you're in the habit of scripting, you're wanting things that are healthy for yourself. Right? And so again, like if you feel like waiting until you're married is the healthy thing for you to do, then that's what you should script for. For me, that's not my personal choice. Um, but I, you know, yeah, I wanted that relationship that did have great sex. I mean, you know, who wants to be in a relationship with,

Speaker 3: 27:34 right. There are still many people, men and women out there that are. And they haven't taken back their power yet.

Speaker 2: 27:40 Yeah. And what, and yeah. And then you feel like a victim when it's like, well, what can you do when you start scripting and imagining these situations where, you know, maybe you do love your partner, but maybe their sex drive isn't where yours is, you know? And maybe it's just like cultivating, you know, that environment where it is going to be able to spice things up or get them in the mood or you know, just change your relationship, you know, there's certain things in relationships are so complicated, but changing that dynamic to getting to a place where you know or that you're just, yeah, that you're happy and you feel grateful and fulfilled for all the positive things that are happening, but also not being complacent, like actively scripting for the things that you want more of or that can just be better even if it's already good.

Speaker 3: 28:30 Absolutely. And you also want to script in this case for your partner. And I think a lot of people need to realize that that's okay too. You can script for your mom and your cousins and you could even script for the cashier at the grocery store and it goes back to embellishing. I'm going to have a perfect experience in kroger now. I'm going to find everything I need on sale. It cashier process is going to be easy. They're, they're, uh, no one will be aligned. I mean you can, I mean really go in and embellish is just watch it happen. I will have the right and perfect parking space right there by the door. I mean going into detail, it's really important.

Speaker 2: 29:11 How much time do you spend scripting Tara?

Speaker 3: 29:15 I would say between five to seven minutes. I usually know what I want to go directly into. Yeah. Okay.

Speaker 2: 29:23 So you probably aren't writing like a long thing for each pillar every single day. It's just more of like what's on your mind?

Speaker 3: 29:32 Control my mind and what? Yeah, what comes to me that day and what's been I guess bothering me, but I am going to try your technique on each pillar. I am going to try that a day and I script every day because you went, oh, and that's another point. You want to continue with the energy. You want to keep your vibration high and continue to manifest and to attract great things to you. The moment you fall off and fall off for weeks, months, years, use your legs. Turn right back to where it was. He'd be back to being the victim. You'll be backed in that job. You don't like your back into living with your parents, which you dislike. You just get back into that low level of negative flow.

Speaker 2: 30:15 Yeah, totally. I hope I never do that because ever since I've met you and started scripting, I got to keep that up. Okay. Has it. How has scripting helped add balance to your life and if yes, how?

Speaker 3: 30:35 Because it allowed me to pay attention to areas that I was neglecting and as you're scripting out those pillars and what I used to do, I used to pick a pillar a day, but now I think I just have so much going on. I need to really do what you do, but it's just, it just allowed me to focus more on family and anytime I go back home to New Jersey, carve out time for those who matter and before I would just go up there and see my friends hang out at my cousins who wanted to hang out. I'm like, I can't. Sorry this. Then you realize that you just can't see everybody, so you have to really set your intention as to who you want to see and spend time with and that helped me target who is important to me, who I am important too.

Speaker 3: 31:20 So is that to a balance? Yeah. Scripting also helped me balance, been great with finances, but it even increases my balance with finance and it helps me build my wealth which is what I want and it allows me to say why I should have an account where I'm just traveling and focusing on that allows me to save and then I should do what I want. Same thing with the house. Okay. I have a house account. Let me just. Now I can go and get. I don't know my laundry done or buy new plants and garden. We're buying a refrigerator and it's you're building your wealth and you're spending your money for what you want to spend your money on it. And the smart thing Joyce taught me on day one, never say you're saved. You're saving for a rainy day because if you say that you're automatically assuming that that negative day is coming, you saved just to save. You save for what you want to say for he set goals and you just watch it happen.

Speaker 2: 32:15 That's really interesting. I don't think I've heard her say that, but I like that. Yeah. You don't want to put that rainy day out there. Like it's like you're ready for it and it's in the universe. It's like, okay, like here's your rainy day that you asked for it. Did you

Speaker 3: 32:29 not? I have a coworker I used to work with at one of my my first job ever and we still communicate with texts and I'm saving for rainy day. I kid you not Lauren and viewers. Every mom, she had something going on with their home, her car or something at work which has a takeoff and ms pay and have to use that much. He's like, all the money is gone and her exact words are, but that's my rainy day money. And I told her, you should stop saying that. And she said, no, it is a rainy day, and she's so caught up in victim, right? It's like, no, like I have to say is a rainy day because that's what it's for. And I'm just like, well, if you think about it from a positive view of saving, I said, well, if you didn't have the money then you would have been able to get your car fixed. So good thing you did have, you know, it's not a rainy day, you're just preparing and your preparation for your car, you're ahead of the curve. Because then if you couldn't, if you didn't have the money, if you couldn't get your car fixed, then how would you have been able to work to make money to save it? And she's like, no, this is all for rainy day. I'm just like, okay.

Speaker 2: 33:34 Yeah, I have kind of a funny story as well. And it goes back to when I was doing my yoga teacher training and my yoga teacher said that she had this and she's from South Africa. So she was still living there. Yeah. But they would still talk and she said her aunt's favorite line was. Oh, I just feel like I've been hit by a bus, you know, and she would say it all the time and I kid you not. She's, she lived. But she hit. She was hit by a bus. She got hit by an actual bus. I know. It's like my yoga teacher was like, seriously, be careful what you say, your words matter. Because if you say it that much then I mean it's just like you're manifesting your reality and it's just. I don't think that as human beings, you know, we're so used to or we're so disconnected I would say from nature sometimes and I don't think we realized how powerful our words are that we're putting out there and that our intentions black top. But I think it's really awesome that you set your intention every morning and that you're so, you know, I don't have a better word, but intentional about how you're going about your day.

Speaker 3: 34:42 You know, I just want to add on for your viewers, think about what lauren just said around the woman who says she gets hit by a bus. She feels like Steven hit by bus. She was so connected to that feeling and what it might've felt like that she really manifests and that's how you have to get when you think about marriage or the house or the car, you'd have to feel in, visualize yourself having it and she visualized herself being hit by a bus and like being in the hospital and the trauma to rebuild yourself back up and the pain you really felt addicted to that pain that she had every day. And she really brought that to life. And that's a great story because now switch that around. Two, I want to be ceo of JP Morgan Chase. Visualize yourself as a CEO. Think about the money that you'll be making, you know, create and enjoy this really well.

Speaker 3: 35:41 She creates this time. She tells you to create this fake that. Well, I don't want to say big. This, um, manifestation balance sheet where you say, okay, I'm making $10,000,000 a month, I'm going to spend money on yard, I'm going to buy a house over here, get comfortable with spending money because again, it's back to the taboo. Finance is a taboo. People are like, oh no, I have to save, I have to do this. No, get used to spending money because what scripting has also taught me let go to receive what's supposed to be. So let go of money and get back and you can get more money back.

Speaker 2: 36:15 Right? Money is a flow, right? It's not something that you have to hoard. Isn't that money if you, I mean obviously you want to be responsible and have your savings account and have your retirement account and those types of things. But after that, you know, like you just have to believe that the money is coming back to you. The money is coming back to you and like you're only gonna get more of it or like you know, that flow is only going to get stronger. That stream is only going to get stronger. Um, but yeah, I think a lot of people are afraid they have that. Um, again, this is kind of going back to my yoga teacher training, but that root Chakra fear where they're afraid that, you know, it's the security things, the basic needs, the food, shelter, house, all those things. Um, and you know, when you, when you have that deep fear in your root Chakra, then you never feel comfortable no matter how much money is in your savings account, you never feel like you have enough and you never feel like you have enough to be okay, that you're safe enough.

Speaker 2: 37:15 And so I think that it's getting into that zone where you do feel safe, you know, and obviously you don't want to. Yeah, you don't want to be stupid about it and like blow all your money on gambling or you know, go to Vegas and like would enjoy your money.

Speaker 3: 37:29 Enjoy it, take yourself to the spa. Yeah. You know, hiking or go on a weekend, new vacay, a solo, you know, spend your money, enjoy it. Don't be careless, but enjoy it. Life is meant to be enjoyed.

Speaker 2: 37:43 Exactly. Okay, so that's kind of funny that we came up with this topic because my next question was actually going to be, are you making more money since you started scripting and if you'll want to go into that a little bit more? Um, I'm happy to refer to that as well. But

Speaker 3: 38:00 working at the company I work for I've never had to ask for an increase has always been given to me and it's always been, and I'm talking the annual increase and then promotion wise it's always been higher than what I thought I was worth and that's just the universe show me amy ain't even higher next time and it's just now. It just blew my mind. So yeah. So more money at my corporate job, money flowing in client's phone and for my photography and my empowerment businesses, I have a few friends that do public speaking. They are, we set up a contract to where if I get them a speaking engagement, I get a percentage from that. Excellent. Um, I have someone else who, she's actually my career coach helping her with her business. Um, I get a percentage from that. So it's money just comes in left and right, and then I even include interest. So I used to use, I don't want to say basic savings accounts, but I guess that's what they are, bigger America Stevens or I'm not going to be a goodness. Wells Fargo,

Speaker 3: 39:17 td bank. And then I opened up my eyes to high yield savings. Accountants, um, Goldman Sachs. I mean it's one of the highest interest rate that the country has that's bringing in more money. So I mean, and again, that opened up my mind to something new. That interest is unexpected income. Um, taxes when you file your taxes. I've never, until I got the house was never a recipient of receiving money back. Just, I don't know why, I just, I guess the government felt like I made so much money at whatever, but now I'm even getting money back from that. So everywhere you turn I'm making more money, I'm getting more money and I'm also spending more money. I mean, now I can support my watch habit, my jewelry habit and know I told myself 20, 19 I'm going to only start flying first class flights. Awesome. And I want to start doing that. I have now, I have a few people where I get my clothes made so I'm spending more money. I'm spending it on the higher conscious level because this is what leaders do. So if I want to become CEO or somewhere this is fire, they only fly first class. They only get their suits handmade. I have to start living in that world and living lack that person. Yeah, exactly.

Speaker 2: 40:34 Yeah. So it's interesting because I think that as human beings we do to kind of discount ourselves a lot. Or if even if we're like, oh, I want to go for that promotion. Kind of like you said, you were always valued by your company more than you maybe would have valued yourself. Especially in the beginning. And I think that that's definitely been true for me as well. And I mean we tend to go after the thing that feels reachable. I Dunno. I think it's, that's really interesting too because once you start scripting and once you're in that flow then things start happening and you, you know, things become real that you have manifested and then you're like, oh shit. Like I could have asked for more. Like I could have manifested something more like. And for me, I'm financially, I'll just kind of lay it out there for you guys.

Speaker 2: 41:24 I was making about $60,000 a year. I was 31 I believe, and I'm a textile for those of you who don't know me and portrait illustrator, um, that's kind of my etsy shop side business. But in my day job I'm a textile designer, so that was my salary and I was scripting for, in my job I wasn't really planning on leaving my job, but I was definitely scripting for that next here, salary and I was scripting for about $75,000 a year. Um, and that felt very much within reach. It was still like a very big raise from where I was at, but I was envisioning it happening within my own company. And then it was really crazy because December came and all of a sudden all these recruiter started calling me and I had two different offers that weren't quite that much, but they were in that same ballpark.

Speaker 2: 42:19 And then I accepted a new job and now like, I'm not going to say my exact salary because I know I'm probably not supposed to, but it's definitely in that range. Um, and then it made me think, oh, well, you know, I could have maybe manifested even more than that. And so then I would say for the last year or half a year, I said, no, like, my goal is to make like 2:50 a year. And then the universe is kind of, um, I don't know, like, I don't know if that's how it's going to come, but I do believe that it's going to come. And it may be, you know, different layers of passive income streams. Like I've, you know, I do so much more than just my day job, which I really love my day job. But I'm, I'm layered in, you know, I started selling clip art, like I started selling um, different like portrait builders online, like, and there's all these ideas are coming to me of other things that I can sell that once the work is done it can just continue to sell over and over again.

Speaker 2: 43:24 And so I'm really excited about that and we'll see like, like you said, it may take longer and make happen really fast. Like you don't really know. But I see at some point in my future, you know, me making that amount of money, whether it's 10 years from now, whether it's next year, I don't know. But that is kind of my next goal. And like when I first started scripting, I never would have scripted for $250,000 a year. You know, like I would have never, never, never believe that. And I think especially to kind of being a designer and being an artist, it's sort of ingrained by society that you know, you're a starving artist or that if you choose to have a creative career that you can't make money. And so I think that, that has unfortunately held me back in the past, um, you know, not that I was ever starving, but I don't think I realized, you know exactly where my career could go, but then you start to look around and you're like, oh, I mean, this is top of mine just because of her tragic death recently that people like kate spade, you know, she did it, you know, she's made plenty of money in her life and I am really, really, really sad for what happened to her.

Speaker 2: 44:39 But, you know, when you start just thinking of people that you, maybe you idolize or that you look up to, like there are plenty of designers and creative people out there that have made a lot of money. Um, so the fact that the whole starving artist story is so ingrained into us, it's, it's just sad and it's just not true. Um, I was at a work event with my fiance, mark the other, like maybe a couple of months ago. And this woman I was telling her about, she's like, oh, what do you do? Blah, blah, blah. I said, Hey, I'm a textile designer, this is what I do. I designed rugs, they sell to target this and that, and she thought it was cool and then she was talking about how her niece was an art major, but that in the same conversation she went back to, but you know, you can't make money with that, so she ended up going to nursing school and it just made me so sad. I was like, what? Like wow. I mean hopefully she'll enjoy nursing, but I'm just like, no. Like I feel like, well it could be something greater to nursing but not creative

Speaker 2: 45:41 being an artist. Yeah. And it just made me feel like she gave up this dream because she accepted this lie that I don't know.

Speaker 3: 45:51 Yeah. That she needs to go on and she might be the person she brings in. She can start her own art business

Speaker 2: 46:06 and have six

Speaker 3: 46:07 patients paint in the hospital and maybe nursing degree will give her that, that thought and that possibility we should, could actually marry the two ideas together.

Speaker 2: 46:16 Right. Hopefully it'll be the right path for her. It just made me sad that that was kind of the belief around it coming from her aunt saying, well, you know, she couldn't have made money as an artist, so she went to nursing school instead. Um, and again, hopefully that there's a greater plan out there and that she'll be able to loop those two things back together and feel like she's in her purpose. But

Speaker 3: 46:39 even before scripting, gosh, what year was that? That had to be 2009. My uncle who taught me all about business said, oh, you have the demeanor to be a lawyer. You should be a lawyer. In my head. And I studied for the LSF was shadowing law classes. I took the LSAT and as I was getting ready to apply, I said, this is not what I want to do. It just didn't feel right. It felt. And I knew I would have been miserable and I said I just wanted to get my Mba and work at a corporation and in travel the world and do cool things like that. And just be CEO level and the path that I'm on. It's very easy for people to get into our minds. And again, it goes back to what we were saying earlier. You are not who your parents uncle passed, her grandmother's siblings, friends say you are, you are who you are.

Speaker 2: 47:35 Right? Right. Thank you for saying that. I think it's so true and so important for people to hear. Um, okay. So my last question is going to be if someone is skeptical about scripting, what would you say to them

Speaker 3: 47:52 in a nutshell? Start small.

Speaker 3: 47:57 Start small. And I say that because when you hear about scripting and you're like, oh well I want, you know, the 14 bedroom house, start small. Start with something that you believe you can obtain. Because when you said you never thought you can think about $250,000 per year, you had to grow into believing that yes. And people have to grow into believing and being comfortable and being prepared for what they. If you were making $250,000 a year 10 years ago, you probably would've spent your money on so much stuff you couldn't even. You couldn't even tell me where you spent your money on. So we have to constantly be at a level to accept and to receive what we're asking for. And that's also part of the energy and the vibration, making sure that you're on the same vibrational level as what you want. So start small.

Speaker 3: 48:51 Start with, okay, I love a favorite muffin that kroger sells publix and it's been sold out for the past two weeks. Stay that a will be there when you go back into the gas station, gas prices going up and people are worried about the prices script that gas is going down in script that there's no line at the gas station gap. You know, just start small and watch it happen. You know, script for expected income and you might find a dollar change on the ground. You just never know a script. Someone may take you out for your birthday. So start small and build on it. And then that's how you build your confidence. That's how you build your power.

Speaker 2: 49:31 Yeah, I love that too. And I think it makes me think about my sort of health and wellness pillar because I feel that when I'm writing it out like, Oh, I exercise three times a week. Like I got eight hours of sleep, I, you know, drink plenty of water. I just find that I am naturally doing those things and that's not, you know, it's funny because as much as you try to like beat yourself up that you're not working out enough or you're not eating healthy enough, you know, like that kind of doesn't work. Like it just kinda feels shitty and you like don't want to, you know, go for a run, you know, you want to sit on the couch and just because you feel shitty in here, like ah, but it is exactly, that's exactly what it is. But when you are talking about it in a positive way, you almost feel more motivated to get out and do those things.

Speaker 2: 50:20 So I would say that's another one that's kind of like easy to do and like scripting it out isn't anything you don't feel like asking for a pot of gold, you know, you're just like, oh, this is my health routine. I'm going to write it out and I'm going to be grateful for it and I'm going to talk about how awesome it makes me feel. And then before you know it, you're like, oh yeah, I did. I did do really good this week, you know, like I feel great. Um, so I would say that's one that's been really helpful for me and like it's easy to see more immediate results. Just I guess to feel good about, you know, that you stuck to it.

Speaker 2: 50:55 Even when you change your thought process, another way of starting small, you may not have a good relationship with your manager or change your thought process. Again. Stop playing victim. Yeah, yeah. Try to understand them or I don't know, I feel like when I've been in more managed management roles, um, I'm like, oh, this shit is really hard. It's not easy to manage. And it's all around compassion and script and has taught me compassion to taught me that people have trauma that they haven't gotten over. They have, everyone has something or somethings and you learn to really have that unconditional love for all of those around you. Have you heard of the buck? Reclaim your power in someone? I feel like I've, he's been on a couple of podcasts that I listened to recently and I'm going to definitely check it out, but his main thing is dealing with our trauma.

Speaker 2: 51:56 Um, and that's kind of his, I don't know, he's definitely like a business coach and wants people to live their best life especially, you know, all the way around. But when it comes to business. But I think that dealing with that trauma, he said kind of, you know, doing the yoga or doing the meditation. Sometimes it's more of a bandaid because we're not calling out. We're kind of. I mean those are great practices to have, but if you're not getting to their root of why something is holding you back sometimes. I don't know. I haven't read the book, so I'm really interested maybe in maybe next quarter we could talk about this book if you read it to. That'd be cool. Yeah, definitely added to my list and I think relationships and that's when you script your relationships in your pillars. For anyone who's listening and watching, you want to script that relationship for yourself too, not just for your family or your marriage or your or your romantic relationship. George relationships at work are you. How do you treat yourself? What are your boundaries? Because you have to have boundaries would, will you and will not put up with and once you script and have a healthy relationship with yourself, everything that you just said, what you have to connect with, conflicts will come into the light. I love that. That's something that I haven't done, but I feel like I definitely need to do that. Be Really helpful. You know, to talk about, oh, I like this about myself or you know, I'm, I'm pretty cool.

Speaker 2:  So easy to beat ourselves up. That being intentional about that practice and then starting to actually feel like it. You know,

Speaker 3: you like yourself more. I put, I put that I'm gorgeous. I turned heads when I walk into a room. Like I say, all that stuff. You have to believe in yourself. Right? So it's.

Speaker 2: Oh, that's great. Yeah, I think we're just trained to be like, oh, that's bragging or that's, you know.

Speaker 3: And if it is, it is, but somebody has to brag for us and why not us? Why Not Yourself? I know it starts with you. I love it.

Speaker 2: All right. Tyrone, is there anything else you want to touch on or talk about anything like tell us a little bit more about your business and services you're offering.

Speaker 3: So my business, you can find my website on my website is www.tyronewebbjr.com. That's t y r o n e b b jr. Com. And iT's around two things, right? So one is photography, which I do head and do events. Right now I'm doing real estate photography and my other is empowerment coaching. So I'm doing speech, I'm doing puBlic speaking. Uh, that's when a part of the empowerment coach. And the other part is I'm helping folks transitioned careers and also helping students who are leaving undergrad and they trying to get into corporations, I know how all that works and I can coach them on getting into some of the corporations.

Speaker 3: And then lastly I'm helping smaller Businesses with brand strategy and marketing and communications, what their bio's and how to really set themselves up as a professional business when it comes to networking. And I'm also actually writing a book around networking and I'm giving myself to labor day, memorial day, labor day and I'm Just writing around network and how you do it. And, and, um, some other things that came to me in meditation that I'm working on and I will love to see. Well, whiCh will manifest. But again, it's going to be when it's meant to happen. But yeAh, the thing is new. And I'm definitely interested in happy that I'm writing this because I have a lot of friends. Even people at work asking me, well, how did you get that role without applying? And how did you do this without a network that asked? I know who the movers and shakers are like, well, explain to me how. Let me just write a book

Speaker 2:  can just help everybody. Businesses. I'm excited about your book. I didn't know. Uh, what's your instagram handle? I do not have answered because

Speaker 3:  yeah, managing that and everything goes right now. His interest. So I do have twitter still, but it's at tyrone webb. Instagram will most likely come back in the future, but right now I had so many moving parts where instagram will actually be abandoned. And twitter. Then for those of you, you can drop me a line on my website. You can send me a note and we can email my email. Is email and web as with two b's? Yep. Yep. Okay. Excellent. Thank you So much for coming on. This was a good for having me and thanks for introducing me to scripting. All right, see ya. Bye. Bye.

 

Apply to 'Go Live' with me here: https://www.laurenlesley.com/webinar-series/#anchor-link-collaboration

 

TRANSCRIPT:

Hey, what up fool's Lauren here with Lauren Lesley studio. And today I want to invite you to go live with me on Instagram or in my Facebook group. Now, if you've never gone live before, you may be thinking, what's the point? Or I'm scared to go live. Is it really that great or what's the point of it? And I want to let you know that after researching, I'm doing some market research on sprouts social. The era of live video is it's really here to stay, guys. You really don't want to miss the boat on this piece of content or this type of content marketing. So audiences, they just are, they're really looking for more intimacy. As more accounts look so perfect on Instagram. Live video just gives you this authenticity that just can't be duplicated by photos or, or a descriptions or anything like that. And that's part of the reason why 80% of customers say they'd rather watch a live video from a company rather than read their blog.

So that's pretty crazy. 80% is a big, big number. Um, and at that same time, the ephemeral nature of live video kind of prompts, um, you know, people to feel that FOMO sensation where they're scared of missing out because your live video is only going to be up for 24 hours on Instagram, on Facebook. It'll stay around a little bit longer, but things kind of seem to disappear if you're just looking at the news feed anyway. So, um, Instagram live is normally where I go live, but also I'm open to doing Facebook lives in my Facebook group. Um, and to let you guys know, Instagram, uh, in June of 2018 reached 1 billion monthly active users, which is insane. So if you're trying to grow your design business or your art account on Instagram, there are so, so, so many people that you could be reaching.

And a lot of, um, Instagram lives features include, um, giving priority to live video. So thanks to Instagram's algorithm, which you know, we can all hate the algorithm from time to time, but if you want to kind of play up your strengths of the algorithm than posting live video, we'll place you at the head of your followers feeds. If you're looking for a way to stay top of mind, then when you, you know, when any of your audience opens the Instagram app, they're gonna see your live video first. Um, and live video really promotes increased engagement. So with Instagram, I have a lot of companies respond immediately to client. It's use issues. You can answer questions, um, and just engage with your followers in a more real and authentic way. Live videos also such an amazing way to build relationships. You know, if you're really trying to grow your Instagram account, not just get, you know, as many followers as you can, cause that can be kind of, um, superficial.

But if you really want to build relationships with people on Instagram and build that trust and um, kind of that fan following for your design and artwork, then those face to face interactions are going to be J they're just going to promote so much more trust and people will get to know your personality and it's just way more intimate and it also helps, you know, kind of promote your brand identity. I mean that kind of sounds a little corporate-y but you know, your Instagram account is a good face of your brand. So Instagram live is just such a great way for brands to kind of show their individuality and their personality and it really just brings, you know, the, the person behind the brand or the, the artist behind your artwork or the designer behind your designs. It just really brings all of that to life.

So you should definitely be going live if you're not already. And I know it can be kind of scary, but it's really not that bad once you do it and it's way easier to do it with another person and just have kind of a normal conversation. It's almost just like a phone call. And now that I'm working at home, I I get a little bit lonely. So I wanna be able to talk to other designers and Instagram live. You know, if you're going to be talking to other designers anyway, you might as well get the benefits of the Instagram algorithm while you're doing it and help serve other people that may want to watch and have similar questions or whatnot. So it's definitely easier to go live with another person because you have things that you can just talk about and you kind of forget that other people are watching.

When I've gone live by myself, I do get a little bit nervous, like a hope of not boring you guys and um, I don't know what to talk about next cause you're just kind of talking to a wall in a way. But when you go live with another person, it really is just like a normal conversation. Um, and other people can watch along. So I want to invite you to go live with me. I love going live with people. It's one of my new favorite things to do so you can apply to go live with me on my website@laurenleslie.com slash webinar series. So I'll put the link in the description below, be sure to check it and apply to go live with me. I try to go live once a week on Tuesdays, but if that doesn't work with your schedule then I'm opening. I'm open to scheduling on a different day.

So thanks so much guys on be sure to like this video. Leave me a comment if you want to go live with me or if you have questions about live video for designers or for artists, leave me a comment below. I would love to hear from you guys, um, and be sure to check out the design tribe Facebook group, which I also like to go live in my group because it does just promote like more intimacy and it's just a smaller group of designers and collaborating creatives on sharing like small business tips and things like that. So sign up to join the live Facebook group if that applies to you. Um, and I'll see you in the next video. Thanks guys. [inaudible].

In this episode, Cheryl Springer and I dive into the top 5 reasons NOT to enroll in art school.  The world is changing fast and student loans are only going up.  Simultaneously, the design industry doesn't value credentials as much as other industries do.  Listen in to decide if design school is right for you!

To check out the Live Video Replay at my YouTube channel.

Do Designers Really Need a Blog?

I debated for nearly a year on whether or not I really needed a blog. 

 After all, I was focused on creating and wanted to spend the majority of my time and energy making things.  If you're a designer, I'm sure you can totally relate.

But I Don't Wanna Blog!

Designers are different.  While most people think that bloggers lead a glamorous lifestyle popping around town drinking a vanilla latté, laughing with their friends, and dabbling around on their beautiful Mac for a few hours a day...  Designers understand how much work goes into it.

We get it.  Designers spend hours in the office researching for photoshoots:  trends, the right colors, which props are perfect yet fit the budget - down to every last detail!  

We've lugged around a car full of crap, multiple changes of outfits, make up supplies, and soo many 'just-in-case' props, trying to snag the perfect location with the perfect model in the right lighting and so on.  It's definitely fun, but it can also be grueling. 

On top of that, designers are used to being behind-the-scenes with the photographer giving direction and making their vision come to life.  We don't want to be the center of attention!

But we love to create and obviously we want the whole wide world to know about our work.  So do we realllllly have to blog?

yes. Listen to the episode to find out why!

In this episode of the Design Tribe podcast, I'm chatting with Jenna Rainey and Julie Turkel about how to get your art in retail stores + so much more! Jenna Rainey is a successful licensed artist with an incredible YouTube channel with over 120K subscribers. She provides tutorials for illustrators, calligraphers, and watercolor artists. Jenna has collaborated with brands like Papyrus, Anchor Brewing Company, and Target!

 

Website: https://jennarainey.com/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqWj...

 

Julie Turkel is a licensing agent who started at Nickelodeon, building the brand collab business from the inside out. Julie left Nickelodeon to then go on to represent Jonathan Adler, Nate Berkus, Dabney Lee and Jenna (among a few others). After 25 years in the business, her expertise is in brand licensing and she and Jenna have a unique experience working together on fun projects like a calendar line in Staples, a collection with Toki Mats for baby mats and more!

 

During the livestream, we discussed:

• - How to get your foot in the door and products on the shelves of retail stores
• - How to build a profitable licensing business - What is licensing (brand collaboration) and is it for you? 
• - What getting your work in Staples, Target and big box retailers really looks like
• - Trend Research and Informative Research to help with developing your signature style and strategy as a creative entrepreneur
• - Key elements to building a brand that everyone must know

➡️ Take my FREE MINI COURSE, Art Style Secrets:

1.) Subscribe to my Channel

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Transcript:

Hey, how are you?  I basically disappeared from this podcast for the past 2 years and I owe you an explanation!

 

If this is your first time listening, hey, I’m Lauren of Lauren Lesley Studio.  I’m an artist and textile designer, and I started The Design Tribe podcast back in 2019 as a way to add some transparency to someone who was just getting started in surface pattern design and the whole licensing world.

 

In this episode, I’m going to spill the tea on what it’s REALLY like being a full-time artist…. Full disclosure:  it’s not exactly how I thought it would be.

 

But first, let me explain where I’ve been and what the plan is for the Design Tribe podcast moving forward!

 

Back in the Fall of 2021, I decided to go back to an in-house job and I found out I was pregnant all in the same month! 

 

On top of that, my husband and I decided to move houses to have a more suitable neighborhood for our baby to grow up in.  The idea of moving after our daughter was born really stressed me out so we were on an intense timeline trying to find the right place.

 

The housing market was incredibly competitive when we were moving and it basically took up 150% of my time.

 

We literally closed on our old house one week before my daughter was born! Then, she came into the world and my full attention was on her.

 

So, I’m very sorry that I’ve been gone for so long.  That was never exactly the plan, but you know, sometimes life gets in the way of creative pursuits.

 

So, what is the plan for the Design Tribe podcast moving forward?

 

During this season of life, I have to be realistic about the fact that I just don’t really have time to conduct a lot of interviews myself.

 

But, that doesn’t mean I won’t in the future.  I personally hate the idea of letting this podcast die just because of my own time constraints.

 

So, I started thinking outside the box and was wondering what WOULD be feasible for the podcast moving forward.

 

Sometimes, as artists and designers, we simply don’t have time to create ALLLL of the content all by ourselves.  It’s probably been a year since I’ve even created an Instagram post for my actual feed..  I am way more active in my Stories though!

 

But, the point is…. I started thinking what if The Design Tribe lived up to its name and became more of a collective effort?  Wouldn’t it be great to be able to hear from different voices and different artists who have different experiences?

 

SO!  I’m opening up the podcast to publish more guest episodes.

 

That means, if you are an artist or designer who has conducted your own interviews… either in podcast format or on YouTube… and you’d like to repurpose your episodes for further reach, please get in touch with me!

 

Especially, if you find yourself unable to keep up with a demanding weekly interview schedule on your own podcast… I’d love to collaborate with you! 

 

Wouldn’t it be great to slow down and put our content efforts together… and get a bigger bang for your buck?

 

Imagine if you could relax the pace and schedule out one interview per month.  The Design Tribe is the perfect place to contribute those podcast episodes and reach more people.

 

If this sounds interesting to you, please look in the show notes for an application.

 

 

 

OKAY, so now let’s get into the good stuff.

 

Why the heck did I return to an In-House job and what was it REALLY like being a Full-Time Artist?

 

So, I dreamed about being a full-time artist for as long as I can remember.  Back in college, I was an oil painter so back then I envisioned doing something more along the lines of Fine Art.

 

But upon graduating, I realized I needed a JOB and a stable income to pay the bills.

 

So, I got my first job in Graphic Design at a T-shirt company.  While I loved some of the people I worked with, I still longed for something more creative.

 

That’s when I discovered Textile Design.  I ended up pivoting to a Textile Design job and have honestly really loved working as a Textile Designer.  It’s 10X more fulfilling than Graphic Design ever was, for me.

 

However, at my first Textile Design job I worked with a lot of licensed artists.  This is where I first got an education about licensing.  And I started thinking, huh… how do I get onto the OTHER side of this licensing thing?

 

I saw that these artists had their own style, their own brand, and their own name on their designs.  They got to keep the copyright and license their work across multiple products.  And what was really cool is that they were totally independent business owners!

 

That sounded like something I really wanted to do.

 

Long story short, I went independent and started my own design business back in 2019.  I worked really hard to develop my own art style, I exhibited at Blueprint Trade Show, and I landed my first licensing deal.

 

Things were starting to happen!

 

But, the reality with licensing is that it takes a LONG TIME to get paid.  I kinda already knew this and thought, “Okay… if I get can multiple deals throughout the year then it will start to build up… and I can probably replace my old salary by the end of the year.”

And friend, let me just tell you that is NOT what happened.

 

I quickly realized how difficult the licensing world is in terms of making a full-time income.  I even signed with an agent, but it didn’t prove to be very fruitful.  I wasn’t getting a lot of deals through my agent and I became really frustrated since I had no control over the process, and when I did get a deal, I had to split my income basically 50%.

 

I thought that the agent was going to get me enough deals to make their cut worth it, but that’s not what actually happened.

 

Now, I realize that some artists are able to build 6, or even 7, figure businesses from licensing, but the truth is that licensing income can fluctuate A LOT!

 

I learned that most artists are supplementing their licensing income with multiple streams of income, and I can guarantee that the majority of those 6, or 7, figure art businesses are doing the same.

 

I made a lot of friends in the surface pattern world, and I’m so grateful for their transparency and kindness, and willingness to talk to me.

 

Most artists supplement their income either with freelance work, a YouTube channel, teaching, coaching, selling books, or some other means of reliable income.

 

This is just the reality of licensing for 99% of artists!

 

I basically tried all of the things, which took a LOT of time.  Sometimes, I felt like a chicken with its head cut off running around trying to make this independent artist thing work.

 

I always felt spread too thin, and maybe if I had concentrated on only 1or 2 alternate streams of income, I could have had more success earlier on.

 

But the truth is, without some experimentation you just don’t really know what you enjoy doing or what’s going to work for you.

 

I realized that I absolutely hated doing freelance work, but I really enjoyed making YouTube videos and teaching classes.

 

The funny thing is… I always thought I would love freelance work!  I fantasized about working from home, making my own schedule, being able to travel and take my laptop on the go, and choosing the clients I worked with.

 

And hey, some designers do really love working with their freelance clients!  I think if you can nail down really good clients who repeatedly come back to you with a reliable stream of work, it can be a lot better.

 

I had so many people contact me who gave me a design brief, said they wanted to hire me, and then… crickets.  They would ghost me completely.

 

For the freelance gigs I did have, I felt nickel and dime-d to the point where I dreaded working on their projects.

 

I know, I know.  Lauren, you need to charge more.

 

I really feel like I tried to charge an appropriate amount, but I felt resentful that so many people wasted so much of my time.  A lot of that time spent emailing and sending quotes and, of course, I never got paid for that time.

 

I understand that you need to charge more to account for this if you really want to make it as a freelance designer, but that just wasn’t the reality I was experiencing. 

 

I kept thinking that all I ever really wanted to do was license my artwork and see my name on my own art.  I wanted to see it exist out in the world.

 

Of course, I wanted to earn a living from it, but that could take a lot of years of build up and I didn’t have that much time to spend on my portfolio alone. 

 

I kept thinking that if I need to do THIS MUCH WORK to supplement my licensing, wouldn’t it just be easier to supplement it with an in-house job?

 

You see, a lot of the ways artists supplement their income ALSO take a long time to create.  It can take at least a year to write a book or create a class.  With teaching online, there’s all of the planning, writing, filming, editing, uploading, and designing the pages.  Then after that, there’s all of the MARKETING you have to do to make sure people know about your class.

 

And yes, I enjoyed creating classes (and plan on doing more in the future!)… but I also felt like it was taking a lot of time away from actually creating art.  Which is WHY I wanted to be a full-time artist in the first place!

 

I spent so much time and energy trying to supplement my income that I was probably only spending about 10% of my time actually making art.

 

There were definitely a lot of things I enjoyed while being a full-time artist, but ultimately, I was really stressed out about not being able to replace my old salary from my Textile Design job.

 

So, lo and behold, a new position opened up at my old company for a Senior Designer.  I was extremely interested in the category and re-joined!  And in the same month, found out I was pregnant, haha.

 

So, needless to say, the past 2 years have been a whirlwind.

 

And, I don’t say any of this to complain or kill your dreams.  I think it’s important to discuss the reality around licensing, because it’s easy to get the impression that it’s going to be this amazing passive income stream that will make you rich.

 

All that being said, licensing is still my favorite thing to do!  It’s a little odd, because the money isn’t amazing, but it’s so rewarding to see your own prints on products and to know that you keep the copyright.  At this point, it feels like a fun bonus every time I get a licensing check in the mail!

 

My in-house job is also rewarding!  Next year, I will see my textile designs on products in Target, Home Goods, and Walmart.  This is very exciting and extremely satisfying!  I will be able to walk through the stores and say, “Hey, I did that!”

 

I think sometimes the narrative out there is that working an in-house job means you are some kind of failure, but I want to reject that.  The fact that big box stores are buying my designs from my in-house job means I’m a pretty good designer!

 

And sure, I admit I wish my name was going to be on the products, but it won’t be, and that’s perfectly okay.  I have the internal satisfaction of knowing my designs are selling out in the world, and honestly, that’s enough.

 

I also find that I can be more creative when I’m more relaxed and not so stressed about money.  Having a reliable paycheck every month and a 401K allows me to pay my bills and feel financially secure.  When I can be more relaxed about money, I can allow myself to play, experiment, and build up my portfolio without an insane amount of pressure.

 

I’m actually in a better place to work on my licensing portfolio, because I’m not scrambling for new freelance jobs, replying to art directors who are going to ghost me, or haggling my prices.

 

With a reliable income, I’m also able to take more courses and level up my business needs.

 

I also feel good about being able to provide for my daughter! 

 

I know it shouldn’t be about this, but when I worked independently I realized a lot of my self-worth was tied to the amount of income I was able to bring in.

 

Mental health was a real struggle, because I felt like if my art wasn’t raking in the dollars then it was no good.  And that’s simply not true!

 

I definitely felt like I grew a TON by having the experience of being an independent artist.  I certainly learned way faster about the surface pattern industry by being immersed in it than I would have otherwise.  I made a ton of friends and was bolder about reaching out to other designers… probably because I was spending most of my days alone.

 

I wouldn’t trade the experience at all! 

 

But, at least for now, I feel a lot more stable and relaxed by working an in-house job as a Senior Textile Designer. 

 

I say all of this so that you don’t feel bad if you are still working an in-house job as well.  Being a full-time artist isn’t everything it’s cracked up to be!

 

Unless you have a partner to support you, or about 5 years worth of savings, or some fantastic freelance contacts…

 

I would actually recommend keeping your side hustle as your side hustle!  At least until your side hustle is earning enough to support you and you feel really secure making that leap to going independent.

 

 

So, what are some of the side hustles you should work on in the meantime?

 

If you want to be independent one day, I’d first recommend working on developing your art style.  I teach an entire program on developing your Art Style, and it’s the same process that worked for me when I exhibited at my first trade show.

 

I SO wish I’d been able to take a course like this before I made the jump to being a full-time artist.  I would have been able to hit the ground running.

 

The course is called Art Style Academy and it uses my Triad Method of 3 stages to fully develop your own art style.

 

Check out the link in the show notes if you’re interested .. or you can always visit my website to find out more at LaurenLesley.com… and Lesley is spelled with an E-Y.

 

 

Thanks so much for listening!  I’ll hopefully be back soon with some guest episodes.  Bye!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Originally aired on Harmony Hardin's YouTube Channel.  Check out the video version here.

 

From Harmony:

Ah, art style. The elusive "thing" we want to be known for as artists. Have you been stuck on that big topic, wondering what to do to find your art style, what all goes into developing an art style, not knowing if you've found yours? Or even where to start? Do you struggle with thinking you need to actively develop a style, or that it should come naturally, but it just isn't happening for you? Are you still copying other artists for practice, but stuck in art block as soon as you try to come up with a style and concept of your own? Uff, it can feel frustrating and confusing, for sure.

On the 15th episode of art business podcast "Harmony & Friends", Terry Runyan, Nina Cvijovic and Lauren Lesley share their personal path to finding their current style, and their insights into how you can get there, too. Join us live if you can! It's lots of fun to hang out with the community in the live chat, and by joining, you have the chance of getting your question displayed during the livestream and answered by the panel.

Share the link with a friend too, the more, the merrier! If you enjoyed this conversation, consider subscribing to the channel, where we have a conversation just like this one approximately every 2 weeks. Though we do not give you step by step art business advice or tutorials, the conversations shed light on 3 different examples, 3 different lives experiences.

You will hear directly from successful artists about a specific income stream or art business topic, and how it works specifically in the businesses they have built. Enjoyed this video? So many more fun & insightful artist chats this-a-way: https://www.youtube.com/@HarmonyHardi... //

 

ARTISTS:

Terry Runyan Visual Artist & Creative Encourager

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/terryrunyan

Website: https://terryrunyan.com

YouTube: @terryrunyan

 

Nina Cvijovic Illustrator & Pattern Designer

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diujdi

Website: https://diujdi.com

 

Lauren Lesley Textile Designer

YouTube: @laurenlesley

Website: https://laurenlesley.com/sketchbookin...

 

Harmony Hardin Host & Watercolor Artist

NEW Etsy Shop: https://harmonyhardin.etsy.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harmony.har...

YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@HarmonyHardi...

 

 

 

Skillshare vs Teachable (or Thinkific): which online platform is better to host your online courses and classes? If you're thinking of teaching online courses, especially as an artist or designer, this video is for you!

There are certainly pro's and con's to which platform is best! Skillshare is an awesome platform to get started on especially if you don't have a large social media following, Instagram presence, or email list. But it has it's downsides such as only sharing 30% - 50% of the revenue.

Hosting your own masterclass can potentially earn much more revenue, but sites like Teachable and Thinkific can be expensive. Listen in as Jen Lezan and I discuss workarounds and how to host your own online course on your own website like Squarespace or Wix.

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Do These 6 Things BEFORE Going Full-Time as an Artist

Hey!  How are you?  If we haven’t met before, I’m Lauren.. I’m your host of the Design Tribe podcast, and I’m an artist and textile designer.  In the last episode, I went into pretty great detail about what it was like working as a full-time artist and licensing surface pattern designs.  So if you missed that episode, be sure to check it out.

 

I know a lot of you are either trying to make it as a surface pattern designer OR you dream of one day being able to leave your day job to license your artwork to companies.

 

I spent 2 years as an independent artist, and although there were many things I loved about working independently, I ultimately went back to an in-house job as a Senior Textile Designer.  

 

A lot of these tips I’m about to share with you are things I WISH I did before making the leap to being a full-time artist.  We’ll talk about all the money stuff in the very last tip so be sure to stick around for that juicy topic.

 

Okay, so my first tip is to…

 

• Publish a class to Skillshare.

1. 1. 1. This might not be the advice you were expecting, haha!
      2. And to be honest, I’m a little annoyed with Skillshare, because last year they cut their teacher’s income by almost half - with no warning.
      3. From a business perspective, I understand if they needed to do this, but they really should have been up front about it and approached the cut in a much more gradual way.  So, it felt really crappy.. Especially when a lot of teachers relied on this as a dependable stream of income.
      4. BUT!
      5. The reason my first tip is to upload a class to Skillshare is because when you go full-time as an artist, you will need some recurring revenue coming in on a regular basis.  
      6. When it comes to teaching, Skillshare is one of the easiest places to start, because they already have such a great built-in audience with lots of students who are creative.  
      7. Domestika is another popular teaching platform you could choose if Skillshare has lost your trust.  I haven’t personally uploaded classes to Domestika so I can’t comment on whether I like the platform or not, but other artists seem to really like it.
      8. Another reason to upload a class is to just get your feet wet and see if you enjoy teaching.
      9. A lot of full-time artists teach on a platform like Skillshare or sell a course as a way to supplement their licensing income, which if you’ve ever done any licensing, you know very well it can fluctuate a lot!
      10. Your first class doesn’t even have to be related to what you WANT to do moving forward.  It’s easy to think:  “Well, I can’t teach about that, because I don’t have enough experience yet.”  And you would be right!
      11. Instead, think about where you were 5-10 years ago.  What have you learned since then?
      12. Your course could be about learning how to use Photoshop or how to draw a Still Life.  What are some things you learned in school that you could teach?  What did you major in?  It doesn’t even have to be art-related!
      13. It does help to keep your class topics related in the long term, but for your very first class - it could really be anything.
      14. The idea is for you to discover A.) if you enjoy teaching - e.i. Filming yourself, doing a little video editing, etc.  and B.) to start generating some recurring revenue.

• Develop your Art Style

1. 1. 1. When you’re working as an in-house designer, it can be really hard to find your own Art Style.  
      2. Often when we work an in-house job, you get really good at doing ANY style… depending on what the project needs.
      3. Companies often try to fill out the white space in their line by covering a range of styles from traditional to modern to boho, you name it.  That means, as the designer, you develop the skill of designing ANY style.
      4. The problem with that is… you start to lose a sense of your own style and who you are from the inside out.
      5. You might get excited by new trends or a new project that changes things up.  When you like soo many different things, it can be really hard to narrow down to just ONE look.  Especially, when you don’t know what’s going to sell or which style might be the most reasonable to pursue.
         1. When you can do any style, HOW do you pick?!
      6. This gets very tricky, because in LICENSING… companies are really only interested in licensing when your art brings something new to the table… something that they don’t already have from their own in-house designers.
      7. Companies want to know what YOUR perspective is.
      8. Think of the Jungalow brand.
      9. Justina Blakeney brought a brand new perspective to home décor by covering her house in an explosion of plants and colorful textiles.  
         1. In a time where Minimalism and white sofas were extremely popular, she did the opposite thing… and by staying true to her own vision, this Boho Maximalism style exploded.
      10. Think of Rifle Paper Co. and the unique style of Anna Bond’s florals.
          1. She brought a brand new look to florals that really highlights her own unique style that’s painterly, colorful, and friendly.
      11. Oftentimes, companies want to license work that’s the same, but different.  This means the subject matter is often the same… like the florals that are so famous from Rifle Paper Co.  But the WAY Anna Bond painted them was so different.
      12. Style is all about technique.
      13. If this is something you’re struggling with, I do offer a self-paced online program called Art Style Academy.  When you go through my program and do the work, you will develop your own style by the end of the course.  If this sounds interesting to you, you can check out the link in the show notes or check out my website at LaurenLesley.com - and Lesley is spelled with an E-Y.

• Create a Portfolio with a Large Body of Work

1. 1. 1. Once you’ve developed your Art Style, the next area of focus is to build out your portfolio.  It will be sooo much easier to get the ball rolling if you already have a full portfolio to sell.
      2. From there, you can decide if you want to work with an agent, upload to an on-demand site, or exhibit at a tradeshow.
      3. So, you might be wondering… “Okay, but how many pieces do I need to have in my portfolio?”
      4. Honestly, you probably need close to 100 pieces in your portfolio.  I know this sounds like a lot, but it’s important to work in collections and some of these could be coordinates.  For each collection, you also need to work in a limited color palette and make sure your pieces are looking related to each other.
      5. If you are cold-emailing Art Directors, you don’t necessarily need 100 pieces to start.  You can pitch collection-by-collection.
      6. But if you’re investing a lot of time, money, and energy to exhibit at a tradeshow, I recommend going in prepared with A LOT of work.  You’re more likely to gain contracts if you have a collection that really resonates with a client.
      7. Okay, so what else?

• Start uploading to ONE On-Demand Site

1. 1. 1. Etsy
      2. Society 6
      3. Spoonflower
      4. Creative Market
      5. Patternbank
      6. Minted
         1. Uploading to On-Demand sites can be a bit tricky for a lot of reasons.  I feel like that might be another whole podcast episode.
         2. But I think a lot of artists try uploading to one site, find that they’re not having success so then they switch and try a different site.
         3. A lot of time gets wasted posting and re-posting your designs on so many different sites.
         4. I think it’s important to figure out WHICH site you like the best up front - before you quit your day job.  Figure out which site is converting to sales.
         5. For example, my Character Builders sold really well on Creative Market.  Customers on Creative Market are usually other designers and they understand how to use programs like Illustrator.  They buy these products to save themselves a little time.
         6. However, when I tried to sell the same designs as Clip Art on Etsy it didn’t do very well.  I had too many customers sending me private messages wanting me to customize the clip art for them and I was trying to get away from hourly work.
         7. I ended up preferring Creative Market to sell digital products, because I made the most money and customers weren’t asking me to customize the artwork for them.
         8. I also like Patternbank the best for uploading pattern designs to the internet.  But I’ll admit I have a love-hate relationship with this platform.  When a design sells, the money is a lot better than other sites I’ve experienced.  However, I’m constantly agonizing over which patterns I want to remain in my Licensing Portfolio and which ones I want to sell on Patternbank.  
         9. If there’s something I no longer love, or don’t feel as strongly about, in my Licensing Portfolio, I sort of think about it like putting those patterns on clearance by posting them to Patternbank.  It doesn’t make them bad, but it’s something I am just kind of “over” and I want to get rid of it.  
         10. Because I spent time on it, I want the ability to earn some kind of ROI, but I don’t love it enough to continue spending future-time on pitching it to clients.
         11. I think artists have a lot of different opinions on these ON-DEMAND sites.  Some feel that it devalues the industry and isn’t worth the low pay.  But other artists sometimes “get found” on these sites and it can really boost their career.
         12. Other sites like Minted and Spoonflower offer design challenges that I think can really help you understand what types of designs sell and how to level up your artwork.  So, if your artwork skills need developing this is a great place to get an education!
         13. The main point I want to make here is to play around with this option and figure out if you like it BEFORE quitting your day job.  I’d recommend only choosing one or two On-Demand sites you like and stick with it.  If you try to post to all of them, you’ll spread yourself too thin and you won’t make any progress.

• Start Outsourcing

1. 1. 1. Hire an Assistant Designer
         1. Believe it or not, when you become a Full-Time Artist you have also decided to become a Business Owner.  You’ll need to set up an LLC (if you’re in the U.S.) and save at least 30% of your income for paying taxes.
         2. When you go independent, you’re no longer just an artist.
         3. You’re also the CEO, head of Marketing, Sales, and Accounting.  You are the only person in the business which means you have to do everyyyything.  What’s so frustrating about this is that it can leave very little time for making art.
         4. When you’re still working a day job, it’s kind of a similar boat - where the majority of your time is spent working on your day job… so you don’t exactly have enough time to build up your side hustle.
         5. Unfortunately, this doesn’t change when you go independent, because you suddenly have so many more responsibilities.
         6. That’s why I suggest outsourcing as much as you can BEFORE leaving your day job.
         7. You need to get your systems in place so that the business can run smoothly when you are ready to take the leap.  You don’t want to be scrambling.
         8. Your website should be in a finished state.
         9. I really recommend hiring an Assistant Designer who is a jack-of-all-trades.  My assistant designer is amazing, because he can work on all kinds of things that require proficiency in everything from Illustrator or Photoshop to video editing in Premiere Pro.
         10. You can find really great design help on places like Fiverr or Upwork.  They keep track of the contract and the hours which is a huge help.
         11. From there, I like to use Asana to organize my projects and give a due date.  My Assistant Designer can keep up with the projects in Asana and knows what he can work on next.  It’s all in there.
         12. That frees me up to work on my artwork.

• Figure Out Your Money

1. 1. You really need to get a good handle on both your personal and business expenses BEFORE leaving your day job.
   2. I found that business expenses ended up being a lot more expensive than I ever would have guessed.  Everything from paying for a website, to an email list, to attending a trade show, to outsourcing a mountain of tasks… really adds up!
   3. Some of you may be able to move into your parents’ house or you may have a partner who supports you in the beginning.  This is all helpful, but you’ll still need a way to fund your business - especially to get it up and running.
      1. Using your day job’s salary to fund your business in the early stages is a strategy I quite like.
   4. The more you focus on building up Passive Income Streams like classes or selling digital products BEFORE quitting your day job… the more you’ll be able to focus on your licensing portfolio.  The only issue is it does take more time.  Try to be patient.
   5. It’s good to layer on an Active Income stream as well - especially if your Passive Income streams are slow or sporadic.  What I don’t like about Active Income streams is that it’s trading hours for dollars.  
      1. But!  You can generally earn more money more quickly.  
   6. Put on your Accountant hat and make a spreadsheet.
      1. Get real familiar with what your expenses will be!
      2. Ignoring them does not make them go away.
      3. Try to reduce your living expenses as much as possible.
         1. For example, my husband and I share a car that’s already paid for.  We don’t have a car payment, and because the car is old, our insurance isn’t too high either.
         2. Pay off your student loans!  If you still have student loans, you are not ready to quit your day job.
         3. Get rid of any credit card debt.
      4. Build up your resources.
         1. Think of any equipment you might need to start your business.
         2. BEFORE quitting your day job, go ahead and buy all of the fancy things.
            1. A new computer
            2. An iPad
            3. A good camera (can be used)
            4. A microphone
            5. A Pantone Book
            6. All of the art supplies you might want
            7. Any art books

 

Okay, so to recap the 6 things you should do BEFORE going full-time as an artist… we talked about:

 

• Publishing a class to Skillshare or another platform like Domestika.
• Develop Your Art Style 
• Create a Portfolio with a Large Body of Work (100 pieces)
• Find ONE On-Demand site that you’re liking 
• Start Outsourcing Business Tasks
• Figure Out Your Money

 

There’s honestly so much more I could say on this topic, but that’s a really good place to start!  Feel free to DM me over on Instagram @LaurenLesleyStudio  if you want to chat more.  I always love hearing from you all!

 

Have a wonderful day and good luck on all of your amazing art businesses!  Talk soon.

Kim is an author who works with designers on creating better business strategies on an emotional and strategic level.     Buy her book:  https://www.mebydesign.com/shop-2/branding-interior-design-visibility-and-business-strategy-for-interior-designers     QUESTIONS:   1.) What are some of the biggest problems you see designers facing?   2.) What is the best piece of advice you can provide designers when it comes to networking and getting their designs in front of the right people?   3.) How much does mindset play a role in designers feeling ‘stuck’?     4.) Do you believe that designers are lacking the right marketing or PR strategies?  Is there something deeper going on or is it a little of both?   5.) How would you advise designers to become more ‘available’ for the life they truly want?  What are some action steps they can take to become more available?   6.) How does gender play a role?   7.) So, explain to us your Visibility Strategy.  What are some step-by-step things designers can do to be more visible online and in the real world?   8.) A lot of artists and designers are introverted, myself included.  We’re not necessarily shy, but we don’t enjoy being ‘on’ and being in front of people all of the time.  Do you have any tips for introverts?  Would it be better for them to hire a PR manager or to outsource some of the extroverted tasks involved in becoming more visible?   9.) Do you have any suggestions for ways designers can earn more money in 2020?   10.) What are some of the biggest emotional hurdles designers face surrounding money and what are your tips to help them overcome these hurdles?

 

TRANSCRIPT

Speaker 1 (00:04):

What's up design tribe, but welcome back for a another episode. Now if you want to tune in to the live streams, then be sure to join in my design tribe Facebook group will where I go live with guests and do new episodes of the design tribe. To watch past episodes. Be sure to check out my playlist on YouTube for the video version and of course check out the design tribe on iTunes and Spotify for the podcast of version if you are wanting to listen while doing something else or getting crap done. All right, let's jump in.

 

Speaker 1 (00:40):

Hello. Hi everyone and welcome to today's episode with Kim Kuhteubl where we're going to discuss the her visibility strategy and also go through all kinds of questions. So Kim is an author who works with designers on better business strategies and some kind of like emotional blocks that designers sometimes have. So Kim, if you want to introduce yourself and kind of give a little bit of your backstory to everyone in the design tribe, I'm sure. Thank you so much first of all morning for having me on the show. I really appreciate it. I work with interior designers on their branding and visibility. As you said. I actually am a producer by trade and I spent a lot of time in television and contributing articles to different publications and then when I was sort of looking to transition out, I started working with a success coach and put together a package of services for interior designers and then realized, Oh wait a second, they like what I'm offering here.

 

Speaker 1 (01:39):

And it was initially video and it was blog production and blog content sort of things that I had done inside of my job as a producer is a content creator. But then I started to put together trends that were happening in terms of visibility and leadership and things that were getting in the way of designers actually getting the press or putting out the book in the world or getting the next level of client. And what it's, what I started to understand was that I was learning about women in leadership because 80% of interior designers are women. And so as I was working with them, I was learning about how women lead and also what gets in the way of them leading at their full capacity when they're creative. Right. So then what are some of the biggest problems you see designers facing? Like you said, 80% of interior designers are women I've kind of noticed as well.

 

Speaker 1 (02:39):

It's the same as true in textile design, which is my background. So yeah, I worked as a graphic designer for a little while and then I was a textile designer for seven years and I love, love, love textile design. But I did, I have noticed some kind of different design industries that women gravitate towards as opposed to men. Like a lot of industrial designers have more men tend to be more men. Yeah, it's interesting. I think that from the perspective of blocks you could, we can look at it a couple of ways. There are the business blocks and then there are the emotional blocks as a creative because fundamentally what you are as a creative, that's my dog, Ramona.

 

Speaker 1 (03:25):

We are as a creative is we're selling our creative work. And I don't know about you, but for me, when I'm being creative, I learned through my creativity. I'm a writer. I learned through my writing, I learned through the things that I create. And so when you have to offer those for sale, a lot of times there are going to be personal blocks that are involved there. So you might think, can I charge that much for my work? Is it worth it? Is it good enough? Or this work is not good enough? Because a lot of designers and creatives in general are perfectionistic. We're trying to get to our next level in terms of our creativity. So I like to look at things as done better than perfect. Otherwise nothing would get out in the world that that took a little bit of time to get there because at first I was just trying to be a perfect creative, you know?

 

Speaker 1 (04:19):

And I was like, no, well not show you that it's ugly. Or you judge it harshly. You say, that's really terrible. And meanwhile somebody else who's on the receiving end of that is finding beauty in that is finding wonder in that end. You've done your job. I think we all come here with gifts. I look at it spiritually too, that my creativity is a spiritual expression. And so there is somebody who needs to connect with that creativity and who's going to be moved by it. First it was just for me, but then eventually I'm here to serve with it. And so when you're here to serve with it, you have to get out of your own way with all of the, like the inner brouhaha that you might be telling yourself, whether you're, you have an inner mean girl or an inner insecure girl, designers.

 

Speaker 1 (05:04):

You mentioned to me that you were an introvert. And I'm an introvert as well. Most creatives are introverted. They love spending time alone. And what you have to do is choose the time that you're going to be in communication with as resists and how you're going to be in communication with others. And that's more important in that moment because you're here to be of service. Right? So I think what I'm hearing you say is that, you know, a lot of designers have these emotional blocks with, you know, kind of on one hand and I worked this price that I, that I need to charge really in order to make a decent living and support myself and also, Mmm, okay. Trying, dealing with perfectionism, you know, being afraid to really put yourself out there as, I guess what that boils down to is another block and then, Mmm.

 

Speaker 1 (05:56):

Also like when you're thinking about some of the blocks on them as an aside, at least like when it comes to something like pricing, how would an artist maybe know the market just isn't receiving what they're putting out there? Because I see that happen a lot too, where it's like, you know, you might love what you're, you know, you might love your work, you might believe in it and you're putting it out there. But if you're not seeing results, like when is a good time for an artist and maybe say, okay, like this isn't really viable for the market because you really have to have both, right? Like you have to have the emotional strength to really like put yourself out there like what you're talking about. But also there has to be a market for the product that you're putting out there and there.

 

Speaker 1 (06:37):

I don't know, there has to be someone who's willing to buy it. I I do. I love this question and I've never been asked it before in this way cause it's sparking a whole lot of things for me. Normally how I would answer it is that there's always a market for what it is you're doing. There's always a somebody who wants what it is you put out in the world. You just have to find them. And what happens is we get in our own way by thinking, Oh nobody wants to buy this. Then we start to focus on all of the reasons why nobody wants this or maybe it's not the right timing or all of those things. And so we focus on that instead of well where are the clients who want to buy this? And they might not be in your normal sphere of things, especially when it comes to design services.

 

Speaker 1 (07:23):

And this is a very common common, the problem with designers is that they have an idea in their head or they want to express their creativity in a certain way and the client wants the creativity expressed in another way and those things don't match. So they think, well I can do what they want but I'm not going to be creatively fulfilled so I can either be creatively fulfilled or I can be paid. But it can't be both. And that's not true. However, what sparking for me, when you were asking me that question was that there are many artists, the majority of artists are ahead of the curve. They're ahead of the cultural curve in terms of emotion, in terms of visuality, in terms of all of those things aesthetic. So you might be a visionary with a product that is not currently of the marketplace and you really have to figure out, I think a way to have a conversation.

 

Speaker 1 (08:20):

Cause some people are like, well they just didn't hit, the timing didn't hit. And we do see that that some people are so far ahead that they can't permeate the Geist. They can't get into the conversation, but I think a lot of times designers give up too early and we get caught up in this, again, the emotional trauma, nobody wants it. Oh maybe I suck. Well maybe this is too expensive. We go down that rabbit hole much quicker. Then we would spend the time trying to figure out who needs this now. Yes. I'm also of the belief that if you get the idea now for the moment, now you, Elizabeth Gilbert talks about this in her book, big magic. And you see this out in the world that a lot of people will get the same idea at the same time in different parts. And I think there's a, there is a reason for that, that that idea is trying to get out.

 

Speaker 1 (09:19):

So some people are more confident about that expression and if the idea doesn't get expressed, if it's not meant to be with you, it will go looking for another home. I do really agree with that. Have you read that book? I have read that book and I had kind of forgotten about that part. But yeah, I love that part. Where it was like an idea for a book and like she had, was it an idea for a book that she had and then one of her friends yep. Manifesting with one of her friends and she said it was on a kiss. Like she kissed her friends, like congratulations or something. And then she felt the idea, leave her and go to her. Her friend and her friend brings up the book. And I, I, I of, I do believe that I believe that ideas have a home.

 

Speaker 1 (10:01):

And sometimes I'm like, I, I, you know, I know for me, my creativity, I'm not always taking care of it. And so if I don't take care of my creativity, I don't feel happy as a human because it's so much a part of me. So I think as creative people, the real art for us in business is learning how to express ourselves at the highest level and then have the conversation with people in such a way that they understand the value of this work and we'll purchase it from you. Right, right. I love that. Mmm. It does kind of also bring me back to my days as a textile designer when, you know, sometimes the market just wasn't quite ready for something. Like a lot of times we would talk about something looking and I designed rugs, right? So it's not like it's not like a cool book idea or something.

 

Speaker 1 (10:54):

It's totally cool that you're doing it as a creative. It's just because, you know, me can, not everybody can, I can't design a rug. Not everybody can design a rug. So that's another thing is that we really diminish the gifts that we have because society doesn't necessarily understand it in the same way we do. But the fact that you could visualize something that goes in a room that grounds a room, that's pretty powerful in my mind. Oh, thank you. Yeah. I love designing rugs. I think what I was trying to say is just that, Mmm. I think it was pretty clear when the market was either not ready for an idea. For example, when we would do like our color research, we were seeing like a lot of [inaudible] like tans and Browns and like more warm neutrals come up. But everyone in the market in the last like five to 10 years just perfect, purchased a gray sofa.

 

Speaker 1 (11:48):

So we were like, all right, we might feel like a little too early with some of these like warm neutrals and Brown's that coming back into rugs, like people are probably still going to be going with the grays. But also at the same time, like sometimes the design might look too dated that's been in the market for a while. Like we don't need to keep designing something that looks a little bit tired or dated, so. Mmm. Yeah. So I think that, I think it's an interesting conversation. I do. I, I hadn't thought of it that way. It is an interesting conversation. Yeah. Because you, you might be ahead of the curve too far ahead of the curve in terms of, but I do believe there's always an a, a way in, otherwise you wouldn't have had the idea. And sometimes I think ideas come early to people so that we have preparedness too because they take longer to execute than we think.

 

Speaker 1 (12:37):

So that they hit the site guys like, you know, there's the book by Malcolm Gladwell that talks about the tipping point and the early the early adopters and all of the, you know, the different categories of people. And I always feel like I was always a little bit of occur ahead of the curve, but I wasn't the head a head person. Hm. But for that person, they have an audience. And I do think for creatives, we don't spend enough time cultivating our audience. We might get into judgment about who they are. We might be afraid we're not reaching them. I think a lot of creative spend a lot of time in their head, quite frankly, worried about their work and does it suck? Does my work suck? Is this worth it? Is it, should it be out there? And part of that, I have to say too, is also part of the culture.

 

Speaker 1 (13:26):

Because the culture, traditionally we'll value somebody who's coming out of finance school more highly than somebody who's coming out of sculpture school. Absolutely. Yeah. But they also value industrial designers more than, there you go. Yep. It's interesting. I dated a guy a while back that was an industrial designer and he also hired, he was a manager and hired industrial designers and they're starting salaries were like way more than a textile designer. That's a different rabbit hole. But yeah, I was like, why? Yeah. And you know, and I I T to that point, I, part of the issue is that we don't speak up whatever sort of marginalized body we are as women. A lot of the time we don't say, Hey, this is not okay. This is the value of this work. We're like, Oh, this is what we have to accept. No, we don't.

 

Speaker 1 (14:23):

So there are always people who break the paradigm who break the rules. And so if we start to say, this is actually what this work is valued, that this is how many hours it takes, this is the level, the number of years of experience I bring to this work, this is who I am as a human being. This is my original creation and this is what it's worth. And then we hold that, which is not always easy when you have bills to pay, but we hold that. Then that's kind of the work that we're doing with designers too is having designers, you know, able to ask their value and when hundreds of designers are asking for their value, then everybody starts to understand, Oh wait, Hey, I can't get this service for free. Right. Yeah, that makes sense. Yeah, I do think it's definitely systemic as well, like at least with talking about starting salaries and all of that because Mmm.

 

Speaker 1 (15:22):

I think about it from the business owner's perspective too. And if I was a business owner and I had a rug company for example, and I said, Oh well this is like the going rate for textile designers. That's what I would offer someone as well. Right? So yeah, but no, and it's true cause you're starting you, we want to be fair and you want to know what is fair, but then there's all you're always willing to pay. I use the personality, right? If you want the Chloe purse, you're going to pay for the Chloe purse [inaudible] so you have to and how do you position yourself as that person? And then we get into a whole rabbit hole of money and our perceptions of money and what does it mean to have money and a lot of creative people and I was definitely like this before as well, like money. It's like I didn't want to have that conversation. I was having a a higher conversation than just dollars and cents. Right? It wasn't just about I was having a much higher, more important conversation but being broke. You can't have the conversation in the way that you want to because you end up struggling so much.

 

Speaker 1 (16:31):

Yep. Okay. Well, what is the best piece of advice that you can provide designers when it comes to kind of like networking and getting their designs in front of the right people and kind of like becoming that Chloe purse that you just talked about? Like how do you, how do you have leverage, especially if you're just starting out or, yeah, I like trying to get your designs in front of the right people. I think we're in a time of unprecedented access for creative people to reach their audience. So so many of you, you are Jane this as well. So many of us are actually reaching our audiences on our own with our Instagram feeds or with our Facebook feeds or our YouTube channels. So building your audience, you don't need to have [inaudible] pending on what you're selling. If you're in a product based business, it's a little bit different.

 

Speaker 1 (17:20):

When I work with interior designers, their jobs can be a lot bigger. But when you're selling [inaudible] services, you don't necessarily need a ton of clients to actually earn a decent wage and earn a really good wage. You have to have the right people who are the super fans who are focused on what it is you're doing. So I would say first of all, call two eight your audience, figure out who your super fan is, who that person is, who likes to buy from you and learn all the things about them. Where do they hang out? How do they purchase, why did they purchase, when did they purchase? All of those kinds of things. And then in terms of networking, it depends on what your ultimate goal is and putting yourself, understanding how you do fit into the market. Good place. So back to that conversation, are you more cutting edge?

 

Speaker 1 (18:12):

Are you doing what other people are doing so that you can create some press for yourself? And again, myriad outlets available to us. Now, loggers, Instagram feeds, podcasters, all kinds of people looking to tell other people's stories. So find the people who are excited about your story and share with them. Because even one fan, one super fan making a purchase, it can be that purchase that tips you over the edge. So that that's something I would do. And in terms of networking, you know, for a lot of designers will I'll say do a speaking engagement for an audience that you love. For us, like getting in front of people where you can interact or if you were, if you were a textile designer, you were saying maybe it's a workshop. If you're hosting at workshop four other artists to learn how to paint, there's all kinds of creative out of the way out of the box ways you can do [inaudible].

 

Speaker 1 (19:12):

What I would say is this, but what it relies on, more importantly, and this is the part about visibility strategy, is that it's internal. So you really have to look at what is my mission here? What is my why? Why am I here to do, what am I here to do with my work? And then the strategy will present itself and associate itself with that. So as an example, you know I, my book branding, interior design and when I was writing it I was writing at one way and then I sort of started getting as you do when you create like different ideas and different research and I started taking it in a totally other direction so that when it to be published there were certain publishers for whom that was a fit. There were certain publishers from, I could have that conversation. The same with you, with your creative work, whatever it is that you're making.

 

Speaker 1 (20:04):

There are certain things that are going to be more people who are going to be a more natural fit for that. I had a client come to me once, it sounds like an odd thing and she had an idea for caskets. I know it sounds bananas, but she had an idea for caskets and then earns really modern earns. And I loved that idea because it was so specific and narrow that I, I mean everybody dies, right? So, but she could have, there's a handful of manufacturers who were doing that so she could have a conversation with the ones who didn't have, who had that gap in the market where she could potentially put her product. Now she, it, she didn't have the, the energy to go forward with that. And I think she thought the idea was crazy and I thought it was brilliant. I almost say that more crazier your idea, the more likely you will find an audience for it because it's crazy. Yeah.

 

Speaker 1 (21:08):

Sorry. I think of a, like the Snuggie like how popular it was and I'm like, what is silly idea? I dunno. I mean, I mean or, or you're too young for this, but when I was growing up there was like the cabbage patch doll, right? Or like all these doll, like all of the toys that come out and become like hits. I, you know, and now I have a one year old and he, he's singing like we're listening to the frozen soundtrack on Pandora radio the other day. I'm thinking to know how huge this movie was. They didn't know. I bet you that though it's going to, what, what was it about that film? And they couldn't do it in the second one, but what, what is it about that film that takes off? I think there are some things we don't know and that we can't contain.

 

Speaker 1 (21:53):

But if you ask testing this out by self, but if you ask to do the creative work that it's for the highest and best good of you and the highest and best good of others, you'll be given that. And if you stay committed to that focus and you don't drop it or let go or give up, you find an audience for it. So how much does mindset play a role in designers feeling stuck? Cause it sounds like that's something that you kind of deal with when you are working with designers. A lot. It is. I think it's, it is definitely a important for all human beings. We're, we're, we put so much emphasis in the culture on the money and the financial aspect of it, but business is human beings doing business. So we're emotionality where relationships where all of these things. So I think there's a point at which you can shut down your emotionality.

 

Speaker 1 (22:48):

But design is so personal. Creatives are so personal. This is where we get into trouble with boundaries a lot of times. So boundary setting is a huge problem for creatives because you want to help somewhat sometimes with your creative work and you're willing to help them more than you're willing to be paid well for what it is that you're doing. So mindset too, in terms of getting to your next level, how you feel about what you're doing in the world, how you feel about the people you're working with. I'll see a lot of designers get stuck after a month, bad experience with a client. So they've had a horrible experience with someone that they keep replaying over. I don't want that to happen again. I don't want it to happen again. And then what happens is they're attracting more and more and more of those experiences because they're focused on them.

 

Speaker 1 (23:41):

Hmm. I've been having a conversation about mindset for the last nine that I've been doing this with clients, but I'm also now having a deeper conversation about your soul as well because you're not your thoughts and your thoughts or things that you practice there. They can be good habits, they can be bad habits. You can be telling yourself good things all the time, but somebody is telling yourself that and whatever that entity and our energy is, that's who you are. And that's what she came to do. So I'm really more in touch with that. Like how are you here to serve? What lights you up, what makes you excited? And then we work on releasing whatever feelings or habits or practices that you've kind of gotten your way. And this ties very, this is what the visibility strategy really is. It's about being available. It's know visibility is about not only being seen in the traditional sense of the word, it's also about are you available? That's one of it's underused definitions. And for me, available is an internal game. We do things from the inside out. So once we have clarity on the inside, Oh, okay. Or vision is and who we want to serve, then the strategic portion like what is, do I use Instagram, do I use YouTube, how much do I charge? All of that is a lot easier once you have clarity on the first two pieces. [inaudible]

 

Speaker 1 (25:09):

Okay. So I'm going to skip ahead to a question that I think kind of relates to this conversation a little bit more and it is something that we kind of touched on earlier, but it's the fact that, you know, a lot of artists and designers are introverted and myself included some of the you know, things you were talking about, about, you know, reaching out or doing a speaking engagement. I can just like feel designer's like cringing, you know, like it's not that we're necessarily shy, but we just don't enjoy always being on all the time. And you said you're introverted as well, so I'm sure you can relate to that. And just being in Toronto people is, it just takes a lot of energy out of us. Yeah. Do you have any tips for introverts and would it be better maybe for them to hire like a PR manager or to outsource outsource, excuse me, some of the extroverted tasks that we don't necessarily want to do all the time that are involved in maybe becoming more visible.

 

Speaker 1 (26:05):

So that way became sort of reserve our energy for those times that we do need to be available and on. Yeah. Yeah. I think it has to be on a case by case basis and it depends on what your business and what it involves. So I would say I'm better at one on one connection. I actually really, I'm introverted, I like my alone time, but I like one on one connection quite a bit. So I will say seek to have those kinds of meetings and that's the way that you can accelerate your business is having, if you're a D a textile designer or designer or a maker, having the meeting with one decision maker or having a meeting with, you know, reaching out to the sales person or the vendor who you know, or that super fan is just like the one on one connection.

 

Speaker 1 (26:54):

So what I try to do is build relationships with people who don't mind being in front of many and then, and then I can have the one on one relationship and they can be the foot soldiers. Then there's also that you need downtime so that when you are going to be out in the world, you are militant about scheduling your receiving time or your downtime so that you can recover. Right? Because you have to recover. I, because I come from a production background and because I started, I started in theater, so I started getting my own press for theater and productions that I did. I'm a big fan of you doing your own press because you formed the relationship with the journalists. So it's again, that one on one and then they go to publication. You go with them. It's not rocket science. Most creatives I find have a natural instinct for where their stuff fits.

 

Speaker 1 (27:48):

No. Well, if you're a good creative, you, chances are you don't know. It's not a fit for that, or I don't want it to go there. You just, you have that innate discernment and I think you should naturally do your own press until it gets, until the requests are so great. Or if you can't say no, then you hire someone to do it for you. But I'm a big fan of starting on your own and doing it by yourself because you know your work best. You're going to have the best kind of conversations and people like you, they'll form the relationship with you as opposed to with others. And I'm sure you're good a one on one. You're happy one-on-one. Yeah. I like doing one on one. I love doing the podcast. Yeah. Interviewing people like you. So, yeah, I mean, yeah, I do enjoy that. Although if, I think if I had, if I was doing this all day, like back to back, you know, like I don't know, five hours a day, I think it would be too much. It's too much. Yeah. So we, I always have space between interviews. I actually did some coaching today. I'm like, Oh, I'm actually, I'm okay. It's okay because I was a happy group. I love my clients. So that's really important. That's really important for introverts too. All aspects of not only your supply chain, but your client chain. [inaudible]

 

Speaker 1 (29:04):

Have a, no, I don't know if we can, can we say swear words? Are you okay? I don't care. Have a no asshole policy. Right. Or don't work with pittas pain in the ass. Don't work with them. Right? Like no. And, and that's going to be different for everybody because my Pitta is going to be somebody else's dream client. So really honoring how you feel. You know, when I'm in the company and this person, I feel like crap or they don't really understand what I'm saying in terms of the collaboration. I don't want to work with them and just being okay with that and releasing them to go find somebody who's going to be great for them. But really being fierce about fit and fierce about what your fit is so that when you, or in a situation or you have bigger demands on your energy that you feel comfortable giving [inaudible].

 

Speaker 1 (29:58):

So do you believe that designers are maybe lacking their right marketing or PR strategies or something deeper going on? Or is it a little of both? And I know we kind of touched on this, but yeah, I think I have a lot of clients who are like, and again, it really depends on what it is you're selling. For interior designers perspective, some will say, Oh well Instagram. And it just depends on, again, their age demographic and also who they're serving. And I'm like, the first question I usually ask is, is your ideal client on Instagram? Well, have you ever really gotten a job from Instagram? No. Now some clients do. And then I'm like, perfect. That's where you should put your efforts. If you don't get a client from the place where you're putting your marketing efforts, don't do it. Even though everybody's saying this is what you have to do. Visibility strategies are individual, so you need to choose and figure out where your people are and then have a cover. I've noticed that I'll have a different conversation with someone. I'm sure you noticed this too. I've had a different conversation with somebody on Facebook that I do on Instagram. I get a different kind of client from Instagram than I do from Facebook, and so.

Speaker 1 (00:00):

We really pay attention to that. So what I'm posting here is different from what I posting over here and sometimes it's the same, but I'll tweak the way I come into the story. And I think again, that's something that creatives do very naturally because you're trying to fit and to please. But I think also from a visibility standpoint, what we talked about earlier, which is not thinking that your work is good enough to get press or to be seen. So not even trying to pitch or not even trying for, for years and years work goes by. That's a problem. Your work is if, if at least people who are not your mom, at least three people who are not your mom tell you I love this work or this is really beautiful [inaudible] then figure out what those people read and pitch that Daisy because you're onto something or where do they hang out online or what would they be willing to buy it?

 

Speaker 1 (00:58):

I have a friend who's a Facebook friend who I was somebody who I went to school with. I didn't know her actually very well then and on Facebook. Now she's been posting all of these paintings and I said, Oh, I love that painting. I would love to buy it. And she's like, okay. So she sells me the painting and the now she's been developing this website and she's kind of coming out as an artist because she didn't think that her work was that great. She's judgment on her work. Okay. Just because you're learning doesn't mean that I will enjoy the output of the stage you're learning at. When I looked back at my earlier films or when I look back at the earlier thing I've written, sometimes I'm like, like, or I that doesn't resonate or I like it, but I'm like, I don't even know how I got to that. I would've never gotten to that place now. That's okay. Be grateful that you did that work and then now you're onto your next set of work.

 

Speaker 1 (01:57):

From my own personal standpoint, I feel like I've gotten on these little PR cakes where I've tried to like reach out to some press, but I haven't really heard back that much. And so I think maybe designers feel like, at least for me, I felt like I needed to have maybe a little bit more of a success story before I started. You know, really putting myself out there a lot more including like being on other people's podcasts and things like that. Well I think it's more you need a story in the moment. So if you had like a new release, that's a story. If you see, you know, if you're exploring something in a way that nobody has, like you're setting a trend in the market, that's a story. So there are ways in, well what I will say about press, it's, it's a Sisyphean task.

 

Speaker 1 (02:42):

So you really have to just keep doing it. Just have to keep doing it. And you will get a lot of nos for every yes, we get silence, radio, silence or nos and you can't take it personally. So we have a three rule follow up. We kind of, we pitch, then we wait seven to 10 days, then we follow up with an email, then we follow up with a phone call, then we drop it. If we don't hear anything and then six months later if they haven't told us to like bugger off orF off, then we will follow up again and again. You just keep doing it because chances are the, in this climate, the journalist has left and gone to another publication that also, and this is a good point which I'll make quickly, but is this the idea that if your energy is too loaded, when you're pitching, you're unlikely to get the response that you want.

 

Speaker 1 (03:40):

So if you've made it by loaded pen, this is couple things. So if you've made it mean too much. Okay. Or if you are in any way hesitant. I find it such a delicate thing. I had a client, her work was stunning. Two clients we were working on, we were working on that for them and she was pitching, we were trying to picture it. I'm like, this work is beautiful. We had three yeses from publications that all of a sudden disappeared and I was like, that is weird. This is you. So we had been journey. We had this conversation where turns out she'd had all of this like, well, I'm not really sure about that publication. And then she had all this like internal stuff going on that and I do believe in energy and the flow of energy and how that impacts things. And so she left it up with that like whole, you know, brouhaha going on and just today we were talking, she's like, Oh, this publication came to me and this one came out of the blue.

 

Speaker 1 (04:38):

And I said, yeah, because she's in a great space, she's ready to be seen. She's ready to be seen authentically for who she is. She's not afraid to be seen. She's like, it would be nice to be published, but it's not going to make her break her career if she doesn't. And it comes in really easily. So I never had anything on press in my early days. And so when I was producing theater and being and shows and things, so I would get a lot of press, which could piss people off, but I just didn't have anything on it. I was like, Oh well this is what you do. Okay. So I did it and then I would get the press. And so if you have that fun, make it a game with yourself and you're like, well this is going to be fun. Let's see if I can get two or three interviews, podcast interviews or let's see if I can get like an article in this publication.

 

Speaker 1 (05:26):

Like wouldn't that be fun? And you just make it really light. Right? You're more likely to have success with it. Cool. So how would you advise designers to become more available for the life that they truly want and what are some kind of action steps that they can take to become more available? And I know you kinda just mentioned that with just kind of knocking on the door and not putting too much pressure on it. Yeah, they do some research, create a list. Maybe people that they want to reach out to podcasts that they want to be on. Blogs are, yes. So that's from a traditional visibility standpoint. From an availability standpoint, I'll, I'll address that two ways from the availability. The internal game is first getting clear on your vision and your vision of what you want your life to be like. And you might not see that.

 

Speaker 1 (06:16):

I think visions, we talk a lot about manifestation. I do believe that visions are received and they're received. When you're in an open space and you're ready to receive them, a lot of people say, I don't see what I'm supposed to do. I can't, you know, I don't understand it. I'm like, because you're probably not giving yourself permission a lot of the time or you can't believe that it could be possible. You could have the life you see in your head. So once you've, yeah, get clarity on that and you start to do any kind of release. We have visibility. I talk about visibility blocks. I'm going to be adults on it in March and talking a little bit about the visibility block and the removal process, but a lot of it is this kind of internal energetic work. Then you can create the strategy from there.

 

Speaker 1 (07:03):

So yes, in terms of the the practice physical visibility standpoint, it's understanding what you're selling, what your product is, how it, how it is, the story of [inaudible] the product and then who needs to hear that story the most and then which publications are speaking to the people that you need to speak to. I will say though that cultivating your own following, it's really one of the best things that you can do. So building your own audience, friends upon friends, doing a newsletter. I'm a huge fan of the newsletter once a week talking to the people who want to hear from you about things that are of interest to you. [inaudible] One of the best things you can do about creating business for yourself. And I guess the question I would ask with this is, you know, what is the goal of the visibility? And this goes back to that lightness piece because sometimes people think, well if I get the press then I will have made it, but the press is just one more step in either audience generation or in sales generation.

 

Speaker 1 (08:13):

So deciding what you think the press will do for you before you get it. And then saying is pressed the best way to achieve that goal. And then saying being prepared for the unexpected. So clients who have had projects published, I had one client in a show house this year and the, the room she did got picked up in multiple publications just all over the place. It created this snowball effect. It was the best case scenario. We would have never, you didn't see that happen [inaudible] and she was getting offers and meetings and all these things were happening and she was like, and we had to just breathe through that and allow her to receive at that level. Yeah. So I hope that answers the question. Yeah. I think I'm with my audience and for myself included. Like I, yeah, I'm trying to actually license my patterns now.

 

Speaker 1 (09:13):

So one of the best ways to get in front of people is to actually exhibit at trade shows. Yes. I was going to say you need to go to the licensing show. Yeah. Yeah. But it is really expensive. So Sirtex just happened in February and I did not go to that show because I now have, I'm working with an agency. So they were there representing me and my work and I love my agent, but I'm not sure, like I'm still kind of like, Oh, do I want to work with an agent, you know, longterm because I kind of miss being at the show, but I didn't really have. And that's, you know, funding to be able to, did you have you considered partnering with like five or six other designers and having a booth? Yeah, I've, I've discussed this with other designers and they, I feel like you kind of get lost in, you know, in six designers, you know, maybe with one other designer. It's, I've seen that work really well. And I did go to blueprint show last may. Yes. But with licensing, part of the problem is that you're earning royalties, which can be great, but it just takes a very long time to like really get the ball rolling with that, you know, finance. So, so this, so this is what I would say is why is the goal licensing?

 

Speaker 1 (10:25):

Mmm aye. [inaudible] First of all, you, you can maintain your own copyright on your work. Yes. You can use the same design over and over again for different industries. And it really, your name is on the work as well. So you know, you're kind of like partnering with a manufacturer who maybe sells dishes or it could be, again, rugs or pillows or any kind of home decor. It could be Carol, it could be really any product, but you're kind of partnering with that company and you get to do the artwork side of things, but they kind of handle the rest. So you're not a lockdown with the logistics and operations and trying to sell your own product. Mmm. You are also, you have more creative license because it is your brand. It is your so, and I would dig deeper with you. So then you want to maintain creative license. Do you want to have your brand? What do you want your brand to do?

 

Speaker 1 (11:26):

Mmm, but okay, I get that. I guess that's the very basic answer, but I know you have a deeper answer. But why I began, this is the work. Yeah, the word. I think it's more about leaving a legacy and kind of being known. Like when I look at other designers that you know, that we still celebrate today and their work is still being licensed you know, like Sonya Delaney or William Morris, you know, is one of the most famous examples. But I would love to leave a legacy, whereas, you know, of course we're all going to die at some point. Like we times on earlier. You think of William Morris with the agency though, right? So what do you want to be known for? Aye? To whom to whom do you want to have this impact?

 

Speaker 1 (12:20):

I mean, I don't really mind. I mean, I guess it's more women. My designs tend to be more feminine, more modern. Okay. but you see how that gives you, you have to know that. And the reason I'll say that, it's maybe not from a licensing perspective. When somebody got you in a booth. I'm just gonna just challenge the thinking a little bit. When six designers say, well I would be lost in a booth with six other designers, how is that any different than having an agent who has 30 different designers to represent inside of a booth? Yeah, I actually would argue, yeah, I would argue that six of you and I used to, because I used to do t-shirts and underwear, so this was in another life. I had a tee shirt and underwear line and we got up to 44 stores. This was like pre-internet and before I kind of knew about an inventory was like, it was like never again.

 

Speaker 1 (13:11):

And I was like all excited about licensing too, right? Like at that point. But, and it wasn't doing pattern design, it was doing words. So it was words on the tee shirts. And they were embroidered. But the thing is is that I would say this is that knowing who you are going to serve and what you wanted, like the emotional experience you would like them to have. Like, I made this and it makes me feel happy and I want them to feel happy and then fine meeting those women and then thinking to myself, well, what products could I make? Because there's ways for designers to make products in a way that actually is not fulfilled by you. Thank God that other people are fulfilling it. So it's not a licensing revenue. There's still some work involved, but maybe you're making cell phone cases or you're making key chains or you're making however you see your applications.

 

Speaker 1 (14:01):

So really going deep on how, how do I see this pattern in application and then who and then who is going to have it and then building that audience so that you have somebody cause yes, an agent. I've had multiple agents over my career fundamentally and it's been helpful definitely at times for sure. It's like a partner and it's a collaboration. It really depends on the agents. But I do think in this time you owning your art as you said, but also reaching your people in the way that you want to is actually going to be a greater service to you. So I would figure out what is it that I want my patterns to do? What applications do they have? Will these women be winning, willing to buy it from? And then creating your own strategy from that.

 

Speaker 1 (14:56):

Is that a helpful? Mmm, there might be resistance for that. Yeah. I've definitely sold products before and it's just not something I want to do again. [inaudible] Yeah, I don't know. Okay. It was, I ended up spending a lot of time selling and that's what I don't want to do. And that's the reason why I went with [inaudible] an agent. It's because they already have those relationships with a lot of the buyers and, right. Yeah, we'll see. I mean, if it doesn't end up working out longterm, that's okay. And it's, no, nothing bad about them. But it's early days. It's early days. So what you can do from their perspective and from a buyer's perspective is to have an audience. Because when people want your things, they want your things and that incentivizes whoever is on the selling or the buying end to buy it. But like, Oh, this person, we know her because of that.

 

Speaker 1 (15:58):

So coming to the press and that visibility from a very practical standpoint, but I do think you have some deeper work to do just with those questions about who is my audience really like seeing her so clearly on the other or him on it, but it's her seeing her so clearly on the other end and then figuring out what would she like me to do with this? Because you might get some brilliant idea. It might be going two women's goods or babies goods or something you've never thought of before that your agent might not have thought of either that you can give that idea to the agent to help sell or that you can create an agreement around. Because the only thing I'll say with the licensing model is that you have to have a lot of licenses. You're going to have to have a lot of licenses or a huge volume to make it, but even then it won't.

 

Speaker 1 (16:48):

It won't happen. So you have to have a lot of licenses to make viable and it's possible. But that means you're going to have to like dig down into your emotional reserve and say, okay, we're in it for the long haul and you know, show me the fastest route and just start really you can still continue to do some of that work on your own. Like identifying people for your agent. [inaudible] Doing like little letters, not sales letters. It's hard to be a creative and just be creative. So if we can reframe the conversation two, how are we connecting with people, with people who we love, then it becomes less tedious when we have to. And if you only have to have two or three of those conversations with people you like, it doesn't feel so much like sales. Yeah, that's definitely true. And I think that's definitely what I'm trying to do is kind of build up that audience.

 

Speaker 1 (17:49):

Youtube and Instagram and I'm on the Facebook group as well, so hopefully that will, well, it will help. It will help. And designers, you know, designers should be seeing depending on are you doing on on fabric as well? Yeah. Yeah. I'm having, I have some licensing deals with a fabric company. Another with a girl who's has a bad company. Right. And then my agent has been doing a lot of work and reaching out to a lot of people, but nothing has really landed yet. So she is going to land. So all I'll just say for you is put your focus on this is where it helps doing the vision. Put your focus on what it is you want, what are the outcomes you want. Put your focus there as opposed to why isn't it landing, why isn't it landing? Why isn't it landing?

 

Speaker 1 (18:39):

Cause then you just get more of that. So put your focus on, huh, I bet when I get X it's going to, we're going to do this and this will be, and then you'll get ideas based on it being done because at some, at some level it is done. Just like the design you've seen, your head is done. Right, right, right. That makes sense. That's cool. I like that. Okay. Okay. So do you have any suggestions for ways that designers can earn more money in 2020 if they are kind of struggling to get that full time income? Ask you have to ask for more money. So set a goal for yourself about what would be a stretch for you, what did you earn last year? You might may or may not have tracked that, track it, figure it out, and then say, well, what would be more and what would be a stretch?

 

Speaker 1 (19:28):

And then ask for that. So clarity of the vision, I cannot stress this enough. So much of the plan comes from that. And the way that you'll bring more money in comes from that. And then also not making any one client or way of being your source. It might be your source, but I'm thinking like what if you got a private commission from a designer to design their fabric line? You would probably be okay with that. Is that fair to say? Yeah. Yeah. So, so there are other ways then the way that you think that you're going to make money and be open to receiving those ideas and diverting from that track if the goal is more money and then back to what is the money for because the money comes in a lot faster when you know what it's for. [inaudible] So what are some of the biggest emotional hurdles that designers face surrounding money and what are some of your tips to help them overcome that?

 

Speaker 1 (20:39):

Again, it's that worthiness piece, right then I'm not worth it that I can't ask for this, that I shouldn't ask for this. And then the other thing is being in an other client's money stories so they don't have enough money for this, which is why I should charge less. That's probably the biggest one. Or they can't afford it or they're going through a rough time for now or whatever it is that you've told yourself. So staying out of that story and staying in, what is the value of what I'm doing and asking for that. The asking is important. You'd be amazed how many people just don't ask. So you can't get, you can't negotiate if you don't ask.

 

Speaker 1 (21:23):

Yeah, that is so true. And I have this one freelance client that I haven't raised my prices and okay. A year. So it's probably time to do that. There you go. Yeah. And yeah, and you know, if there's somebody who has worked with you constantly, then they like your work and you can say, look, it's time that I'm raising my prices, I'm going to raise them by this much, by this goal. And that's, that's, that's, there you go. Right. Okay. So we'll end on how does gender play a role in like everything that we just talked about? I really do think it does play a role in the way that women are socialized. And as I said, being able to look at mostly women in terms of interior design. There are recurring themes that pursuing our creativity is selfish, that we're being selfish, that we're supposed to take care of everybody else, that we don't really need to have this creative expression.

 

Speaker 1 (22:21):

And that's just not true. Also in terms of the value piece, we're schooled to be less, less weight, right? Less in age, lesson size, less. All of these things were schooled to be less, but we are in fact [inaudible] and we're, we're taking on that programming. I think if you, you know, there's that boo ha happening with the Superbowl right now and women saying, Oh, you know, I gender looking at Jennifer Lopez, his body made me feel bad. And I think to myself, well why didn't it make you feel bad? What does she have to do with you? That is for expression or expression. But it's because we've been trained [inaudible] for feedback. We've been trained to look for other look to others for our value, which is why we have such a hard time setting it. And if we go inside and really get the full view or when we do state it, other women sometimes end men especially too, depending on who we're dealing with, we'll police this and say, well that's not where, or what do you, why do you think you can ask for that?

 

Speaker 1 (23:36):

Well, why wouldn't I be able to ask for that? So it's us really standing in our value and speaking our, so you use it and have you visibility will demand that you use your voice and it will demand that you ask for your value. Because, and again, back to the spiritual perspective, you're an expression of unlimited source. So why wouldn't you be able to ask for X amount or Y amount and why would you be here to live with this creative gift that can allow you to be in service on a very high level and live in, in poverty? That doesn't make sense. So we have to start changing the conversation about what we're asking for [inaudible] and creatives. Because what I noticed with creatives when they get going and when they understand their value, when they're receiving more income, they're in service to everybody as a whole.

 

Speaker 1 (24:37):

They're really looking at solving problems. Creatives look at solving problems, answering questions that, that a lot of other disciplines don't even ask. Yeah, that's a really good point. So I'm, I want to pop over to the design tribe Facebook group and anybody has any questions? Who's watching live? We do have a comment from Jen, Hey Jen, if you're still watching. She says yes, it's so important for women to be empowered in their work in creativity. So I think that you've definitely helped inspire a lot of people today. If anyone else is watching, feel free to drop us a question live and I'll wait for just a couple of minutes to see if we get any questions. But other than that, I'm Kim, thank you so much for coming. Thank you. It's been so much fun. I'm like, Oh, I'm live today. It's been fun to be live there you go live very often.

 

Speaker 1 (25:36):

I go live in our Facebook group once a week and it's sometimes I'm happy if there happens to be one eyeball and I can just order no eyeballs and they can turn it off really quick if I mess up. It's just but it's nice to be interviewed and ask the questions cause when you're, when you're having to think of things and I'll script pain sometimes, but I'm not always as eloquent as I'd like to be. Oh, you are. Thank you. Or Juliet. I was, I was by today, or my baby gets crying, or the dogs get barking and then I'm like, I don't have to worry about that. You don't have to worry about that right now. It's all good. Right? Well, any other questions from our Facebook group right now, but I'm sure a lot of people will be watching the replay, so if you are watching the replay, drop us a comment below and we'll get back. Great. Thank you so much. Thank you. I appreciate it. Love it. Okay, bye guys. I hope that you enjoy today's and make sure to hit that subscribe button and click the little bell to get notified every time a come out with a new video and of course, make sure to subscribe to the actual podcast so that if you are busy and trying to do other things, that you're still not missing an episode. I love you guys and I'll see you in the next episode. Bye guys.

 

How do you sell on Patternbank successfully?  What do successful pattern designers do differently?  Neil Elliott from Patternbank gives us tons of tips for Patternbank success!

 

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Questions asked:

1. Could you please introduce yourself and tell us a little of Patternbank’s history?
2. Could you please explain the process to signing up for Patternbank and getting started?
   1. (A lot of designers had questions about their file submissions, things like that.)
3. Can you please explain the different types of licenses available to buyers on Patternbank and what they mean for the artist?
4. Patternbank includes some amazing trend insights. How important is it for artists to follow these trends? In general, do your stats confirm that these trends sell better on your site overall?
   1. Which categories are considered classic and always sell well? Florals, textured prints, etc?
   2. Your trend page includes SS and FW trends. When is the best time of year for artists to be uploading designs for an upcoming season?
5. How often should designers be uploading new patterns? Are designs shown in chronological order or is there an algorithm?
   1. It would be amazing for artists to be able to see new keywords clients are searching for.
6. How would you describe patterns that look the most commercial? What characteristics do they have?
7. Your newsletter suggests that designers edit, update, & delete designs. Can you explain why that should be a priority for artists and how it may affect their sales?
8. What percentage of Patternbank customers are in the Fashion industry? Home Décor, Stationery, Accessories? What / who is the biggest industry buying on Patternbank?
9. Do Premium Designs or Standard Designs sell better overall?
10. When a design sells, what percentage goes to the artist and what percentage goes to Patternbank?
11. When an artist uploads their designs to Patternbank under the Standard License, can they sell the design on other platforms?
12. When an artist sells a design, they’re able to see who the client is and click on the client’s profile. However, there isn’t any further information or way for the artist to follow up with the client. Does Patternbank plan to add any functionality here? Would it be beneficial to strengthen relationships between clients and artists who fit their aesthetic needs?
13. Do you have any tips or advice on the quality of design uploads?
14. How important are extra assets to clients? Unfortunately, they cannot preview extra assets such as original drawings, color ways, etc, so does it really affect their buying decision?
15. Should artists be working with Pantone colors? What color mode is recommended? RGB, Hex Code, CMYK?
16. How does Social Media play a role? If an artist uploads a new design to Patternbank - is that enough? Or should they share it on social media, too? If yes, which channels and how often? Please explain.
17. According to your data, do vector or raster files sell better on Patternbank? Or does it matter?
18. Does Patternbank only accept repeat patterns or can artists also upload placement prints? For example, I used to be an in-house Textile Designer and I designed a lot of rugs and pillows that had placement prints. In fact, my Art Director would often give the criticism that a rug designed looked “too much like fabric,” which meant repeats were not ideal for a rug design.
    1. Other artists may wonder if they could ever sell an illustration that included several supporting or blender patterns on Patternbank to accommodate different markets?
19. The wonderful thing about Patternbank is that artists don’t have to make the big investment up front to go to a trade show to meet clients. That can be really expensive and can take a lot of time to see a positive ROI.
    1. The down side for artists is that they remain somewhat anonymous on the site. In a traditional licensing contract, an artist can negotiate to have their name or brand on any product using their art. Companies like Anthropologie or Target will often do an artist spotlight with an entire collection of products with the artist’s work.
    2. Would Patternbank ever consider adding a License that gave the artist a little more exposure to the end consumer, both retail and E-Commerce worlds?

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How do you sell on Patternbank successfully?  What do successful pattern designers do differently?  Neil Elliott from Patternbank gives us tons of tips for Patternbank success!

 

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Questions asked:

1. Could you please introduce yourself and tell us a little of Patternbank’s history?
2. Could you please explain the process to signing up for Patternbank and getting started?
   1. (A lot of designers had questions about their file submissions, things like that.)
3. Can you please explain the different types of licenses available to buyers on Patternbank and what they mean for the artist?
4. Patternbank includes some amazing trend insights. How important is it for artists to follow these trends? In general, do your stats confirm that these trends sell better on your site overall?
   1. Which categories are considered classic and always sell well? Florals, textured prints, etc?
   2. Your trend page includes SS and FW trends. When is the best time of year for artists to be uploading designs for an upcoming season?
5. How often should designers be uploading new patterns? Are designs shown in chronological order or is there an algorithm?
   1. It would be amazing for artists to be able to see new keywords clients are searching for.
6. How would you describe patterns that look the most commercial? What characteristics do they have?
7. Your newsletter suggests that designers edit, update, & delete designs. Can you explain why that should be a priority for artists and how it may affect their sales?
8. What percentage of Patternbank customers are in the Fashion industry? Home Décor, Stationery, Accessories? What / who is the biggest industry buying on Patternbank?
9. Do Premium Designs or Standard Designs sell better overall?
10. When a design sells, what percentage goes to the artist and what percentage goes to Patternbank?
11. When an artist uploads their designs to Patternbank under the Standard License, can they sell the design on other platforms?
12. When an artist sells a design, they’re able to see who the client is and click on the client’s profile. However, there isn’t any further information or way for the artist to follow up with the client. Does Patternbank plan to add any functionality here? Would it be beneficial to strengthen relationships between clients and artists who fit their aesthetic needs?
13. Do you have any tips or advice on the quality of design uploads?
14. How important are extra assets to clients? Unfortunately, they cannot preview extra assets such as original drawings, color ways, etc, so does it really affect their buying decision?
15. Should artists be working with Pantone colors? What color mode is recommended? RGB, Hex Code, CMYK?
16. How does Social Media play a role? If an artist uploads a new design to Patternbank - is that enough? Or should they share it on social media, too? If yes, which channels and how often? Please explain.
17. According to your data, do vector or raster files sell better on Patternbank? Or does it matter?
18. Does Patternbank only accept repeat patterns or can artists also upload placement prints? For example, I used to be an in-house Textile Designer and I designed a lot of rugs and pillows that had placement prints. In fact, my Art Director would often give the criticism that a rug designed looked “too much like fabric,” which meant repeats were not ideal for a rug design.
    1. Other artists may wonder if they could ever sell an illustration that included several supporting or blender patterns on Patternbank to accommodate different markets?
19. The wonderful thing about Patternbank is that artists don’t have to make the big investment up front to go to a trade show to meet clients. That can be really expensive and can take a lot of time to see a positive ROI.
    1. The down side for artists is that they remain somewhat anonymous on the site. In a traditional licensing contract, an artist can negotiate to have their name or brand on any product using their art. Companies like Anthropologie or Target will often do an artist spotlight with an entire collection of products with the artist’s work.
    2. Would Patternbank ever consider adding a License that gave the artist a little more exposure to the end consumer, both retail and E-Commerce worlds?

                                 

➡️ Get your copy of my 2022 Trend Guide:

• https://www.laurenlesley.com/trend-2022

 

🎧 LISTEN TO THE DESIGN TRIBE PODCAST: ⭐️ Be sure to leave a rating + a review!

• iTunes: https://apple.co/2xZIPsy
• Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2LHe2TB

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TRANSCRIPT:

Speaker 2 (00:06):

Hey, what's up. Y'all I'm here in beautiful Atlanta. And today I wanted to talk to you about trends. I'm currently in a deep dive of trend research for 2022 and wanted to let you know that I've got several pre-order discounts going on for my 2022 trend guide, plus a live workshop for those of you who sign up early, just head over to my website@laurenleslie.com and click on trend. Leslie is spelled with an E Y and join my email list to get the next discount. All right, thanks for listening to the design drive. Let's start the episode.

 

Speaker 3 (00:44):

Okay. So why are trans important? I think this is the first question we should start out with because there are designers out there who really hate trends and they don't think trends are important. They have no interest in following them. They maybe see trends as being cheap and too commercial or, you know, kind of like it kind of like you lose yourself as a designer. If you're chasing trends all the time, you don't really have sort of this aesthetic that defines your own brand. But to me, I really see trends as art. Especially when you are looking at runway shows and some of the, you know, beginning stages of where these trends are developing. And I mean, it really is art. And I know that these things have a commercial use and that the trends are going to kind of push sales for a lot of products.

 

Speaker 3 (01:41):

Right. And, you know, I understand why people will see that as you know, oh, it's a gimmick or it's a sales tactic, but the thing is of that transit sell for a reason. And it's because they're inspiring. And I don't think that these two concepts are mutually exclusive, right? Like I don't think that just because something sells well, it's automatically not art or it's automatically cheap, right. Just because it's commercial, it doesn't mean that it's not a really amazing and deep and valuable. And so I think that, you know, when you really start to dive into the beginning stages of how these concepts come about from the designer's imagination, right. And the experimentation, and, you know, putting together kind of insane materials. And in ways that, you know, to the current mainstream would seem crazy. Like if you look at a lot of runway trends, they seem kind of nuts and it's because they are exaggerated it's because it is a place where, you know, clothes and apparel and design ideas can be whatever they want because they aren't actually going to be selling in this form.

 

Speaker 3 (02:52):

Right. The life cycle of a trend is that it starts out on something like their runway and it's really wild and really crazy. And then retailers kind of tend to the Trinity retailers tend to be the first ones to jump on that trend, but they water it down a bit. Right. It's not like you're going into a trendy store and seeing the exact same thing that you would have seen in runway fashion. So it's watered down a little bit and it's made more digestible for the average consumer. And then you have, you know, stores and retail brands that are, you know, kinda in the middle there, they're not super Trinity, but you know, they, they see these Trinity stores and they see that, oh you know, proof of concept, right. That people are actually buying these things. So, all right, maybe we'll dabble.

 

Speaker 3 (03:42):

Maybe we'll stick our toe in the water and we'll try this trend. It's a little scary, but we'll try it. And then, you know, those stores, they start selling and, you know, people love it and more and more people jump on the trend. And when more people see that other people are wearing X, Y, Z, or have this kind of trend in their home with its home decor, you know, whatever the category is, then they're like, oh, well, if these people can, can pull it off, then I can pull it off. I think I can pull it off now because I've seen it enough times. Right. And then the mass market stores are like, oh, everyone's behind this trend. So we need to sell it. And then that's when the Walmarts and the Sam's clubs and sort of middle America adopts the trend. And then the market gets really saturated, right?

 

Speaker 3 (04:30):

It, it gets kind of overwhelmed by this trend and then it's not special anymore. Once the market is oversaturated, then it's not special anymore. And that's when the trend, you know, it can coast for a few years. Sometimes it depends on the trend. Every trend will have its own life cycle. We can't say a trend lasts for exactly one season or it lasts for exactly three years. Like some trends last longer than others. But once we see the market gets saturated and sales start to dip, then we kind of know it's not special anymore. It's not fashion forward. It's not exciting. It's not holy crap. Like only, only something you would see people wearing in New York city. Right. And so that's when we see the trend to start to die off. And it kind of just becomes this, this mountain curve where it starts out slow.

 

Speaker 3 (05:22):

Only the trendiest stores are, are willing to put it in and try it out. And then when it really gets into the mass market stores and starts to saturate the market, that's the peak, right. And we don't know how long that peak is going to last. It can again, coast for awhile, but after that, it starts to decline and dipped out. And that's when you start to see it and like clearance stores and things like that. And so that's sort of the life cycle as a trend. But going back to the question are trends important. I think trends are so important. And I think that when people see trans as only being a means to sell or they own, they only see trends as, you know, cheap or commercial or not really worth paying attention to, I think they're kind of missing the point because trans really define our time.

 

Speaker 3 (06:13):

Right. I mean, imagine if you couldn't tell the difference between 70 1970s fashion and 1920s fashion, what if it all looked the same, which is kind of like the way things looked, you know, throughout the 17 hundreds or throughout the 18 hundreds, like trends happened, but very, very, very slowly. And once we hit the 20th century, that's when things get a lot more interesting and we're able to, you know, really separate the decades by fashion and by trend. And so trends are important because they define you. They define where you are in this life, in this decade. And we all get to decide that, and I want to share a little quote from Matthew Smith that says either embrace trends or define them, but never complain about them. And I think that's so true because trends are what they are. And they're kind of magical trends really are defining the present era that we're all living in.

 

Speaker 3 (07:16):

And that's what will kind of put us in the history. But so it's kind of what we'll be remembered for, you know, other than, you know, major historical events. But that's how, you know, our look, our fascia and that's how we'll be kind of looked on in an historic way. And they allow us to define ourselves and kind of to eternalize ourselves in this recognizable aesthetic. And what's really cool about that is that as designers, we get to be a part of that. So I would say we should all appreciate trends. Right? another thing that designers are sometimes concerned about is that they'll lose their individuality. If they focus on trans, you know, they're worried that this brand that they've built for themselves or, you know, the thing that they're known for is going to disappear if they chase every trend.

 

Speaker 3 (08:04):

And I think that that is true and also false. And so let me explain that for a second. I think that you have to know as a designer, when to be discerning and when a trend is not for you and not every trend is going to be for you and that's okay. However, some trends will fall into your brand. They will fall into the industry that you're targeting, right. If elephants are really trendy in baby decor this season that might not really apply to me if I'm designing rugs, especially if they are area rugs that are not for children, right. That's not going to help me very much. And so you obviously have to focus on the industry, make sure that it's relevant to the audience and the consumers that you're targeting with your designs. And with that being said, I think that if you've developed your own art style, then you don't have to deviate from that in order to follow a trend.

 

Speaker 3 (09:05):

Right? So back when I got my very first in-house job in textile design, I was the licensing coordinator and designer for our license or a Candace Olson. And if you're familiar with home decor, she was a big name, one of the first big, big shows on HDTV. And yeah, she was really big and she had a very established brand in a very established aesthetic. And this was back in 2012 when Chevron was all the rage, Chevron was starting to pick up, it was everywhere. It was selling really big. And she was a designer who was kind of like, eh, like Chevron's not really my look, you know, like she didn't do geometrics. She was very transitional, had various soft color palettes and this and that. However, she decided because it was selling so much and it was such a big trend to do her own version of Chevron.

 

Speaker 3 (09:59):

That was kind of this soft Chevron, right. It wasn't too, it wasn't a two color, hard-lined a pointy Chevron. It was a very kind of organic Chevron with multicolors and soft colors that kind of blended together and used sort of this blended yarn. And she just, she made it her own. And so if you do have a very established art style and an established brand, I'm not saying to deviate from that, I am saying that you can jump on a trend early and you can stand to make a lot of money if you're going to ride that wave. Right. Remember the mountain graphic we kind of talked about and how it starts out just at this small incline. And then it starts to really take off and sales just increase and increase and increase until you hit that peak. But if you wait until the trend hits the peak, then you're going to be kind of out of luck, you know, unless it's a trend that just goes on and on and on and on and on, and we can't get rid of it, which does happen with some trends, but it's better to get on the trend really, really early.

 

Speaker 3 (11:04):

Because if you catch the trend early, then you can really ride that wave and your designs are going to be already done. They're going to be done and ready to sell by the time the wave really crests right and hits its peak. And so my point in saying all of this is that you don't have to lose your individuality by focusing on trends. Oftentimes I like to think of trends as a particular subject matter. So if let's say butterflies are trending in print and pattern design, then how am I going to draw butterflies in a way that's in my style in a way that's different from other artists or from what I've seen already, how can I interpret this butterfly trend? Maybe I look at the pattern that's in the wing of the butterfly and I recreate that pattern and I'm actually drawing individual butterflies, or maybe I'm drawing butterflies in pen and ink in a way that's, you know, stylistically relevant to me or relevant to my industry. And so there isn't any need to be afraid of trends in terms of losing your individuality. I think it's a way to express your individuality through a certain subject matter.

 

Speaker 3 (12:20):

Yeah. I just wanted to take a quick break to let you know that I'm currently taking pre-orders for the 2022 trend guide. If that sounds like something you'd be interested in head over to Lauren leslie.com. Remember Leslie is spelled with an E Y and click on trend to sign up for my email list and get the next discount. All right. That's it. Let's dive back in. I know some of you are probably wondering, well, what are the transfer 2022. So let's talk about some of them. Okay. So one of the first things I'm really noticing is that we're moving away from cool neutrals, especially grays and, and especially in home decor. So in apparel, you know, it's not really so predominant, but in home decor, people love their neutrals because you're making a bigger investment. It's going to be something you're going to have around for a long time.

 

Speaker 3 (13:14):

Generally speaking, if you're investing in a sofa or an area rug or wall color, you know, it's not something you necessarily want to change out every year. And so trends in home decor tend to last a little bit longer, especially the neutrals. And back in 2012, when I got my first in-house job as a textile designer, it's like the Browns were out right. And gray was all the rage. It was fresh. It was cool. It was, it was just hot, you know, it was trendy. And then the market got saturated with grays and it's coasted for a while because it is a neutral, it's not too upsetting. It's not anything that's going to rock the boat too much. Right. But I'm starting to see now a shift back to warmer neutrals. And I don't think we're quite at the chocolates yet, but I think the tans, the beiges the sort of the sort of white desert type of looks are coming in.

 

Speaker 3 (14:12):

And I love it. I'm I'm ready for it. Right. Because we've had a gray for a while now, we've had a lot of gray. And so I don't know that home decor is quite there yet. Again, home decor tends to follow fashion and apparel. So we're going to see brand new trends come out and fashion and apparel first, and then home decor generally follows that. And so I'm seeing a lot of warmer neutrals and I'm personally really excited about it. Back in 2020 when I was buying sweatpants, I was like, Hmm, I think I'm going to go for these beige sweatpants. That looks kind of fresh. Haven't seen that in a while. And so, you know, it's starting to happen. I'm also seeing a lot of pastels and pastels are not something that's brand new to this trend season. However, I do want to discuss how trends kind of evolve and the evolution of trends.

 

Speaker 3 (15:06):

And so I remember several years ago when millennial pink kind of first made its appearance and especially working in home decor, my, my managers, my bosses were like, no, we're not doing millennial pink. Right? Like they just, they remembered when pink was really big in the eighties and then it was out for so, so, so long that they were like, I don't trust this. This is a fad instead of a trend it's gonna, it's gonna sell quick and short and no, one's, it's not going to catch on. And holy crap, a few years later, my art director was like, you know, I really thought millennial pink was going to be short-lived and it's still here. And that was a few years ago. And I make that point because pink is still, it's still relevant, you know, and, and certain industries are going to have different interpretations of millennial pink home decor is going to be more muted and more dulled down, especially if it's, you know, a wall color, you know, a throw pillow can get away with being a little more exciting, but in home decor things have to be livable, right?

 

Speaker 3 (16:11):

In fashion, we can be wild and in a throw pillow or something small, that's easy to change out. We can be a little bit more fun and wild, but millennial pink, this is a good example of how a trend has evolved, because now I'm starting to see more lavender come out and more combinations of sort of this millennial pink that shifted into sort of these pinkish purples. And I love seeing that. And, and we've also seen it kind of become its own neutral in terms of it's dulled down enough, it's a little bit orangy. It's almost this bisque pink or a pink that you would see in an actual blush in makeup or paired in kind of some of these desert types of looks. And so we've seen the millennial pink evolve and shift, and it's really exciting to see it change. I'm also noticing in terms of color, some sort of ice cream colors that are again, kind of in that same, you know, playground of pastels, but they're a little bit darker and they're a little bit duller and that's really fun to see as well.

 

Speaker 3 (17:16):

It's again, just something you would kind of see in an ice cream or in, in the outside of buildings that are maybe interpreted as a little bit out ish. It's sort of this powdered or chalky pastel color. Again, that's a little bit darker, a little bit less Eastery, if you will. I'm also seeing a lot of plaids and I've created one mood board in my trend guide called a picnic party. And so you'll have to actually buy the trend guide to be able to see what I'm talking about, but picnic plaids are another trend that I'm seeing quite a lot. Mushrooms is another one, and I'm seeing mushrooms everywhere. I'm seeing mushrooms, not just in fashion, but also in like health articles, like just the topic of mushrooms and how they benefit your health. And, you know, whether some cultures are kind of pro mushroom cultures or pro fungus fungi cultures, I guess, and you know, how kind of the us and some of the Western countries are sort of anti mushroom or antifungal guy cultures.

 

Speaker 3 (18:22):

And it's true. I mean, growing up, I hated my shoes. I hated the texture. I still don't really love the texture to be honest. I like the flavor, but you know, some, some cultures are just more more inclined to be a mushroom culture, I guess, in their foods. And so fashion has sort of latched on to that as well. And I'm seeing, you know, types of mushroom prints. I'm seeing mushrooms being illustrated. I'm seeing sort of the textures and mushrooms being replicated as well. So mushrooms is another really big trend for 2022 and that's one to pay attention to. So another trend that I've seen evolve quite a bit has been this tropical trend, or sometimes sort of also a jungle type of trend. And we've seen this trend kind of expand and explode and evolve into sort of different branches off of coming off of this trend, if you will.

 

Speaker 3 (19:18):

And so in the past, we've seen a lot of big cats. I think big cats are going to continue to sell, but you know, it's not a brand new trend anymore. So I think that this trend is continuing to evolve. And I think that we're going to see the focus shift onto some other kind of jungle safari type of animals. And I'm not going to say which ones, because I want you to buy the trend guide. I've done a ton of work and I've put a ton of hours into doing all this research for you so that you can save time. And so that you don't have to. And of course you can do your own trend research if you like. There's no pressure, but if you're interested in trends, I hope that you will at least take a look and join my email list to get a good discount.

 

Speaker 3 (20:05):

Hey, I hope you learned so much from this discussion on trans today. Be sure to follow me over on Instagram at Lauren Leslie studio. And don't forget to check out the show notes to get the link to my 2022 trend guide. If for some reason you can't find it, just shoot me an email over@laurenatlaurenleslie.com. Make sure to leave a rating and review. And if you're willing to give this episode just a little extra love, take a screenshot on your phone and share the episode over on your Instagram stories. It would literally mean the world to me. And you can tag me at Lauren Leslie studio. I love you so much. And I hope this episode gave you a tons of insights for how to use trends to maximize your profits in 2020. You too.

 

Speaker 1 (20:47):

All right guys. See you next time. Bye.

 

 

 

 

 

Have you set goals for 2020?  This episode is all about planning for 2020 with intentional goals.

Soo excited for this next podcast episode with special guests from Art of Floors, Tom Ethridge and Katie Stewart, we'll be discussing what it means to design for the Hospitality industry and how creativity plays a role.

In this episode, we discuss the following questions:

1.) [Tom & Katie] From a design standpoint, how is Hospitality different from other industries? 2.) [Tom] How did the idea for Art of Floors get started? What role does creativity play at Art of Floors? 3.) [Katie] What are some design styles that Hospitality clients are drawn towards and why? 4.) [Tom & Katie] If a designer would like to work in the Hospitality industry, what are some essential things you’d look for in a portfolio? 5.) [Tom] How do you see the Hospitality industry changing in the next 5-10 years? How does Art of Floors plan to evolve and “future-proof” its business? 6.) [Katie] What are some up & coming trends you see coming specifically into the Hospitality segment? How do you do your trend research? 7.) [Katie] What types of software do designers need to know to work in Hospitality? Or is it different for every company? 8.) [Tom] How do handmade goods play a role in Hospitality? Do you see a rise in demand for handmade products or only in certain niches? 9.) [Tom] Do you see Art of Floors expanding into other categories? Would you ever offer pillows, upholstery fabrics, or other types of products? 10.) [Katie] Walk us through your career as a designer. You have an interesting story and made some major sacrifices being long distance with your (now) husband. What advice would you give entry level designers who are looking for a new opportunity? 

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How do you build an email list in 2020 as a designer? I love our questions for me in the Design Tribe FB Group.

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How do you get your artwork licensed? And how do I find an art agent? Should I even work with an agent at all? These are all great questions I was getting in the Design Tribe FB Group.

 

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This episode is all about why Designers need an Email List.  I see amazing designers focus their energy, time, and attention on social media while ignoring their email list... and while social media is important to growing your business...  it has nothing on email!  Listen to find out why.

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TRANSCRIPT:

Speaker 1:                    00:00               Hey, what's up fools? This is Lauren with Lauren Lesley Studio and today we're going to be talking about why every designer needs an email list. Now you may be thinking, what is an email list and why does it matter? And if you're wondering that you are in the right place. Today we're going to go over why you need an email list in the first place. Why an email is different from social media, how to choose a provider and how to get subscribers on your list and how to craft your newsletter.

Speaker 1:                    00:35               So the problem with social media, okay, so although social media is very important to growing your business online, you don't own it. So a few years ago, every business was trying to get as many people as possible to like their facebook page because then they would show up naturally in their facebook newsfeed. Well, facebook decided to change their algorithm because they own facebook, you don't. And now business page or pages are basically dead. So business has spent all this energy, all this money marketing, um, and everything trying to get people to like their facebook page. And then in the end, it didn't really make a whole lot of sense. It was totally useless because they didn't actually own all of these likes. I mean, facebook was, could just change it at any minute. Um, another reason why social media is a little bit harder than email is because it's difficult to contact your tribe directly if you're putting a ton of energy and a ton of money into social media, uh, especially a platform like facebook or instagram, you just Kinda have to cross your fingers and say a little prayer and hope people see your stuff in their feed.

Speaker 1:                    01:55               Like what if they're not on their feed that day or they're, you're posting at the wrong time or you're posting at a time where there's too much competition. So it's difficult to contact your customers or get your leads directly.

Speaker 1:                    02:12               Email lists, on the other hand, bomp bomp bomp allow you to contact your customers and leads directly in their inbox. So it's intimate. Um, you're contacting them directly on social. You're posting for the whole wide world. So that means something to your potential leads or customers. I'm a thoughtful email is a lot. It's just, it's more intimate, it's like chatting with a good friend and it's intentional, you know that someone sat down and crafted this email very intentionally where sometimes social just kind of looks like, Oh, here's a pretty picture. Hope you like it, you know? Cool. Also email subscribers are way more likely to become customers and existing customers are more likely to become repeat customers. Can I get a hell yeah?! Also with email lists, conversion rates are high. According to opt in monster article on May 29th, 2018. So this is very recently guys, there are 2.6 billion - billion with a b email - users versus 1.7 billion facebook users. So email is pretty much like double,

Speaker 2:                    03:29               um,

Speaker 1:                    03:31               the amount of facebook users are. So you just have a bigger audience to work with in the first place. Not everyone is on facebook. My cousin who's in his twenties is not on facebook. My fiance, who's, you know, 35 has a facebook account, but he literally never ever, ever, ever logs in. Unless I tell him, hey, you need to go contact this person or there's an event we're going to, you need to respond to. Some people just aren't that active on facebook, but everyone is on email for 58 percent of people email us their first check of the day so they may wake up and grab their phone and immediately what do they do? Look at their email or maybe they have breakfast, have their coffee drive to work, and then what do they do? They look at their email first thing,

Speaker 2:                    04:20               um,

Speaker 1:                    04:22               and only, I mean that's versus only 11 percent of people who look at facebook first part of the day. Um, and you also have to take into account different age groups, like what's your target audience? This and that. I'm someone checking facebook first thing in the day. They may be out on school break or may not have, you know, a huge to do list that day. So that kind of factors into also who you're trying to target. Okay. So 77 percent of people find promotional material acceptable in email. What that means, Hey, if you're sending a promotion, people aren't gonna be offended if you send them an email about it. They're like, yeah, that's cool. That's what email is for. This is where I want to look up sales and coupons and deals. Like I don't want to see it on my social media feed. I'm only four percent of people find it acceptable to see promotional material on facebook that's supposed to be this intimate time for their friends and family. That's what facebook was originally. It was supposed to be connecting with first your college friends. Um, and then it kind of extended and it's more of your family now and whatever, but that's opposed to be social. It's not supposed to be where you're shopping. Like you don't want to get on facebook to shop. Um, you want to get on facebook to see who had acute new baby or um, you know, who went to the beach last weekend.

Speaker 2:                    05:51               Um,

Speaker 1:                    05:53               so emails deliver an excellent Roi which is return on investment for those of you who might not know, um, which has 21 percent of the time versus a facebook and twitter ads are about 15 percent Roi. So get this guys, 66 percent of consumers have made a purchase because of a promo email. How cool is that? Sixty six percent. I think that's pretty good. Uh, versus only 20 percent has made a purchase based on a facebook promotion. So that Kinda shows you, hey, like people are kind of turned off by seeing, you know, promotions and ads on their facebook newsfeed. They're kind of like, Ugh, gross. Like I don't want to see that here. Um, but you know, in their email it's totally acceptable.

Speaker 1:                    06:45               Email reaches 79 percent of the people you send it to 'em and this is the average global inbox placement rate. Just Fyi, facebook's organic reach. Get this guys, this is crazy. It's declined to about one to six percent, one to six percent. How crazy is that? What does Mark Zuckerberg doing? I mean, really, really? So you put all this effort and energy into, you know, posting something on facebook or instagram and facebook's organic reach, like they're literally, they're trying to force people to buy ads so that your stuff even get seen, which is crazy. Like they should not, I mean in my opinion, and this is my opinion, but I don't think they, I understand they have to get paid. Okay? Like, yes, everyone has to get paid, totally get that, but it's just not fair. It's just not fair to, you know, basically fuck with the algorithm that much to try to force people into paying for ads just to be seen on facebook.

Speaker 1:                    07:47               Like, Hey, facebook, guess what? You're not that important email as a way better. I'm a statistics than and reach and effectiveness than you do. And so you're only hurting yourself. You're only hurting yourself. Facebook declining the organic reach, you know, maybe you could say, oh, ads have a boost that organic reach doesn't, but don't fuck with it and make it, you know, totally obsolete. That's just not cool. Like, no one's going to be on a platform if they can't, um, you know, share the cool things that they're doing. Um, yeah, so that means if you're, your pays, blah, blah, blah, I can't talk. That means if you're posting on facebook, only one to six percent of your facebook fans will actually see your posts, which really totally blows. So the bottom line is email has far greater reach than social media if you couldn't figure that out already.

Speaker 1:                    08:47               So you're probably thinking, how do I get started? Well, I'm glad you asked. I'm here to tell you. So the first thing you want to do is choose an email service provider and I'm going to recommend three different options for you guys. So the first one is convert kit. Now I can't personally recommend convertkit because I've never used it, but I hear people rave about it all the time. So it may be one that you want to look into. Some of the pros are that it allows you to tag customers so that you can target them more effectively. And bloggers love it. Um, it's really helpful for small businesses and um, and sending like a content upgrades for your blog posts. It's easy to send those downloads and that kind of thing. Uh, some of the cons are it's $29 a month for the bottom tier guys.

Speaker 1:                    09:40               So they have zero freemium option. There's no free option for if you're just starting out and it's not the most user friendly in the beginning. Um, I've heard people complain that, you know, um, they had a little bit of a hard time figuring out at first it's not as intuitive starting out, uh, the next email service provider that you could work with is mailchimp. Now, some of the pros of mailchimp is it's free for your first 2000 subscribers. That's pretty cool. I mean, you got to get mail chimp credit for this. Um, it's only $10 a month after that and then the tiers kind of increased from there. And one of the reasons I like mailchimp is because it easily integrates with squarespace. So I use squarespace for my, um, my website. And so mailchimp really easily integrates with them. So it's just like smooth sailing to collect emails from using mailchimp.

Speaker 1:                    10:40               Um, and one little other pro is, it's an Atlanta guy, so like come on, we have to support them a little bit. Um, okay. So some of the cons, I will be honest about the cons. Uh, it's, there's no tagging. They have like groups in segmentation, but honestly like it's, it's very hard to, for me at least to figure out, I don't find that very user friendly or easy to manage. And I have heart. I've heard other bloggers complain, um, and really not recommend mailchimp because once they have a really large list, the functionality is not great. So that's something that also think about. They're like, hey, if I could have started with convert kit and I would've saved myself this huge headache once my list kind of exploded because then they had to go back and fix everything and like Redo a lot of their sequences and whatnot.

Speaker 1:                    11:32               So that is just word on the street. And then the other Ma, a mail service provider that I do very much recommend and I have used them is mailer lite. Um, they are also free for your first 1000 subscribers, so it's not as many as mailchimp, but it's still great, like your first 1000 subscribers totally free. Um, and then after that it's only $10 a month as you incrementally increased here. So like for the first 1001 to 2,500 subscribers, it's only an extra, it's only $10. And then the next tier is only $20, et cetera. Um, so just as your subscribers increase, your fees increase. Um, the really awesome thing about mailerlite as well is that you can tag your lists to send more targeted emails. So let's say for example, um, as a designer, I, I work with a lot of real estate agents and I also work with bloggers I work with, um, I worked with like financial advisors, et Cetera.

Speaker 1:                    12:37               So I might not want to send the same emails to my real estate agent customers as I do to my bloggers because they might have totally different needs and I might even be telling them about a product. Like I came out with this really awesome product. I'm God the real estate portrait Creator and it basically allows you to pick and choose some pre made options, literally over 70 faces and I'm adding more guys like if this is like a mega pack, awesome. 14 different houses and scenery. There's male realtors, there's female realtors on and on and on, different outfits. Um, and anyway, I would want to let my real estate customers know about that, but if I send an email to my entire list, then my, you know, blogger, customers are going to be like, I'm not a real estate agent. Why is she sending me this?

Speaker 1:                    13:31               Like this is annoying. So like tagging your list is, is important. So that's the really awesome thing about mailer lite. I love them and I do use them in conjunction with mailchimp. The only con I can see so far is that it doesn't directly integrate with squarespace, which is the website I use, website hosting. I use and I think you can get around this with I'm doing a Zapier, a doing a zap, um, and it Kinda. Zapier basically connects different apps together. Um, and I tried to do that with mailer lite and I wasn't successful then I just kind of gave up because I didn't have time to spend hours trying to get it to work. So anyway, I'm still using mailchimp and as I'm a, I'm just in order to basically, uh, remember what customers are who are signing up for my email list. I'm just creating different lists in mail champs so I just have so many different lists in mailchimp. So eventually I can bring those over to mailer lite and just tag them. Um, and then I can target my audience really easily. Okay. So

Speaker 1:                    14:42               after you choose a provider, convertkit, mailchimp, mailer lite, it's your choice. You have to decide what's best for you. I'm, you're gonna want to create a list for your email subscribers and you could just do like a basic one for now if you just have something very generic like a blog post that has, um, I dunno, organization tips or something that could be useful for anyone. Um, you could just make a subscriber's list will do for now. And then the next thing you want to do is you want to create newsletter signups all over your website. Now you want them to be strategically placed so that they're not too annoying, but at the same time like you want it to be seen. I feel like as as um, designers especially, but as any creative entrepreneur, we'd get a little bit nervous about, you know, annoying people, we don't want to annoy people, but I find that there's a healthy balance between pushing yourself a little bit out of your comfort zone and feel like you're being a little bit annoying.

Speaker 1:                    15:44               That's probably the right amount because honestly guys, like people just get bombarded with everything. Email, social media, whatever everyday. So if you just send or you know, like anyway, you get the point, you do need them all over your website or nobody's going to see them and nobody's going to sign up. I'm so you're going to feel like slightly annoying probably if this is new to you, but don't worry about it, you're really not. And that's, you know, that's the way people are going to sign up if they want to. If they don't, they won't. Um, so you'll kind of be able to see if it's working or not. And so you may be thinking, well, okay, so I put these all over my website, but what if no one signs up? Okay, so sometimes you do have to entice people to give you their email address.

Speaker 1:                    16:34               Why would they just, you know, people get bombarded with emails every day, so they're going to be a little bit hesitant, but what you can do, and this is a strategy that tons of people use and it's very highly effective. I'm offer a crazy, awesome freebie in exchange for their email address. Now, sometimes this feels like you're working for free, but if you can see the longterm picture, it's really totally worth it because you need leads coming into your business every single day. So you need to offer a really crazy, awesome Freebie, something that would probably you would normally charge for, but you just do the work once and people get to download it. It needs to be something downloadable. You don't want to sound like a hat because then you have to like pay for shipping every time someone gives you their email address, so you don't need to do that.

Speaker 1:                    17:24               You just need to spend a few hours and create a really valuable pdf checklist. Um, she, she, um, as a designer I have offered for free real estate logos, so that's something that, uh, is really great for people that are just starting out and I hope I can help them out with that. Um, and then I hope they also see like maybe once they start earning some good money, they get some commissions, then maybe they want to come back and get kind of the full branding package, um, instead of just like a little house icon logo. Um, but that's a great starting point for my real estate agent customers. Okay. So you'll see here an example of my for, for your real estate logos, and the button says, give me for free logos and so they have to click on it and then enter in their name and email address.

Speaker 1:                    18:18               Now, uh, this new law recently went into effect, uh, the GDPR, which I'm sure you got a million emails about, but you need to make sure every email signup that you have on your website is gdpr compliance. Uh, this is important, so it's not that hard. It's not that big of a deal, but what you do need is a privacy policy on your website and you can google, you know, how to do that for your business and just kind of like copy a template or something like that. Um, and then you need a disclaimer. Every time you ask for someone's email address, basically you just need transparency and telling them what you're doing. And so my disclaimer says, by signing up for this freebie offer, you agree to join our email list and receive occasional updates, we will never give your information to a third party and you can unsubscribe at anytime.

Speaker 1:                    19:09               Please read our privacy policy here and I have a hyperlink to have my privacy policy so that everything is very clear and transparent. Um, and then if you're using mailchimp, I'm especially, you can do a double opt in, which is an even kind of an extra safety check. So you know, when people do sign up with your to get your free offer, your Freebie, they have to double opt in, which can sometimes be annoying because sometimes it goes to their junk folder and they don't see it and then they never get their freebie and are kind of wondering what happened. But you can try to follow up with those people, especially in the beginning.

Speaker 1:                    19:46               Here is also an example of my landing page. So when you first go to my website, you'll see, um, what's up fool. I'm Lauren, Leslie, portrait, illustrator and designer. And then the very next thing you see at the bottom of the landing page is grab your free surprise and I'm asking for their first name and email address. So you know, people might not do that right away, but there is a little trick in sales that says people have to see things seven times before they buy. And I would be willing to bet the same thing is true with giving you their email address, so you just want to kind of make it very easy for them to sign up for your email address and put it all over your website. Okay. So the next thing you want to do is write a freaking email. It's gonna be weird.

Speaker 1:                    20:33               At first it was weird for me. I didn't know what to say. I just was kind of blabbing on and then I was telling people about my new products and a few people on subscribed, which is always disappointing. But now I feel like I'm in a much better rhythm and I'm telling people that they actually want to hear about. Um, and I feel like I've really gotten comfortable with my own voice when I'm writing emails. Um, instead of sounding too quote unquote professional or Stoic, you know, you want to really put your personality in your emails, but the only way to get to that point is to start. So you just have to start somewhere. Don't worry about it, don't stress about it. And don't worry if people unsubscribe because new people are going to start subscribing everyday. Hopefully once you get that really awesome freebie up.

Speaker 1:                    21:21               Okay? So your subscribers obviously signed up your email list for a reason. They love you and they want to hear from you and you don't want them to forget about you. So you know, if you, I mean, how many times have you gone to, you know, pinterest and then you ended up on some blog and it maybe it was a cool recipe or maybe it was something and you ended up subscribing for their email list, but then you never heard from them again and you totally forgot about them. But in contrast, maybe you did the same thing, but you hear from this person regularly and you were like, oh yeah, like if I need a recipe, I know I can go to this Vegan blog or whatever it is. Um, and it just like,

Speaker 1:                    22:01               it just makes sure that you don't forget who they are. So you don't want your customers to forget about you. You spend a lot of time on this Freebie. Make sure that you are emailing them at least once a month. I would say like people say once a week, but at least once a month. I would email them when they first get their Freebie you want to send them, I would say three to four emails and you can space it out if you are scared about being annoying you, you could send the first email and then two to three days later a setup, a sequence where another email sends to them and then two to three days later another email sense to them and then you can kind of cool it and maybe email them once every week, two weeks, three weeks or once a month. But definitely keep emailing them because they're going to forget who you are if you don't and then you just wasted all this time and you know your potential lead is Kinda gone.

Speaker 1:                    22:51               So you definitely want to do that. I'm not rules in next steps. I mean this is pretty obvious guys, but just don't spam people. I mean obviously that's probably the opposite of what you're thinking. You're probably scared to send an email in the first place because you don't want to seem spammy, but for those of you who are a little bit more ambitious, just, you know, don't spam the hell out of people like people hate that they're going to unsubscribe. Just bring value and be yourself and people will like getting your emails. That'll be fun. Oh, I'm going to be something they can kind of check when they're first getting out of bed or when they're sitting in a doctor's office kind of bored. Um, okay. So you. And then you want to set up an ongoing email sequence that's on autopilot so that way you're not having to like, scramble and Think, Oh my God, what am I going to email everyone this week?

Speaker 1:                    23:43               You just want to set up a few at, I would say at least five to six initial emails just to get started. Um, and then you can tweak them later if you want to kind of change what they say or whatever. At first, do you want to thank them for signing up? Second, you want to give the full their freebie. They signed up for a reason, give them their Freebie, next, tell them your personal story. So we don't want to get personal all the time, like we don't want to be like, here's a picture of my dog today for like 30 days in a row because people are like, I don't, I don't get it. I don't care about your dog, like whatever. But if they are interested in something like getting a real estate logo from you or you're interested in their, um, recipes and maybe eventually you're going to buy their cookbook.

Speaker 1:                    24:28               They want to know your personal story. They want to know who they're buying from and they want to really be able to connect with you. So share with them. Everyone has a story and everyone has been through something really shitty in their life but hopefully has a positive outlook on it. I mean, for me, like when I tell my personal story in my emails sequence, I want people to know, you know, that I'm not perfect and I'm not. I don't have this perfect life. Like my dad took his own life when I was six years old. And that really sucked, you know, and it still sucks, but I was really able to like dive into my art and in a way I think that my creativity kind of saved me. It was my strength, it gave me strength. Um, and then I kind of talk about, you know, my steps in my career, you know, how I was an art major in school.

Speaker 1:                    25:17               And then I had my first job as a t shirt designer. I decided I wanted to do graphic design and not fine art full time. So that's what I did. And then, you know, that wasn't really a great fit. So I got my first or my second big girl job. I say my big girl job as a textile designer at a home decor company in Atlanta. And that's when I finally got to kind of say peace out Spartanburg, Spartanburg. It's my home. But I mean it just wasn't a good fit for me long term in terms if I want it to be a designer. Like I would have not been able to progress like I have in a big city like Atlanta. So that was just such a better fit for me and I'm so I really flourished here in Atlanta, so that's something that I tell my customers and they love it.

Speaker 1:                    26:04               Like I've had people respond and be like, wow, thanks for telling me this like, and it hopefully makes them want to do business with me because they know that I'm a real person and I have struggles, but I also have successes and we're more alike than we are different. Um, so another idea for an email in your sequence is to share your best resources and tools. So if you use a program like a sauna or Trello, you can say how wonderful it is at project management. It helps you play in your blog posts or whatever your projects are in your business. You can talk about that. Um, you can talk about what kind of equipment you use, what books are you reading, if you have some cool business books that you're reading. I read entrepreneurial you by Dorie Clark who loved it, wrote a blog post about it. That's awesome. Um, recently read or I listened to the audio book, Anna Kendrick, scrappy little nobody. Oh my God, she's a freaking hilarious. You guys have to listen to her audio book. Don't read the book, listen to the audio book because she is so perfect in it and she's, her personality really comes through her voice and with her narrating the whole thing. It's just, it's pretty great. So that's another idea for your email list. Just share some cool resources and tools and like things that have inspired you in your business lately.

Speaker 1:                    27:24               And then, um, at the end of your email sequence you can offer our prayer a, sorry, a paid product that is relevant to the Freebie that they wanted. So like my example of the real estate agents I'm giving for free real estate logos. But what I can do at the end of my sequence is say, hey, like I also have this paid product that's so much better than the four Fri logo. So like whenever you're interested, here it is. I hope you'll buy it

Speaker 3:                    27:53               sometime at some point

Speaker 1:                    27:56               and then you just want to make sure to remind them of how to find you on social. So I know this whole kind of videos about why email is so much better than social, but that's not to say that social isn't important. You still want to be able to connect with people on social. They want to be able to see your pictures. See that again, it's just another way for them to see that you are a real person for them to get inspired. It's just another point of contact. So while email is number one, you definitely also want to connect with your customers and leads on social, especially if they maybe a little hesitant to give you their email address. Maybe that's, you know, the second best thing you can do.

Speaker 3:                    28:36               Um,

Speaker 1:                    28:37               so, uh, I wanted to also let you guys know where to find me in case you ever want to work with me. My website is Lauren Leslie Dot Com a l a U R e n l e s l e y Dot Com. Lauren. Leslie Leslie as my middle name. I like the alliteration, that's why I chose it. Okay, so a click the link in the show notes to get the link to your email providers. And these are affiliate links guys. Um, but it's, that's great. It's a win win for you and me because with the affiliate links I can make a little bit of money, but still keep these videos totally free for you guys. So help us out.

Speaker 1:                    29:19               Okay. So if you guys have any other ideas on why you love an email list or if you have any other email hosts, providers you want to recommend or any other ideas for an email sequence, please leave a comment in the notes below. And that way we can all share ideas. That'd be really great. And don't forget to subscribe to my youtube channel. Click the little button in the right hand lower corner and to get notified, click the little bell so that way you won't miss the next episode. And if you are on facebook, you can definitely join our facebook group. It's called the design tribe. So you can go to facebook.com/groups/design tribe. Lauren, Leslie, um, and I will also be live streaming videos in the facebook group, so that's a great place to find me. Thank you so much for watching. I'll see you next time. Bye guys.