How it all began…
Just after Christmas a couple of years ago, after becoming inspired by Pinterest, I went off to the art shop brought a pad an pen and started illustrating for the first time in a long time. I've always been creative, have a degree in graphic design, but have never used it in my professional life. It really was as simple as that.
When I first posted my illustrations on Instagram I was totally surprised by the positive reaction I received from friends and family. For an instant I thought I may be having one of those X factor moments where Simon Cowell asks the happy go lucky contestant why they think they can sing/have a career in music and they say... ‘Well my mum and dad said I'm great’... Whilst the rest of the world looks on knowingly, as that's what good parents do.
I started off by doing lots of research online and going along to a few craft markets and fairs such as Solo Craft Fair, to get a feel for things, what people were selling, how much they were selling things for, how they set up their stalls and to see whether I would be offering something different from the crowd. This is where I first met Mandy from Coco and Ginger. She was the very first person/stall I came across when I walked through the door. She had just started up her own candle business, was incredibly helpful and friendly and told me I should just go for it. Talking to fellow traders and makers is one of the most important parts of venturing into something new. Don’t be afraid to ask, people are generally more than happy to help with tips and advice.
A few months later I did my first ever market. I had no expectation, but also every expectation, however, the primary objective was to enjoy myself, chat to as many people as possible and to try and cover the cost of my pitch. The greatest thing about the day was to hear from people that they’d purposely seeked me out, because they loved my work! I did that stall with just 7 designs. Top tip - Don’t worry about how many designs or products you have. Don’t use that as an excuse not to go for it!