Cynthia Oswald

Surface Design, Fine Art + Branding for Creatives

creative career

Charting Your Creative Path: Exploring Long-Term Career Goals with Bonnie Christine

Charting Your Creative Path:

A Long Vision: Clarity, Consistency & the Power of Small Wins

A Long Vision: Clarity, Consistency & the Power of Small Wins

Last week, I had a full schedule—so full that when the opportunity came up to chat with long-time business mentor Bonnie Christine, my first instinct was that I might not have time. But then I heard Bonnie’s voice in my head, reminding me of everything she’s taught about being bold, taking “10 seconds of courage,” and pushing through discomfort to say yes to the right opportunities. So I made space, and I’m so glad I did.

We hopped on a 20-minute Zoom call to talk about something I think so many creative entrepreneurs struggle with: How do you take a long-term vision for your career and actually make it happen?

The Power of Believing in Success

One of the most powerful moments in our conversation came when Bonnie asked:

“What if you try as hard as you can and you succeed? Are you even willing to wrap your mind around the possibility that you will succeed?”

So often, we focus on the fear of failure. But what if we redirected that energy into fully believing in success? Sometimes, the biggest hurdle isn’t the work itself—it’s trusting that the effort will pay off.

Setting Goals That Move the Needle

Bonnie also shared a key distinction: a goal needs to be something you can check off. It should be clear, specific, and measurable.

“I see a lot of people set really big goals that aren’t clear enough. They’ll be like, ‘I want to empower female entrepreneurs to live their best life.’ And like, that’s great, but it’s more of a why—it’s not a goal. A goal is something you can check when you’ve accomplished it, like signing a licensing contract or making $100,000.”

This resonated deeply with me. If we aren’t specific, how will we know when we’ve arrived? Taking the time to define clear goals makes all the difference.

The Role of Consistency & Tiny Steps

One of the biggest takeaways from our chat was how success is built not through grand gestures, but through consistent, small steps.

“Successful people only get there through consistent action. It’s not about knowing exactly how you’ll reach the goal—it’s about focusing on just the very next thing and repeating that over and over again.”

This was a great reminder that we don’t need to have it all figured out before we start. Just take the next step, then the next. Progress compounds.

Motherhood, Entrepreneurship & Time as a Currency

Bonnie and I also talked about the balance of motherhood and entrepreneurship. She shared how, after having kids, she became more efficient with her time because she had to be. It made her rethink how she worked, cut out distractions, and focus on what truly moved her forward.

“I sort of remember those years as really beautiful, but also just kind of keeping my head above water from a business perspective. I wasn’t innovating—I was just maintaining for a couple of years. But almost everyone has something—whether it’s young kids, a day job, or caretaking responsibilities. The key is making consistent progress, no matter the pace.”

As a mom of two little ones, I felt this deeply. It’s not about doing everything, it’s about doing the right things.

Trusting Intuition & Saying ‘Heck Yes’

One of the biggest shifts in my own creative journey has been learning when to say yes and when to say no. Bonnie shared her perspective on this too:

“At first, I was a ‘yes’ girl—saying yes to everything to build my career. Then I became a ‘no’ girl, realizing that every time I said yes to one thing, I was saying no to something else. And now, if it’s not a heck yes, it’s a heck no.”

I loved this reminder that not every opportunity is the right one. Learning to trust your instincts, listen to what feels right, and let go of what doesn’t align is a skill worth honing.

Want to Go Deeper? Join Bonnie’s Free Workshop

If any of this resonates with you, I highly encourage you to listen in on our full conversation above. And if you’re curious about designing patterns for fabric or wallpaper, Bonnie is hosting a free workshop on pattern design now through February 19, 2025. It’s a perfect opportunity to dive deeper into crafting a creative career with clarity and intention.

✨ Join the Free Workshop Here

What’s a goal you’ve been chipping away at, and what’s the very next thing you can do to move it forward? Drop a comment and let’s cheer each other on!

FTC Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you choose to sign up through my link. I only share opportunities I truly believe in and think will be valuable to my audience.

Behind the Scenes of the Vast Views Collection

Grounding myself in motherhood

Behind the Scenes of the Vast Views Collection

It’s 8:30 am on a Friday morning and I’ve already cooked breakfast, sang and danced, played restaurant, painted, and made a huge mess of my living area alongside my two girls (and two large dogs). We are busy over here—and by “we” I mean me—I’m busy wearing many hats. It’s just as I had hoped for, more than I ever could have dreamed, and also can be a real struggle to keep up with. Sometimes I feel like I’m 8 years old treading water and a little too far from the edge of the pool. I was never a strong swimmer. Other times, I’m in complete awe of how I can find rest by looking into their eyes, I can ground myself by caring for them, and I can find presence by being present. 

My girls are 1 and 4. They have reminded me of the little pleasures in life that fill my cup. Finding a grasshopper, discovering a new plant, soaking in a beautiful view, dancing when no one is watching, singing in the shower, goodness, even digging for worms can be exciting. I’m calling these simple pleasures into my life right now and drinking them in like my first cup of morning coffee because they ground me in these early years of motherhood. Motherhood in combination with running a business, nurturing a marriage, and fulfilling my own creative desires feels near impossible some days (notice I said nothing about a social life!). I paint the feelings I want to experience, I ground myself in the practice, and I sincerely want to create that sense of grounding and the ability to mindfully connect with the present moment for those that collect my work. 

This year I’m bringing back the mini watercolor landscapes for the 25 Days of Minis project with presence in mind. When I was a child, I would walk to the highest elevation on my parent’s property and climb a large tree that had a limb hanging over the fence row, overlooking the valley. I would walk out to the edge of the tree limb and sit there absorbing the landscape. It stirred up a well of emotions in my heart—excitement, hope, possibility. I think about how truly present I was in those moments. Free of cell phones, work, expectations, you name it. I was free to daydream and that is exactly what I did there while I looked out over the vast view. It was in those moments that the abundance found in nature seemed completely accessible to me. 

The best compliment is when I witness a child absorb my artwork. I’ve seen my one-year-old giggle when noticing a ladybug in a pattern I designed, my 4-year-old is constantly trying to procure paintings for her bedroom gallery, and when children that aren’t part of my family appreciate my work, my heart literally sings a little tune. It’s a song about daydreaming into the present moment, finding joy in the smallest pleasures, and soaking in the moments that we are in, right now. My hope is that this work can serve as a visual reminder to focus on flourishing, see the beauty and magic in the present moment and that the wild abundance that exists in nature is also accessible to us.

mini watercolor landscapes
Mini Watercolor Landscapes from the 2021 Collection

Transform your space into a sanctuary of peace and natural beauty. Explore my collection of original art, linen wall hangings, and bespoke wallpaper, each piece crafted to inspire tranquility and well-being. Interested in a custom creation that perfectly matches your vision? Let’s collaborate to bring your unique idea to life. Reach out today to discover how we can enhance your environment with art that resonates with the soul. Together, we’ll create a space that reflects the beauty of nature and the essence of your personal style.

Visit my shop here

“Life’s Simple Pleasures” Artist Talk

“Life’s Simple Pleasures” Artist Talk

“My hope is that this work can serve as a visual reminder to focus on flourishing, see the beauty and magic in the present moment, and that the wild abundance that exists in nature is also accessible to us.”

“Life’s Simple Pleasures” Artist Talk

The Jeweled Warrior Exhibit

September 30th, 2022

Thank you for joining me tonight. Thank you, Kristin, for inviting me to share my work and for choosing me to collaborate with you on your brand and website. You are a dream client and I feel so fortunate to have met you! 

When Kristin reached out I was just wrapping up my MFA, Leona, my oldest daughter was 1 1/2 (now over 4), and we were heading into the pandemic. When we were talking about her brand, she told me a story about traveling with her parents to St. John’s as a child and how they visited a local jewelry shop where her dad would purchase handmade jewelry pieces for her mom. Those early memories of watching her parents, traveling, and appreciating nature influenced the space we stand in today. I love that story because it parallels memories of my own parents. It also parallels the why behind my work here tonight—I believe wholeheartedly in getting really clear on the memories that bring you joy and leaning into things you feel passionate about. Over the last couple of years, Kristin and I have worked together to bring her ideas to life through The Jeweled Warrior brand. I’m so happy to be here, in this beautiful space, bringing our creative visions together. 

Okay, so this art… I remember the moment I knew I was going to be an artist. I was doing a report on African antelopes in second grade. I drew an Impala to include with the report and I still remember it emerging from the paper as I drew it. I was amazed at how I brought it to life out of seemingly nowhere—I was 7 or 8. There are many other moments that weave together my story that aren’t directly related to drawing. My guess is that you too, can recall the memories that stand out in your mind as significant to who you’re meant to be, or how you’re meant to spend your time.  

There have been ebbs and flows to my creative practice. It has always been a dedication of our most precious resource—time. And through these ebbs and flows, it’s been a journey to really hone in on my creative voice. Fielding negative comments (both internally and externally) has been a large part of learning to persist in my practice. I have listened to the doubt creep in to the back of my brain (even today) and quit on myself more than a few times, losing momentum, but I would be drawn back to the practice like a magnet. It literally takes energy for me to resist it. And over these last few years, I’ve been intentional about not giving up, setting aside time to explore my creative ideas, and allowing myself the freedom to infuse that into both my personal life and my business. That’s why this collection holds a special place for me.  

What I think is different about this group of paintings, for me, is that it marks a turning point in my creative practice—a dedication unlike any other time in my life. It’s a visual representation of what it looks like for me to have a creative rhythm, embracing who I am, and choosing to appreciate life’s simple pleasures despite what might be happening around me.  

About ten years ago now, I kept having this reoccurring dream that I was in my house—it had two sides—the side that I lived in, which looked pretty good. It had everything I needed and was reminiscent of where I was at the time. In the dream, a friend or family member would arrive to the front door and I would take them on a tour of the house. Before I would take them into the side I lived in … I would always say something along the lines of “Would you like to see this other side? I never use it but it’s pretty cool. I should really rent it out or use it.” And then we would walk through a room full of beautifully appointed children’s toys, a kitchen with every amenity, and a beautiful master bedroom that was perfectly decorated and pristine, with a dream bathroom. Each time it was slightly different but it always had the same feel. I was hoarding an abundance of beauty and literally doing nothing with it. I was clueless as to why this dream kept haunting me. And I’m sure just listening to me talk about it, you already have a sense of its meaning.

It was through the shedding of relationships, changing of habits, and learning to trust my intuition that I rediscovered my passion and felt the most balanced and fulfilled I’ve ever felt—my life started to represent something that I was excited by. And … the dream that was haunting me finally stopped. 

The joy I find in the process of painting is worth the practice alone. That feeling of something emerging from the page still surprises me today. There is something deeply soothing to my soul about weaving together a piece of art, one brushstroke at a time. I imagine my grandmother knitting and I know it’s the same feeling. Over time, I’ve blended my love of fine art and design by incorporating patterns into my work. This blend is also about embracing what comes natural to me, and excites me. Art and life often parallel one another. Do you see the magic in patterns? Seemingly unrelated happenstance or moments in time divinely unfolding? Patterns have always fascinated me. Almost like little winks from God that I’m heading in the right (or wrong) direction. Just ask me the story about how I met Steven.

Focusing on nature has allowed me to really lean into this idea of appreciating the beauty around me at any given moment. It’s helped me bring more beauty into my world in times when it didn’t feel natural to focus on flourishing. A walk through the forest, the coming of spring, the variety of plants found in our backyards, natural compositions that form out of seemingly nowhere. Like us, nature goes through seasonal shifts—each one having a different purpose. But ultimately thriving despite the ebbs and flows. In this season of life that I’m currently in, my creative practice truly has to do with slowing down to see the beauty or magic at any moment. I’m absorbing and reflecting on all of the goodness that comes with taking in life’s simple pleasures, in an effort to bring more of that into my world, and I hope you see that reflected in my work. My hope is that this work can serve as a visual reminder to focus on flourishing, see the beauty and magic in the present moment, and that the wild abundance that exists in nature is also accessible to us.

Thank you Mom and Dad for instilling a love of nature, the arts, and enjoying the small stuff. Thank you Steven for always supporting me in my creative endeavors—he built 90% of these frames and the propagation displays for this show. Thank you Isa, Leona, and Viola for breathing new life and perspective into my artistic practice. They have reminded me that possibility, hope, adventure, and discovery are everywhere if you look close enough. Thank you, Emily Mullet and Tina Crespo for coming alongside me this year (and hopefully beyond) to chat art and share in our creative experiences. Thank you all for coming and supporting this work. It’s such an honor to have you here! 

Transform your space into a sanctuary of peace and natural beauty. Explore my collection of original art, linen wall hangings, and bespoke wallpaper, each piece crafted to inspire tranquility and well-being. Interested in a custom creation that perfectly matches your vision? Let’s collaborate to bring your unique idea to life. Reach out today to discover how we can enhance your environment with art that resonates with the soul. Together, we’ll create a space that reflects the beauty of nature and the essence of your personal style.

Visit my shop here

How to Use Passion Projects to Find Your Style

Using Passion Projects to Find Your Style

I’m coming up on a decade of running my small art and design business. I can still remember what it felt like to finally make the decision to start living my life—I was single, had a mortgage, and big dreams. I was restless and felt my heart pulling me in a different direction. Something had to change in order for me to get closer to where I was really meant to be. 

I still remember the stack of books I read about intuition, self-discovery, and intention. On a personal level I knew I wanted to get married and have kids, so one of the books was called “Getting to ‘I Do’”—laugh all you want but it’s how I met my husband (a story for a different day)! And on a professional level, I had big dreams but no clue how to actually connect the dots. Especially because I was interested in a lot of different directions and not sure which way to go. 

I hear a lot of stories about stumbling across the perfect career path, or finding the perfect offering and niching down. That is not my story. My story has a lot of twists and turns. It’s about following my intuition and not the popular opinion. It’s about carving my own path and really following hard after what lights me up. When things feel misaligned, it means assessing how close I am to where I belong and course correcting. And now, nearly a decade later, I am blown away by the work I get to do almost daily. I’m finally able to embrace my true passions—professional design and fine art—and integrate them both into my career.  I’m still carving a path for myself and things are always changing and evolving, but I feel more aligned than I ever have. 

Maybe you can relate to where I am now. Or maybe you’re really resonating with how I felt early in my professional and personal life. Either way, I grew a lot through my journey of exploring my passions and infusing them into my work, so I want to share a few pivotal lessons I learned along the way. 

3 Lessons I Learned From Putting Passion to Work

1. Embrace every part of yourself

Do not fall prey to the popular opinion of niching down. If that feels aligned, great. Go for it. But if it’s making you feel constrained, it’s okay to buck the system and do something different. It wasn’t until I finally let go of that restraint that I fully discovered my ultimate love is combining the two things I love. So embrace every part of yourself, your talent, and your passions—and don’t feel like you have to “niche down” and ignore something that lights you up! 

2. Let your style be influenced by what you’re passionate about 

By understanding your motives, strengths, and what you’re passionate about, you naturally attach a driving force behind what you create. That driving force becomes an undercurrent to what you are creating. When you create work that relates to your interests, it shows—people connect with it, and suddenly your style begins to emerge. So don’t forget to embrace your passions and let it guide your creative exploration. 

3. Embrace failure

Failure can feel so deflating as a creative, especially when you put your heart and soul into the work. It feels deeply personal. Knowing that you are going to come up against it often and embracing it as part of the process will enable you to keep moving forward when it smacks you in the face. I still struggle with this one. Each time I’m rejected my thoughts sound something like this “What’s the point? Just give up. No one cares. Etc.” But try your best to see the opportunity that lies ahead and don’t get stuck in the cycle of self-doubt. After all, most of the success stories you hear are about someone who persevered through rejection and discovered a beautiful opportunity in spite of many “failures”. 

These 3 things—embracing each part of myself, allowing my interests to guide my work, and embracing failure—have led me to where I am today. To a design style that feels uniquely me and to a career that’s more fulfilling than I ever could have imagined. 

So, if you’re on a similar journey, I want to challenge you with 3 steps to take to start nurturing your passion. 

3 Challenges to Embrace Your Journey to Put Passion to Work

  1. Make a list of the top ten memories you hold and spend time reflecting what makes them unique or special.
  2. Begin a daily creative practice—keep it simple and doable. The key is to commit to 30 days or more so that you can begin to find marks or subject matter that feel aligned with your natural tendencies.
  3. Begin a passion project that you’ve always desired to bring to life, create time in your schedule to work on it, and set a goal for when to share with those around you! 

Be patient with yourself during this process, and embrace the unexpected twists and turns. It’s a journey after all! 

I hope this encourages you and inspires you to trust your gut, follow your design intuition, and truly embrace your passions. From someone who’s on the other side of that journey, trust me, it’s worth the process! 

Transform your space into a sanctuary of peace and natural beauty. Explore my collection of original art, linen wall hangings, and bespoke wallpaper, each piece crafted to inspire tranquility and well-being. Interested in a custom creation that perfectly matches your vision? Let’s collaborate to bring your unique idea to life. Reach out today to discover how we can enhance your environment with art that resonates with the soul. Together, we’ll create a space that reflects the beauty of nature and the essence of your personal style.

Visit my shop here

Putting Passion to Work

6 Steps to Ignite Your Creative Passion:

For the last few months, I’ve been diving deep into my own creative mission. Taking the time away from client work to focus energy on my own creative passion has been essential to the success of my creative career. Personal self-expression is at the core of every creative person—so if I’m not creating outside of work—for the sake of the process—I start to feel restless. Work fueled by my own curiosities and interests allows me to be self-expressive. In doing this type of work I end up understanding more about my own driving desire(s). Spending the time to follow my passion brings meaning and purpose to my life and work. Additionally, it naturally helps to lead my career in a direction that fits who I am in work and life. For those of you in creative careers who want to get started on your own passion projects, I’ve outlined the six essential steps to get you started below.

Step 1. Identify your Passions

In Robert Steven Kaplan’s book, What You’re Really Meant To Do, he encourages readers to take time to reflect over moments in your life where you felt like the best version of yourself. It’s important to spend time doing this, as you might not be able to recall these moments right away. As you remember events, make a list. Spending time focusing on and remembering what makes you happy will not only help you figure out what you should be doing, but it will attract more of what you love in your creative career. What were you doing during those moments? The answers might surprise you. Most likely they won’t be linear. They could easily cross over multiple fields of interest. Those moments of happiness should give you an inkling as to what interests you and what you can explore next. Kaplan explains, “Passion is the essential fuel that allows us to find a professional home, to hang in there, and to work through our weaknesses. It gives us a reason to keep fighting to get better.”

Step 2. Attach a Purpose

Next, start brainstorming possible projects related to the ideas you are most passionate about. What problems can you solve by means of visual communication? Is there a particular message you want to convey to the viewer? Who is the viewer? Decide the purpose of the project. Having a goal for the end result will help you stay engaged throughout the life of the project.

Step 3. Select a Medium.

The beauty in crafting your creative career is that you are able to choose all of the pieces. One of the most important items to consider is the medium. What type of skills do you already have? What type of work would you like to be doing? How can you bridge that gap and learn a new skill? Or is there a medium—tactile or digital—you desire to be working with? In addition to the way you will create the work, you need to think about the medium of the final piece. For example, if you were going to create a poster series to promote a local cause in your community, you might be thinking about printed posters as well as a social media campaign. How can the design be created in a way where you are able to use it for both? Outlining all of the ways you plan to bring this project to life is an essential step in the process.

Step 4. Create a Schedule.

Conceptualizing is the fun part. Most designers enjoy this process—especially when there is no monetary value attached to the end result. But exploring your own passion project takes discipline. Set the project up just like you would for a paying client or employer project. Solicit help from a project planner to hold you accountable. Give yourself time to do the work, but commit to your deadlines. Create a deadline to launch and find a way to hold yourself accountable. Share it socially, solicit another designer as an accountability partner, or reward yourself with something only once it is complete.

Step 5. Share Your Work.

Your work achieves nothing if it remains unfinished or sits privately on your hard drive or in your closet. Part of the purpose is to share your work! If it’s appropriate, share the process or wait until the work is complete to unveil it. It will resonate with your audience so don’t worry about how many people like it, or how much attention it gains—do it for yourself. Share it so that it can reach others who will also enjoy it. This could create opportunities for collaborations, springs new ideas, or may connect you with your target audience (or employer).

Step 6. Fail and Repeat.

Realize that failure today doesn’t necessarily mean your project won’t go somewhere in the future—directly or indirectly. It is very easy to fall into the self-comparison trap, especially with social media. Healthy competition can be a good thing but allowing insecurity to keep you from being your best self is a trap. Even the most successful people fail from time to time. Remember that part of the joy of being in a creative career is the process itself. Stay connected with your motives, strengths, and passions throughout the process. Try not to be concerned with a particular outcome—instead create the work in connection with yourself, using your unique vision and voice. Just when you think you are finished, start again with step one.

Conclusion

When I was just starting out in my career I made a lot of decisions based on fear of failure. I was afraid of listening to my gut and following my passions. At that time, I had not mastered the ability to tune others out and focus on the desires of my own heart. It’s amazing how many successful people—people I admire—came up against failure during their careers. Beatrix Potter was a childhood favorite of mine. Her work always inspired me and helped me to see the magic in everyday life. She explored her curiosities from a young age, studying animals and nature. Her famed book, Peter Rabbit, originated in a letter to a friend. She decided to find a publisher for it when picture books became trendy almost 10 years later, in the late 1800s. She printed the first copies herself and sold out in two weeks. Only then was she able to convince a publisher that it was worth their while. At the age of 36, Beatrix began her career as a storyteller and artist. I turn 36 in a few short months. Her story inspires me to chase harder than ever after the things I’m passionate about.

References:
Robert Steven Kaplan. What You’re Really Meant To Do, A Road Map For Reaching Your Unique Potential. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing, 2013.

Susan Denyer. At Home with Beatrix Potter: The Creator of Peter Rabbit. London: Frances Lincoln, 2009, 6-13.

Designing Your Career for Happiness

Designing Your Career for Happiness

It was the summer of 2013 … I was approaching 30 years old and I started getting restless. My career was taking off. I was the Director of Web Design and e-Business Development at a high-end printing company. We worked with museums, galleries, and many well-known artists to develop their websites and printed promotional materials. We were in the process of rebranding our Studio’s website when things started taking a turn for me. I began taking notice to what made me most happy. I especially enjoyed doodling during customer service calls. Or when my co-worker, Brendan, would give life to a dying bug by sketching a speech bubble which read, “Where have you been all of my life? It’s almost over …” or “I’m dying to see you!” He would leave them on our officemate’s desk as a warm welcome. The hilarity was perfection. This makes it sounds like I was a slacker, but that wasn’t the case at all. I just knew I could be enjoying my work life a little more. So I started to discuss this idea with Brendan, “You know those people—the people who are always happy? I want to be more like that.” I knew that what had originally attracted me to a creative career was somehow lost over time. I wish I could tell you that I opened an Oreo and voila, my career changed in an instant but that’s not how it worked. Instead I’m going to give you some practical advice and references you can use to design your creative career for happiness.
dead bug illustration Oswald

Step 1. Make a decision to change.

Don’t just accept things as they are. Instead be bold enough to make changes. I have a friend who is an exceptional artist, illustrator, and designer—her talent and abilities far outweigh my own. She’s always commenting on how lucky I am to get the jobs I get. Luck has zero to do with it. Accepting things as they are keeps you small. It’s so easy to get comfortable and let fear get the best of you. If your initial reason to be in the creative field has become lost, it is time to make a change. For each person this will look different. I suggest digging through your local bookstore for some inspiration. What finally kicked me in the rear was Jen Sincero’s book You Are a Badass®: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life. The yellow book cover and the word “Badass” immediately made me happy so I went with it. Jen’s whimsical sense of humor and storytelling sucked me right in and I began taking action.

“When you up-level your idea of what’s possible, and decide to really go for it, you open yourself up to the means to accomplish it as well.”

— Jen Sincero1

Jen made it clear that I needed to make a bunch of uncomfortable life choices and stick with them. So I did.

Step 2. Identify what makes your heart sing.

In a world where we can be “all the things” it’s hard to narrow your focus and your expertise. I knew that I wanted to spend more time illustrating but that’s all I could really muster up. How in the world was I going to transition from a Director of Web Design to creating brilliant illustrations? What do I even want to illustrate? These were—and sometimes still are—the questions roaming in my brain. One way to identify what makes your heart sing is to think back on a time when you created something that made you happy. You love this “passion project” for its final form, and you enjoyed the entire process of creating it. Remember it by writing it down.2 It could be as simple as a napkin doodle or more complex like the invention of a portable computer accessory. You may not be able to recall these moments right away. In fact, I recommend asking yourself this question and then sleeping on it—maybe even for a few weeks. As you recall events jot them down so you don’t forget. Spending time focusing on and remembering what makes you happy will not only help you figure out what you should be doing but it will attract more of what you love in your creative career. For me it ended up being a blend of food and illustration. I landed a part time job where I created watercolor illustrations of food which allowed me to grow my business on the side.
botanical watercolor illustration veggies vegetables

Step 3. Write out your creative goals.

When you have a project to complete it’s easy to create a task list. You envision the final product and then work backwards—creating a schedule based on everything that is needed to get you to the final. When you’re redesigning your creative career to cultivate more happiness in your life don’t worry about having an elaborate Gantt chart. Take time to figure out what it looks like. Create a schedule or a list of goals if you need it, but I like to think this process is a bit more magical than a to-do list. Why not use your intuition to start the process? Ask yourself what you truly want out of your creative career and see what comes up over the next few months.

While I was at a conference in San Fransisco I visited Muir Woods National Park. It is such an incredibly beautiful place. After being awed by the enormous trees and how the light moved through the forest, I visited the gift shop to see what the local artists had to offer. I came across this beautiful little container. The top piece had been carved from the wood of the forest and inside was a little piece of paper that read, “The Legend of the Dreambox (often attributed to Lemuria) suggests writing down your fondest dream, greatest desire, strongest wish on a small piece of paper and putting that paper in a Dreambox and placing it beside your bed. Every evening as you retire and every morning as you rise hold your Dreambox and think of your dream believing with all your heart that it is so. Legend has it if done faithfully … your dream will come true.” Since then I’ve filled out two sheets of paper front and back full of my greatest desires. The first page has 15 different work and life desires that I wrote in 2013. All but 2 of them have been achieved. Ranging from paying off my debt and running my own creative business from home, to meeting/marrying the man of my dreams. I’m not sure it’s the “Dreambox” per-say or the mere fact that I simply wrote them down and had faith they would happen.

Step 4. Work on your passion projects.

What would happen if you spent time designing or illustrating for your own happiness—creating passion projects? Creatives are highly passionate individuals. Otherwise why would we subject ourselves to a career whose financial stability coined the phrase “starving artist”? We live and breathe to create. It wakes us up in the middle of the night. As designers we start our career inspired by our inner creativity. When we fill every last ounce of our working hours on client work we sometimes lose our initial inspiration. It’s worth carving out the time to create for yourself whether you are planning to make money or to simply gratify yourself. Jessica Hische launched her lettering career by working on her “Daily Drop Caps”—a true labor of love. She’s created a successful career by making the time to explore her own interests.

“The work you do while you’re procrastinating is probably the work you should be doing the rest of your life.”

—Jessica Hische3

My own personal projects receive twice the amount of attention as my client-related posts. I don’t know if the audience can sense my excitement or if they genuinely like what they see. Either way it’s clear to me that when I show passion for what I’m working on my customers are excited too. Nine times out of ten I generate more business from those posts. Slowly but surely I’m seeing my project list grow into work that I’m excited about. After 2 years at my part time job I was able to launch my creative business working from home doing what I love. It wasn’t until I took inspired action toward understanding my creative preferences that my career started to shift. While I can’t accredit one specific passion project I have a big list of tiny projects that made a notable difference.

Step 5. Move forward with perspiration and positivity.

Almost every time I create a time consuming piece of art I get to the midway point and think what’s the point? I enjoy the creation process it’s just that I can’t quite see how the piece is going to turn out and I’m not sure if it’s what I initially envisioned. Self doubt and fear start to cloud my judgement. I have to intentionally cheer myself forward. Something tells me I’m not alone here. The good news is that studies show creative people tend to have the ability to delay gratification.4 Thomas Edison conducted 2,004 experiments, using different materials before he invented a working lightbulb. Which explains his quote, “Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration.”

So then how do we move forward and perspire? Through positivity. It’s so easy to give up and get distracted. It’s crucial to stay connected to your initial inspiration. When you begin a project envision how it will make you feel to complete it. Write it down so you can recite it when you lose sight of your original goal. Maintaining a positive attitude takes intentional practice. When you hear the tired, old sayings of negativity playing out in your mind use them as a trigger to remember the positive. Overtime it will become much easier. Not only will the attitude shift help you complete more work but you will expand your reach. In Stephen Covey’s book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People the first habit is being proactive. He shares specifically how proactive people have a positive energy and how that benefits their reach—in other words their audience. “Proactive people focus their efforts in the Circle of Influence. They work on things they can do something about. The nature of their energy is positive, enlarging and magnifying, causing their Circle of Influence to increase.”5 When in doubt focus on what you can do right now in this moment and keep moving forward.

Let’s recap.

The first step is identifying that a change is needed. Don’t get overwhelmed by the tiny details of getting from point A to point B. Designers are planners so we tend to turn everything into a project to-do list. Start out by just recognizing that a change is needed and sit with it for a bit. Take notice of the little things that make you happy in your everyday life. Your brain will start thinking creatively for you in the background. Write your perfect day-in-the-life, or list major accomplishments or desires and keep them somewhere close by to review them when you start feeling lost. Start chipping away at your career dreams by working on passion projects that make your heart sing! This will lighten your mood and help your business thrive. Customers love seeing what you are doing outside of work and might even hire you to create something similar for them. Stay aware of the negative self talk and turn those stories into positive ones. When you are lost just do what you can with what you have in any given moment.

When Brendan started cutting out speech bubbles and placing them next to the dying bugs he was certainly living in the moment. The belly laughter that followed will never be forgotten. I’m still confused as to why there were dying bugs in our office anyway? The building was clean. The office was clean. I like to think they were dropping dead in our office to illustrate the impending doom if we chose to stay there. What hints are showing up in your life that it is time to make a change? They could be as subtle as a dying bug or as big as not having your mortgage payment. Make the decision to change and trust in the process.

SOURCES:
1 Sincero, Jen. You Are A Badass, How To Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living An Awesome Life. S.l., Running Press, 2017.

2 Robert S. Kaplan (Author). What You’re Really Meant to Do: A Road Map for Reaching Your Unique Potential. 21 Sept. 2017. Referencing pages 69-70

3 Hische, Jessica. “Procrastiworking Poster.” Jessica Hische, buystufffrom.jessicahische.com/product/procrastiworking-poster. Accessed 18 Sept. 2017.

4 Dacey, John S., et al. Understanding Creativity: The Interplay of Biological, Psychological, and Social Factors. San Francisco, Jossey-Bass, 1998.

5 Covey, Stephen R. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Provo, UT, Franklin Covey, 1998.