Here is something I want to note: I've already told you that I didn’t niche down when I started. There’s bedding, gift wrap, notebooks, and journals….SO MUCH ART. There’s the wall art section, the table linens and dishes, the pet section with beds and bowls and decorative signage. There are throw pillows up front, a section of decorative tchotchkes like globes and animal statuettes. Walk with me for a minute and let’s do an imaginary tour of my local HomeGoods. How much of that stuff has art all over it? (This is GOOD for you and your amazing designs!) Seriously, think of the last time you were at a store like HomeGoods. But honestly, the retail market is also saturated. It’s likely you’re also worried the market is too saturated and there’s no space for you as a surface designer. But assuming I’ve convinced you to pick a product category, your next question probably is… How Do I Know Which Product Category to Start With When There Are So Many Awesome Things in the World With Art All Over Them? I go even deeper into the wisdom of narrowing down a product category in my Start Your Surface Pattern Business course. What Product Category Makes Sense for Your Art?įeeling like you can’t limit your creativity and ambition? I get it. I would never ask you to limit yourself or your dreams, but I don’t want you to make the same mistake I did. If I had committed to simply starting somewhere, to finding that focus and sticking with it for 6 - 12 months, I would have made much quicker progress. The reality for me is that finding consistent clients and licensing work in surface pattern design took way longer than it needed to. Trying to figure out my next move, trying to feel confident in a number of categories, working up a portfolio that covered all the bases, and plenty of second-guessing myself. What I didn’t realize was that with all that researching and stopping and starting, I was wasting a lot of time. Yes, building momentum requires consistent action. And that’s precisely why in the past, I was always looking for angles and product categories that I could find work in. You may know that I’m big on taking action even if you aren’t ready. Quit the Endless Research and Second-Guessing Yourself But let me tell you, lack of clarity is the major reason people get stuck and end up working on their portfolio for years, instead of actively getting their work in front of potential buyers and clients. Seriously, this was me when I first started. Except, when you look through your portfolio, you realize you only have about 3-4 greeting card designs that you like, and that doesn’t feel like enough. And it’s such a good idea that tomorrow, you’re going to finally narrow down your greeting card list and decide on some companies that could be a good fit. Now you know you definitely have to sketch it out. You’ve started to envision them on different products, maybe you’ve even tried a few prints on mockups, seeing that they look amazing on bedding, notebooks, and even water bottles! Ooh, that water bottle idea is a good one! Tell me if this sounds familiar: You’ve got 10 or 15 patterns in your portfolio. But if you’re spending lots of time researching hundreds of companies and dozens of product categories, you’re going to burn out before you get started. Getting clients takes a combination of positioning yourself and research. What’s step one in kicking off your career as a surface pattern designer ? Narrow down the insanely wide world of surface pattern design. Of course you do! Check out this video and I’ll tell you all about it: Get Started with Your Surface Pattern Design Careerīut, you want to know the first thing I teach in my Start Your Surface Pattern Business course? The thing I totally didn’t do which is why it took me like six years to build my client list into something I’m really excited about? So you may even have one single design that could work for all three of these retail clients. I totally get it.Įven if your portfolio is small, the beauty of surface patterns is they can work on a lot of different products. And seriously, your bedding designs would be best sellers in Anthropologie. You’ve got prints that would make the coolest leggings for the Children’s Place. You can imagine walking in and seeing your cards on display at Paper Source. As you’ve been working on your design portfolio and building your skills in surface pattern design and illustration, you’ve probably already thought about some places you’d like to see your art.
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