Keep Showing Up Even When You Feel Not Ready
A surface designer's real talk
April started a much-appreciated Eid Holiday for me. Our family went to Fujairah. We stayed in a hotel resort for three nights, and my kids enjoyed daily snorkelling. One morning, my husband and I got up early enough to admire the gorgeous sunrise from the balcony of our hotel room. As the bright, warm red dye on the ocean's surface, the sea birds excitedly slid around and sang; I praised my Creator, God.
When we returned to Abu Dhabi, the two weeks of Spring Break were over. Lunch box prep, dinner prep, grocery shopping, school pickup—business as usual.
I work during my kids' school hours, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. I've been reading the book 10x is Easier Than 2x and am so inspired. I have made some changes regarding my focus in my surface design business—I niched down.
As you probably know, when you try to be everything to everyone, you end up being nothing to no one. Leslie Kenehan's Print Life podcast has been instrumental in helping me understand how to niche down as a surface designer.
I'll focus on creating prints for fashion (dresses, sleepwear) and home (wallpaper).
I loved fashion in my teens and twenties. I bought the very first Vogue China issue and cherished it to this day. Since then, I have collected nearly a hundred Vogue magazines in different languages. I stopped in my 30s. Getting married and becoming a mom, I had other priorities. Now, I am excited about the idea of creating fashion prints for clients.
A capsule print collection I created for resort-wear.
Last week, a wallpaper company approached me to license my work. I'm thrilled and would love to share more about it later.
Have I figured out everything? Of course not. I even hesitated to write this post because I wondered, "What do I have to say?"
Well, I can share my story, messy middle, and even my struggles so you won't have to think you're the only one.
I'm pivoting in my business, editing my brand presence, and learning new skills daily. I’m also cooking, cleaning, and teaching my son to be nice to his little sister. We wear many hats in life. We are doing our best. We are not alone.
Mother's Day is coming, and so is my mom's birthday. This month, I'm giving my subscribers two gifts: a watercolour digital print and an A3 watercolour floral bouquet digital paper. You can download the prints, print them out, and make them a lovely Mother's Day gift.
If you are on my list, you'll soon receive a separate email with a direct link to access the freebie. If you haven't signed up yet, you can do so today, and the link will be sent to your inbox.
Keep showing up with your art, my friend, even when you don't feel ready. Someone out there will need what you offer! 🦋