Hi friends!
I’m super excited to invite you to join in a very special workshop that I’m hosting with my friend Sarah Watts called The Variety Show, coming up March 31st – April 4th! This weeklong workshop/show is allllll about surface pattern design. Sarah and I are hosting it together, and we’ll be joined by a couple of very amazing special guests — artists Jen Hewett and Peggy Dean. Yes! And, we’ll have some surprise bonus appearances revealed soon who’ll join us throughout the week as well.
What if you could pull back the curtain on the surface design world — for real? Not just a peek, but a backstage pass to see different artists, their approaches, and their career paths in one incredible week?
That’s what’s happening in The Variety Show. You’ll get an inside look at several different programs and processes – including Photoshop, Illustrator, Procreate, and block printing. You’ll get to hear about how different artists use different programs and processes to achieve specific looks in their creative work, and how the programs sometimes weave together in fun, unique, and personal ways. We’ll tell you all about our weird and winding creative paths and the different ways we’ve each created our own versions of success.
There’s a secret about having a creative career that I don’t think is talked about enough, and it’s this: we’re all just making it up as we go. It’s weird and it’s winding and often non-linear, and there’s a lot of diving into the unknown involved. There’s no magic ticket. There’s no blueprint or fill-in-the-blank set of templates or trend report you can follow or course you can take that will lead you to mega success. I’ve spent a lot of time over the years talking to working artists, and the general consensus for how to create your own success is this: Spend lots of time making lots of art. Make lots of mistakes. Figure out what works for you, and lean into that. Let it unfold in its own weird way. Work hard. Be persistent, consistent, and patient. Practice. Don’t stop. That may sound hard or depressing, but it’s actually the best news ever. There’s no road map, which means you can literally do it however you want. There’s no right way or wrong way – there’s only YOUR way. And when you give yourself permission to do things your way, it’s not going to look like anyone else’s, and you’ll be on your way to creating your own version of creative success, too.
This is where The Variety Show comes in.
We’re kicking things off Monday night, March 31st, with a live “speakeasy”, where we’ll be sharing unfiltered, authentic truths and stories from surface pattern designers who’ve been there and who’ve been working in the industry for decades! You’ll leave feeling excited, inspired, and empowered. It’s gonna be awesome!
There are lots of online courses about different design programs out there, but how do you know if it’s going to be the right choice for you and your artwork style?
It’s important to be clear on the different options you have available as you’re setting out on your creative career, so you can make informed choices that’ll lead you in the direction you want to go. Seeing different artistic paths, real-time workflows, and having honest discussions can help you make the right choice for you—without pressure and without FOMO. That’s what you’ll find in The Variety Show!
You’ll have a front-row seat to different approaches to surface pattern design and lots of amazing conversation around it all. We want you to be able to explore all your options so you can make informed + empowered decisions about how you want your surface pattern design learning to unfold.
We’ll help you demystify the surface pattern design proccess, and The Variety Show will help you find clarity and confidence to carve your own path in surface design.
Come join us!
xo
jess
ps – the sessions will be live, but everything will be recorded. So no worries if the times don’t jive with your schedule – you’ll be able to watch the replays when it’s convenient for you :)
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