Wins and Lessons of 2023
As another year has drawn to a close, I wanted to take a moment to celebrate not only the wins of 2023, but also the lessons learnt from my mistakes. 2023 was definitely a year of two halves for me, the first half was terrifyingly stressful, the second half, exciting and fulfilling. All of the downs and then all of the ups, which is important because it helps you gain perspective not only in your professional life but also in your personal one.
So I hope you’ll enjoy reading through my top 5 wins for last year, and also my top 5 lessons learnt from those ‘teachable’ moments.
wins
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wins -
1. Glass and Wick
What an incredible opportunity to see my work transformed into a new format! Working with Glass & Wick was an absolute joy. It’s a rare thing to find a client who just gets your vibe and can see your vision even if it’s not on paper. In the end I created a total of 27 separate illustrations culminating in 50 hours of drawing. Holding the finished article in my hands felt like holding a little treasure, and I hope if you ordered one too you felt the same!
2. Thyroid Superhero
I was over the moon when local friend/writer/thyroid advocate Rachel Hill got in touch to ask me to bring her children’s book idea to life. After the success of The Strange Tales of the Alphabet Children I was very keen to work on another book, especially one which could help so many families. I was bowled over by Rachel’s expertise and knowledge, and it reminded me that working with clients works both ways; I always come away more knowledgable and informed after being involved with their worlds, even if it’s for a short period of time.
3. Penhaligon’s for Studio XAG
One of the (physically) biggest projects I worked on to date, I was commissioned by creative geniuses Studio XAG to create some large format illustrations to be applied to a booth for their clients Penhaligon’s. As well as illustrating many Victorian style flying machines I was commissioned to create a 4ft x 4ft London map complete with iconic landmarks.
4. 2024 Markets
I visited 10 markets last year, all across Nottingham and as always it’s such a pleasure meeting you all face to face! My favourites had to be Pitch Presents Ay-Up Market in June (The weather was perfect, and it was my first time pitching up in the actual market square!) as well as the Nottingham Castle Christmas Market at the end of November. The Castle has always been a favourite spot of mine in the city, and to be a part of that for a weekend felt really special.
5. Isla & Fraser
Whilst Isla & Fraser aren’t new clients, they have been one of my longest standing clients and I am always so grateful to work with them every year. 2023 saw a little upgrade to their beautiful gift boxes which saw some small illustrated editions of flowers and ribbons to the corners in their sumptuous brand colours as devised by Page + Looker.
Photography by Abi Moore
lessons
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lessons -
Only you gets in your way
We like to think that it’s external circumstances that stop us from progressing, but one thing I noticed about myself was that I was the only saboteur. I’m not cured from this affliction, and I still self sabotage on a daily basis, however like meditation I notice when I’m doing it and I decide to try and change gears in that moment. No judgement needed.
2. Money doesn’t equal happiness, but it does make you less stressed
2023 was financially one of the hardest years to date. I’m happy to be transparent enough to tell you that the first half of the year was terrifying. And whilst the old adage of ‘money can’t buy you happiness’ is true in one way, I can’t iterate how much less stressed and ill you don’t feel when you do have it. I ended up getting a part-time job to supplement my income, something I’ve done to look after my family and ultimately my mental health.
3. When there’s a will, there’s a way
Things can, and do, feel hopeless at times. January-May was that time for me. Going through this has shown that I am able to do a lot of things I told myself I never could. Approach jobs I never imagined I would be good enough for, step up to responsibilities I didn’t think I was strong enough to do, take on work that I didn’t think I was skilled enough to complete. It’s amazing how point number 1 resonates here right?
4. Get out of your head about social media
I’ve had the privilege of watching my husband grow his Instagram account from nothing to over 101K follows in the past few years. His secret? He posts every day, and he’s not hung up over the extreme specifics. He just wanted to showcase how easy and fun it is to rewear clothes and buy secondhand, and it seems it resonates with many of you too. I’m taking this attitude with me into 2024, to approach social media less like a chore and a stress and to just be more playful and spontaneous with it.
5. Start the thing, now!
So many things put off in 2023, and once I’d done them they were so simple. This circles (again) back to point number 1 - we get in our own way all the time! How many projects do you have sitting on a pile, waiting for the ‘perfect’ moment? There will never be a perfect moment apart from the moment where you’re thinking about doing the thing, so do the thing!