Hello, hello my creative friends,
Today I’d like to share my story with you.
If you have been following me and you have read my about page on my website, you’ll know already that I’m from Sicily and I now live in England. You will also know about my great passion for art and surface pattern design (SPD), but I haven’t shared with you how I came to discover SFP and how it saved me from slipping down the slippery slope of depression.
That’s right, last year, around this time, I was in a very dark place. I didn’t tell anyone, not even my family, because I didn’t want them to worry about me, but I felt lonely and useless. I keep one of those “one line a day” diaries and looking back I can see how low my spirits were. I didn’t enjoy my life as it was, in fact I can honestly say that I hated my life as it was, I needed to change it, but I had no idea how. I was painting almost every day, but I still missed something, that excitement that gets you out of bed every morning eager to start a new day.
It was only toward the end of April 2019 that I discovered Skillshare and, through that, Bonnie Christine. She is a fantastic pattern designer and an incredible teacher. By watching her classes I discovered surface pattern design and it was like fireworks going off in my brain! I had no idea I could actually become a pattern designer without even attending some form of art school!
Without worrying about my age (I was 44 then) or the lack of formal qualifications, I started sketching immediately, I subscribed to Adobe Cloud and started learning how to use Illustrator. The fact that technology and I are like oil and water did not stop me. I wouldn’t let anything stop me. I had found something that put that spark back in my life and I wasn’t going to let any obstacles stop me!
I would go to bed thinking about patterns and the first thing that came to my mind in the morning were patterns. Now I was getting out of bed not dreading the day ahead but full of excitement for all the beautiful patterns I could create.
I can’t believe how my life has changed in a matter of a few months. Some friends have told me they can see a difference in my behaviour: I smile more now. Pattern design has given me my life back.
Through Bonnie I also found a community of like-minded people and amazing artists whom are always ready to help whatever the problem, may that be pattern or life related, the support and encouragement I have received from the Flourish community is INCREDIBLE.
Because I found Bonnie around midyear, last year I missed the free class and Immersion course, but I participated in the 5 Day Pattern Challenge and even in this short series of videos I learned so much!
That is why I am looking forward to taking part in the free Masterclass and then the Immersion course 2020.
If you want to have an idea of Bonnie’s teaching style, the free masterclass is the perfect place! It begins on February 10th and runs for a week during which Bonnie will be live on FB every other day to provide support and answer questions.
During the Masterclass, she’ll be covering how to get started in your career as a licensing artist and the essential stages you'll go through. We’ll also be creating our very own personalised map to success and discuss all the ways you can add to your income and multiple streams of revenue to your business as a surface designer.
I would be thrilled if you joined me, you can register for the Craft a Career you Love in Surface Design Masterclass here.
I’m also really excited about taking the Immersion course. Everyone that has taken it already speaks highly of it and says that it is absolutely worth every penny.
This year I am a proud partner of the Immersion affiliate program. This means that if you decide to sign up for the Immersion 2020 course by way of this link (but also the one above), I will receive a bonus (of course there is no extra cost to you!); however, I want you to know that I wouldn’t promote something I don’t believe in completely and wholeheartedly.
So, tell me, have you considered being a pattern designer? Is there something holding you back? If so what is it? Because, really, if this is the path you want to follow you shouldn’t let anything hold you back!
Leave a comment below and feel free to ask me questions if you like more information.
Don’t let the chance of discovering a wonderful new life pass you by, click that link and I’ll see you in class!