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The Happy Post

Resources and tools to manage feelings of inadequacy and anxiety as a creative entrepreneur.

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Tip of the month: The One Secret Ingredient for Landing Dream Clients

Hi Reader, Is your portfolio just a collection of work samples? Time to transform it into a client-magnet! Here are 3 things you can do to make your portfolio stand out the next time you send out emails to art directors. 1. Curate, don't crowd: Showcase your best work, not everything you've ever done. Quality over quantity! 2. Tell your story: Show the process, not just the final product. Explain your design decisions and the impact of your work. Try talking about your process in your...

about 2 months ago • 1 min read

Hi Reader, Is your design process cluttered with unnecessary steps and distractions? Time for a "Spring Cleaning" ritual! Here's how to declutter: Audit your routine: List (and by list I mean write it down) every step you take from idea to execution. Identify the time-sucks: Which steps feel repetitive, wasteful, or uninspiring? For me it was the time I would sketch on a notebook, then use tracing paper to redraw my motifs, and then scan and then colour and then build my patterns. Now, since...

3 months ago • 1 min read

Hi Reader, This whole month we’re talking about productivity techniques that I have tried out for myself in my art business (also in my day job and personal life). Last week, I spoke about batching and the kinds of tasks that you could consider batching on a daily or a weekly basis. I wanted to share some tips to make this entire process easier for you. Tips that can make batching more effective: Identify repetitive tasks like sending emails or updating inventory. Evaluate your workflow and...

3 months ago • 1 min read

Hi Reader, This is the first email of a Tip of the Month series that I have planned for this entire year. Last year, I was busy working on my portfolio and I put my newsletter on the backburner. I wasn’t being lazy, I was just feeling overwhelmed by the thought of having to plan, draft newsletter copy, and schedule emails. But then I came across a neat little hack to beat that dreaded feeling of procrastination and get more focused. So, if you’re in the same boat, and feeling paralyzed by a...

3 months ago • 1 min read

Hello Reader, It's been a while since we connected; I’m many months late, am I not? Over the past year, I've been reevaluating the direction of my business, and after much consideration, I've decided to let my blog take a backseat. I’ve been working hard on beefing up my portfolio and I’m not really left with a whole lot of time at hand to do much writing. Even though we’re into the second month of the year already, it’s never too late to set goals for yourself. In fact, even Feb is a good...

4 months ago • 1 min read

This week is special. I want you to meet a close friend of mine, Gargi.There are so many reasons I love Gargi! She's always been supportive of my art practice. Every now and then she checks in on me, especially when I'm absent on social media for a long time. And her art...she designs the most exquisite sarees. Gargi a talented surface pattern designer that you should totally get to know! Please introduce yourself.First of all thank you Priyadarshini for choosing me for your "Artistically...

over 1 year ago • 2 min read
Advanced Goal Setting for Creative entrepreneurs

Hello Reader, This is the last Happy Post of the month, and I'm doing a blog round up in case you missed January's blog posts. 9 Important Lessons I Learnt from Last Year as a Surface Designer As I tried overcoming the stumbling blocks of 2022, I learnt a lot of valuable lessons. This post is all about those lessons. Read the article Identify and Prioritise: The Beginner's Guide to Goal Setting For several years now, I’ve tried my best to strike a balance between being a workaholic and...

over 1 year ago • 1 min read

Hi Reader, I love the beginning of a new year–it reminds me that even if things didn’t go as planned the previous year, here’s the opportunity to assess where I fell short and then implement changes as required. A new year brings hope and renewed enthusiasm. I always use the new year to set goals and bring some structure into my professional (and personal) life. I am not saying I follow this structure religiously but it does help guide my next steps and keep my action plan precise and...

over 1 year ago • 1 min read

Hiya Reader, Today, we're back with our much-loved newsletter interview series, and this time I'm introducing you to Christine. Christine is someone I have immense respect for. Her talent is spectacular, and it is a given, but the knowledge and wisdom she imparts is peerless. Please introduce yourself.Hello, I’m Christine Giarrusso, the face behind Nelly and Isobel. A self taught artist and Surface Pattern Designer, I live in Melbourne, Australia with my husband. We have three children and...

over 1 year ago • 2 min read

Hi Reader, First of all, let me wish you a happy new year. January, the start of the new year, is all about setting new resolutions and goals, in the hopes that we carry forward the same passion throughout the rest of the year. I don’t do resolutions–there was a time when I was in school that I would try my best to stick to resolutions, but I don’t quite warm up to strict rules and regulations. I’d rather set flexible goals and have an action plan as a jumping off point for the rest of the...

over 1 year ago • 2 min read
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