House of Illustration Summer Fair Round Up
What an honour it was to have been invited back again to the House of Illustration summer fair the other week!
I’ve been a bit behind in getting this post written up due to some lovely client work I’ve been beavering away on, but still wanted to share some of my favourite illustrators from the fair who I had the pleasure of meeting.
What an honour it was to have been invited back again to the House of Illustration summer fair the other week!
I’ve been a bit behind in getting this post written up due to some lovely client work I’ve been beavering away on, but still wanted to share some of my favourite illustrators from the fair who I had the pleasure of meeting.
Miss Ella’s beautiful illustrated laser cut jewellery
Miss Ella Illustrator
I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Ella from when I studied at Norwich University of the Arts back in 2007-2010, and since graduating I’ve been seeing her beautiful work at various events across London. Her jewellery is just so imaginative and whimsical, and I am totally in love with those pink moon earrings.
Aleesha Nandhra’s postcard selection
Aleesha Nandhra
It was so lovely to meet Aleesha at the last House of Illustration fair back in December - especially when we realised that she was a distant relative of my husbands! Needless to say it was great to meet back up again (along with her amazing mum) to see the beautiful new work she’s been creating. She’s been travelling around the world (check out her visit to Nepal) and you see how these beautiful experiences have influenced her work.
Beautiful linocuts by Aurore Swithenbank
Aurore Swithenbank
Plants? Check. Black on natural card? Check. Insects? Check check! All the things I love and more. It wasn’t just her gorgeous artwork that I was head over heels for, but her display stole my heart (LOVED that she brought along her linocuts) as did her gorgeous hand typed business cards. It just shows that it’s the little things that really make a difference.
House of Illustration Summer Fair held at The Crossing in Granary Square
There were so many more illustrators I wanted to shout about but I’m pretty sure you don’t have all day to scroll through it all. So here were some of my extra favourites:
I absolutely love coming to this fair as I always come away so inspired by the talent there. It’s so easy to remain in your little creative echo chamber but stepping out of this comfort zone always gives me the fire to try and do something new or pursue one of my illustration project dreams (and that list is long).
Fingers crossed I can make it to the Christmas event, and perhaps see you there!
7 Tips for Freelancing with a Toddler in Tow
Imagine you have a colleague at work who relentlessly needs your attention, messes up your keyboard (which makes your laptop freeze), is beyond filthy and has no personal boundaries? Working from home with a toddler is pretty much like this. In a shared office environment this person would probably have to visit HR but when your office is a corner, or at best a room, in your own home, you’ve got to somehow manage these tiny whirlwinds of energy!
It’s only after 18 months of tears, frustration and stamping feet (and I’m not on about my own toddler…) that I’ve been able to find ways to get through a day where emails have been answered and projects get completed. Here are my top 7 tips should you be on the verge of shipping your own tiny human off…
Photography by Daniel Hughes
Imagine you have a colleague at work who relentlessly needs your attention, messes up your keyboard (which makes your laptop freeze), is beyond filthy and has no personal boundaries? Working from home with a toddler is pretty much like this. In a shared office environment this person would probably have to visit HR but when your office is a corner, or at best a room, in your own home, you’ve got to somehow manage these tiny whirlwinds of energy!
It’s only after 18 months of tears, frustration and stamping feet (and I’m not on about my own toddler…) that I’ve been able to find ways to get through a day where emails have been answered and projects get completed. Here are my top 7 tips should you be on the verge of shipping your own tiny human off…
ONE / Work smarter, not faster
Since having Ophelia and having to really re-work my daily routine to accommodate her and work (which has shown me how actually un-adaptable I can actually be!) I genuinely can’t believe how little I got done before I had her. There’s something about having a 2-3 hour window everyday that gives you some serious laser focus; there’s no time to idle away on Instagram or claim you’re ‘researching’ when you’re head first in a Pinterest rabbit hole.
Nope, you’ve got to be pretty stern with yourself and get that list written out with the top priorities for those few hours. I’m on about important emails (deleting old ones can be done in ad breaks in the evening in front of the TV), making those phone calls that give you the hebe jeebies, cracking on with illustration projects.
The other stuff, the stuff I like to call the ‘chuff’ of being freelance can be done after it’s the little persons bedtime. Invoices need filing? Inbox need clearing? Social media posts need scheduling? Yep, those are perfect ‘sofa jobs’ which don’t require excellent daylight (if you’re an artist) or a desk.
You’ll be amazed with what you can achieve when you limit yourself to just a few hours!
TWO / Work around their schedule
This kind of ties in with the previous tip, but get to know your little person’s routine and make it work for you. If they have a regular time of day when you know they’ll get sleepy, then plan to get your work done in that nap time window.
I know I can’t get any work done when Ophelia is awake (save for a few orders but that is all she can tolerate before boredom hits!) so I always make sure that the time we spend together is just us time. And should it just be the activities we do exert her to the point of tiredness around her nap time then that’s a good coincidence too…
Don’t get me wrong - she’s not a robot and 50% of the time I’m winging it because the day just hasn’t planned out like I thought it would. That’s having children in a nutshell, but I just make sure I catch up when lights are out, which leads me on to…
THREE / You may have to become a night owl
I’ve always labelled myself a lark, and thought that I could only work in the morning and was a useless lump of lethargy by the afternoon. Well, let me tell you that’s just a story I used to tell myself. I’ve had no choice but to become a bit of a night owl since having Ophelia because there are days when there is no opportunity for me to sit down and focus on my work.
Sure I can post to Instagram or answer an email here and there whilst she’s awake, but the stuff that requires my full attention I can save till the evening now when she’s tucked up in bed resting.
FOUR / Get those boundaries in place
I’m very lucky to have a whole room as my studio in our house. A small corner of it does have some toys and a teepee for Ophelia to play in when I’m in there sorting orders but for the rest of the time it’s an out of bounds room. Aside from the fact that her little hands seem to manage to destroy everything in sight in the space of seconds, I want her to understand that that space is my work room and that the things that are in there (my laptop, stock, clients work) is very important and can’t be touched.
The joy of working for yourself is that you don’t have to adhere to strict hours, or dress code or office location, but sometimes there needs to be some boundaries so others can respect that what you do isn’t just a hobby (and I’m not just talking about kids here) and is in fact an important job.
FIVE / Be open and honest with your clients
There’s going to be a day when your child won’t nap, and they won’t just entertain themselves with a film for a few hours, and basically it will feel like they are out to destroy any plans you had for your day. Honesty is the best policy here.
I’ve had a few scheduled client calls which I’ve booked to be during Ophelia’s nap time and of course she’s decided to stay awake to mix all the play dough together (very important job). She’s at an age now where she does have a little understanding that when I’m on the phone, she needs to do her best ‘whispering voice’, however her mind loses focus quickly and so I may at best get 5 minutes with my client uninterrupted.
It’s best to just manage everyone’s expectations and be honest with your client. A very polite disclaimer at the beginning of your call or meeting to explain your situation, and to apologise in advance for any interruption will go a long way to helping ease any discomfort when your darling child starts to pipe up. 90% of the time clients are parents too, and they understand the trials and tribulations that come with it.
Still, it does make you die a little when it happens as you worry that it makes you look totally unprofessional. In that case, make sure you can book any extremely high profile client calls on a day when maybe your little human is out of the house and is screaming down someone else’s.
SIX / Make use of your Village
They say it takes a village to raise a child, and I honestly believe that. We’re very fortunate to live close to our parents, all of whom are more than happy to watch Ophelia for me. Whether it’s for a whole day, or even just a morning, I am privileged to have that time carved out to just get work done.
And besides, it brings them joy too.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. There is nothing weak about it. You are a human, and you can’t do it all (as much as the media may tell you otherwise). Some work commitments and projects just need an empty house, and you don’t need to justify yourself to anyone.
If you don’t have the luxury of family nearby, why not ask a friend who has kids as well? Maybe one of the NCT mums you met when you were pregnant? Either way it makes a great playdate for your children, and great way for you to get your to do list completed. You can always return the favour to your pal another day and in turn give them a chance to a child free day!
SEVEN / Remember the amazing advantage you have…
In the end, it’s important to remember that not everyone gets to spend as much time with their kids when they’re young. Working from home with kids is hard, and it can be frustrating, but remember that you get to see more of the milestones than those parents who work outside the home.
You have this golden opportunity to be there for all the firsts, to hear them string new sentences together, and to enjoy things like going to the park/soft play/cafes/other fun stuff that you can’t do in an office. These young formative years can go so quickly, and to be a big presence in them is very important and musn’t be overlooked.
I hope these tips help in your journey into the world of freelancing and parenting simultaneously. If you have your own life saving tips I would love to hear them! Feel free to drop them in the comments below and hopefully it will help any other freelance parents out there!
The Art of Living (and Blogging) Slowly
It's taken me a while to dust off the old blog and begin getting into sharing posts with you lovely lot again. I've had so much I've wanted to share, but as always, not so much of time going around these days.
It's taken me a while to dust off the old blog and begin getting into sharing posts with you lovely lot again. I've had so much I've wanted to share, but as always, not so much of time going around these days.
Since I last blogged there's been some pretty big changes around here. There is now a baby, a 10 month old baby, careering about like a little drunk person whilst she's learning to walk. And although I've been back at work full time for the past 3 months I've only just got a handle on things.
The biggest takeaway from it all is just to keep things s l o w.
Having Ophelia has made me understand now that I literally cannot be everything to everyone, and I simply cannot do everything all at once. So I'm choosing to live slow this year, and that is the only resolution I'm making.
The funny thing is now that I'm choosing to go slow, I'm finding that things are actually getting done. They might not be completed in the lightning quick fashion I usually want them done, but they're getting done. Not perfected, but done.
And I'm actually illustrating more for pleasure, rather than getting bogged down with the admin and the emails and the accounts and the algorithms and the Pinterest trawl. When you suddenly lose all the time you had before, you really come to appreciate and treasure the rare time that you do have when you're not being something to someone.
So if you're finding yourself starting this year frantically trying to accomplish all your goals by February 1st, take a breath, be rebellious and just say fuck it.
If you're trying to sprint to the finish line, you'll miss the view on the way.
Practising Gratitude
Happy Thanksgiving to all my wonderful US clients / readers / customers!
It may not be a holiday that we celebrate here in the UK, but from my years of watching US sitcoms and shows I've always loved the tradition (and forgive me if this is not a tradition!) of sitting around the table and stating what you're thankful for.
It's so important to take a moment, even if it is just once a year, to show gratitude for what you have rather than constantly thinking of what you don't have.
Happy Thanksgiving to all my wonderful US clients / readers / customers!
It may not be a holiday that we celebrate here in the UK, but from my years of watching US sitcoms and shows I've always loved the tradition (and forgive me if this is not a tradition!) of sitting around the table and stating what you're thankful for.
It's so important to take a moment, even if it is just once a year, to show gratitude for what you have rather than constantly thinking of what you don't have.
It's quite easy to forget all those wonderful little things that make up the the small joys in our day to day lives, especially when the world around us can be chaotic, un-predictable and (especially this year) disappointing. Whether it's personal life or work life, your laser beam focus on what you haven't done, or what you haven't achieved or are lacking can easily over look the other great things that are clearly around you and which, to others, may be what they feel are lacking.
“Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.”
So here is my compact (but not complete) list of things I'm really grateful for - the small and the big stuff...
My home studio - you are warm, you are cosy, and I don't have to pay separate rent for you
- The Nottingham creative community - in particular the wonderful Nottingham Etsy Team where I feel like I've met my tribe and have a reason to leave the house.
- Spotify ... you have enabled my golden oldie and tacky music habit which has got me through many a deadline.
- My husband - Truly, no other human I'd want to spend this short time on earth with. We created a lovely little phenomena who I can't wait to meet in March - I hope she has your dark hair and un-fazed personality, but not your beard.
- Our daughter - you kicking me in the bladder right now tells me that you're alive and nothing makes me happier. Keep kicking little one.
- My family - extended and blood - who have been my cheerleader and my shoulder to cry on in what's been a year of lows and highs.
- Chocolate malted milks. Whoever thought to whack chocolate on malted milks needs a statue, or a national day. Or both.
- The bin man who actually puts my bins back for me - you don't have to do this, you are a lovely human.
- My neighbour who is always signing for my parcels - you saved me so much time trying to find a car park space at the depot.
- CBT - Thank you for helping me to get my life back. I owe you, and the NHS, so much.
- Yes, the NHS. Always the NHS.
So what are you grateful for today? Feel free to share with me in the comments below, or write it down and keep it safe for a day when things feel like they're really not going your way.
P.S I'm really enjoying this roll I seem to be on with writing posts! Do you want to read more or less? Drop me a line, or tweet @deborahpanesar to me know.
Let's keep making mistakes!
It's been one year since I proclaimed from the rooftops (well, my Tumblr page) that I was going to stop working on my business and to instead pursue designing and illustrating full time.
Reading through this post (which for some reason makes me cringe and want to delete it forever from the eyes of the internet) I can recall so vividly how burnt out, tired and quite dejected I was feeling about the whole thing. The 'tipping point' part of that whole post was true - something needed to change in order to for me to change how I felt.
12 months on, what can I tell you?
It's been one year since I proclaimed from the rooftops (well, my Tumblr page) that I was going to stop working on my business and to instead pursue designing and illustrating full time.
Reading through this post (which for some reason makes me cringe and want to delete it forever from the eyes of the internet) I can recall so vividly how burnt out, tired and quite dejected I was feeling about the whole thing. The 'tipping point' part of that whole post was true - something needed to change in order to for me to change how I felt.
12 months on, what can I tell you?
Well, I did not succeed in making this dream a total reality. I'm here to tell you today that I did not end up making not a particularly smart business / life / wellbeing decision that I only realised the other day.
And I feel so damn positive about the whole thing.
Genuinely, I have never been more ecstatic than realising I had made this mistake. I felt it in my entire body, this happy revelation, that I gave it a damn hard try, and no one can take that away from me. I slogged the year, I trialled and boy did I error. I made some monumental fuck ups, some of which are embarrassing and some of which are truly teachable moments.
Bathe in the glory of your fuck-ups, embarrassment and face-palm-worthy errors because these are your sign posts and slip roads to a new direction.
Some of you might be curious how I came to this state of delusional bliss where I seemingly lost my mind in the many fuck-ups and laughed? It's quite boring really - but I did some sales forecasting.
I kid you not - I spent two days (out of curiosity more than anything) making a detailed year on year comparison of my sales from 2013-2016, which I'll explain below. I've made a template of the model I created should you wish to embark on this mind-numbingly revelation-worthy task [NOTE: remember to save a copy of it, not input your information directly onto it, as it's a public Google Sheet and all your financial information will be shared with everyone which is not good].
The madness first started after reading this super helpful Etsy Blog article, to try and forecast Christmas sales for my shop. And when the results were tallied, all the information from each months revenue and number of sales input into my spreadsheet, I sat back and thought, damn, I underestimated the power of my wonderful little illustrated business.
So then I went off a tangent and I pulled up ALL my accounts for the same timeframe (2013-2016) and started inputting all my revenue information, month by month, year by year, to start painting a picture of what my year on year sales were like. I even went as far as to break this down into the each revenue stream, so I could get a better idea of where my money was coming from.
And when all of that was done, I sat back and looked at the cold hard evidence which only number crunching can give you - and I realised a number of things:
- I made decisions last year based on feelings and not on financial evidence.
- I did not appreciate what I had till I stopped doing it.
- I busted some serious ass this year, and although it wasn't my strongest from a money point of view, it's been the smartest I worked in a long time.
Who knew that all this meaning could come from something as mundane as sales forecasting? Admittedly there are heaps of businesses who do this every year, and are probably wondering why I never got on with this before, and you're right. I'm a little late to this smart financial forecasting party. But I'm here now and I'm loving it.
I'm geared up and I'm positive about where to take my illustrated business.
I'm excited to get back into making and designing products to sell. I can't wait to head out into the world again to meet my customers face to face at craft fairs and events. I'm looking forward to the thrill and the anxiety of launching new ranges and approaching stockists and being so fully immersed once more in the designer maker world.
It's been a learning curve this year working solely as a freelance illustrator whilst my shop took a bit of a backseat - and I've been so grateful for all the projects, commissions and opportunities that came my way. I've learned so much about how I work, function and thrive as an illustrator, and I'm excited to come back to normal business as it was pre 2016.
Most importantly however, the one thing I've learned that I feel you should take with you from this moment on after reading this: Embrace how much this may also be a fuck-up.
No great business ever grew or became the power-house they are without taking some wrong turns; trusting the wrong people, investing money in the wrong thing or even taking their business down a route that maybe wasn't such a good idea. Mistakes = progress and progress is better than sitting and waiting for it all to happen.
So before I leave you to go out into the world and embrace all your error-making ways, that only a human can do, I want to leave you with a profound quote from Amanda Palmer:
““Everyone in this room is going to be gone pretty quickly — and we will have either made something or not made something. The artists that inspire me are the ones that I look at and go, ‘Oh my god — you didn’t have to go there. It would’v been safer not to — but, for whatever reason, you did.’ And every time death happens, I’m reminded that it’s stupid to be safe… Usually, whatever that is — wherever you don’t want to go, whatever that risk is, wherever the unsafe place is — that really is the gift that you have to give.””
Read the full article that this quote was taken from, 'Vincent Van Gogh on Fear, Taking Risks, and How Making Inspired Mistakes Moves us Forward' by Brain Pickings and also take some time to watch this incredible interview with Grace Bonney, the owner of Design*Sponge, on Marie Forleo's blog entitled 'Overcoming Fear, Accepting Imperfection, and the Real Deal with Work Life Balance.'
Now I'd like to hear about your monumental fuck-ups that you're grateful for (if you have anything, perfect human) - leave them in the comments below or tweet them to me @deborahpanesar
Keep up the trial and error and don't be ashamed to shout about it.
