How I Avoid Burnout During Calendar Season
Designing a calendar sounds manageable until you realize you need a cover, twelve finished pages, product photos, listings, keywords, and everything else that comes with actually getting it into a shop. That’s where a lot of artists get stuck. They start excited, lose momentum halfway through, or finish one calendar and can’t imagine doing another. […]
Affinity Designer Quickstart
If you’ve downloaded Affinity Designer, opened it, looked at all those buttons, and quietly closed it again, this tutorial is for you. Instead of trying to memorize every tool first, I’m going to show you how to learn Affinity by actually making something: we’ll sketch a playful motif, rebuild it as vectors, and turn it […]
How to Draw Renaissance Motifs for Patterns & Graphics
Renaissance ornament is everywhere right now! From surface pattern design to fonts, branding, and digital graphics. In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to sketch elegant Renaissance-inspired motifs in Procreate using historical references, then refine them into artwork that can grow into patterns, graphics, borders, lettering, and even complete font collections. Watch the Tutorial This episode […]
Etsy SEO 101 for Artists
Creating beautiful artwork is only half the battle on Etsy. If your listings aren’t optimized for search, potential buyers may never find them. The good news is that Etsy SEO isn’t about guessing—it’s a system you can learn. In this guide, we break down the fundamentals of Etsy SEO, explaining how Etsy ranks listings, how […]
Hand Letter a Quote Card or Sticker in Procreate
Hand lettering doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful. In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to create a hand-lettered greeting card or sticker in Procreate using simple shapes, loose florals, and playful lettering that feels handmade and ready for licensing, print-on-demand, or your own product line. Watch the Tutorial This episode is part […]
10 Years Selling Art Online: What Actually Works Now
Ten years ago, I uploaded my very first print-on-demand design without knowing whether anyone would ever buy it. Since then, I’ve sold my work around the world, built multiple income streams, published books, licensed artwork, grown an Etsy business, and eventually earned enough to build the tiny house studio where I work today. But perhaps the […]
How I Balance Creative Work and Motherhood
Balancing creativity, family responsibilities, and a business can feel impossible. Many artists struggle with guilt, lack of time, and the constant feeling that they are neglecting something important. In this episode, we share the systems, mindset shifts, and practical routines that help me balance motherhood, creative work, and running a business. Whether you’re a parent, […]
How to Design a Craftsman Style Pattern
Craftsman patterns feel timeless for a reason: they aren’t random. In this tutorial, I’ll show you how I use a simple grid system, symmetry, and flowing botanical shapes to build a Craftsman-inspired repeat pattern that works beautifully for fabric, wallpaper, and home decor. Watch the Tutorial This episode is part of my iPad Art Breaks series, […]
A Freedom Focused Strategy for Creatives
Many creatives start their art business dreaming of freedom, flexible schedules, meaningful work, and income from doing what they love. But somewhere along the way, many artists end up overwhelmed by endless tasks, social media pressure, and burnout. In this post, we share a freedom-focused strategy for creatives who want to simplify their business, protect […]
Work Faster in Affinity Designer
If Affinity Designer feels powerful but overwhelming, you are not alone. In this tutorial, I’m sharing the time-saving tools and habits that help me move faster in Affinity—so you can spend less time hunting for buttons and more time creating professional vector art, patterns, and color versions. Watch the Tutorial This episode is part of […]
10 Reasons Licensors Aren’t Responding to Your Art Pitches
(And what to fix before you send the next email) If you’ve been pitching your art to companies and hearing absolutely nothing back, I know how discouraging that can feel. It’s so easy to assume your work just isn’t good enough, or that everyone else somehow knows a secret you don’t. But in most cases, silence […]
Turn Old Artwork Into a Sellable Calendar Page
If you’ve ever opened your Procreate gallery and thought, “I have so much art in here… but none of it is becoming anything,” this tutorial is for you. Instead of starting from scratch, I’m going to show you how to pull one illustration you already love and turn it into a calendar page you can […]