SME News - Freelance Illustrator and Designer of the Year (East Midlands)
Wow.
Just, W O W!
It gives me the greatest pleasure to be able to announce that I have been awarded Freelance Illustrator & Designer of the Year (East Midlands) by SME News in their annual Enterprise awards!
When I received the email last year to say I had been nominated, I couldn’t quite believe it, so much so that I just shelved it thinking it must have been a scam (hello, imposter syndrome?). But as I started to receive more emails about the nomination and consequently the news that I had won it, I started to wonder if I should be paying attention to this news.
When you work for yourself it’s easy sometimes to not notice progression. Especially being a full time mum as well as freelancer, there is little to no time to sit and take in achievements. My ‘colleagues’ are 5 & 2 and they’re not interested if I’ve landed a new client or perhaps launched a new product so I don’t get that same experience as if I was in a studio or office where there are people to bounce that news off with! I’ve very much just been keeping my head down and working through the juggle of running a business, working freelance for clients as well as being there for my kids.
This award means so much more to me than I can explain. It’s been a wonderful moment to just stop, and pay attention to the bumpy and winding road that I’ve been travelling on to get to this point.
As some of you who are self employed will have experienced this year, work has been extremely difficult; I’ve missed out on a few job opportunities, had failed pitches, sales have been down and not to mention the cost of living crises thrown in to help amp up the stress levels. Receiving this accolade feels like the recognition I’m not very good at giving myself, recognition of the hard work and late nights to make it all work in the face of a crazy few years.
After the uncertainty of the last two years or so, relative quiet has been greeted by a rush of announcements, of achievements being announced left, right and centre. Growth, new products, new services, new markets, recruitment – it’s all happening for SMEs across the UK.
Now in its sixth year, the SME UK Enterprise Awards continues to recognise SMEs of all sizes who are endeavouring to bettering business in their industries. Whether it’s by nourishing rich internal cultures to promote employee satisfaction, by offering next-level customer service, or through an enduring dedication to innovative products – British SMEs are truly the lifeblood of the country’s economy and business landscape.
Award Coordinator Holly Blackwood took a moment to discuss the success of this year’s programme: “One of the joys of this programme is realising the sheer talent and skill that permeates every inch of the British business sphere, across all industries and fields. So here’s a massive congratulations and I hope you all have a wonderful – and productive- rest of the year ahead.”
SME News prides itself on the validity of its awards and winners. The awards are given solely on merit and are awarded to commend those most deserving for their ingenuity and hard work, distinguishing them from their competitors and proving them worthy of recognition.
To learn more about our award winners and to gain insight into the working practices of the “best of the best”, please visit the SME News website (http://sme-news.co.uk) where you can access the winners supplement.
I’m very grateful to each and every client I’ve had the pleasure of working with, and for all your wonderful orders through my shop and IRL at markets! Every purchase and commission I get tells me to keep going with this dream career which I’m very grateful to have to work around my home life.
If you’ve been thinking about working with myself to get your illustration or design idea realised, then please feel free to get in touch with me as my books are open to new projects and commissions! Take a look through my full portfolio or even my Instagram to see the kind of work I do. I’m always up for a good chat, especially over a brew and maybe a biscuit or two.
A huge thanks once again to SME news for this wonderful award, and to you lovely lot for your continued support!
Here’s to another year of new illustrated adventures,