The Process of Sharing the Process

04. 28.16 Before we begin, I want to provide a little context. I just completed my Adobe Creative Residency. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the program, it’s a new initiative from Adobe that provides designers, photographers, illustrators, etc. a full year to work solely on passion projects. Kelli Anderson and I were the first residents. My projects were (mainly) working on my second book, The Roommate Book (on sale June 28!) and launching my online store, Chipper Things, that features my illustrations on over 70 products.

Let’s dive in.

Much of what I learned during my Creative Residency can be summarized as this: a lot can happen in a year.

I learned (and relearned) the value of accountability, saying yes before feeling ready, sharing publicly and surrounding myself with people who are rooting for me.

A little accountability can go a really long way. The program is remote, therefore I live and work out of my studio in Austin, Texas. Team Adobe is stationed in San Francisco. I talk to Libby (Creative Community Liaison) every Wednesday (specifically at 1 PM CT / 11 AM PT). Throughout the week, we send emails, texts and Trello notes, but overall, this call is where we get down to business.

Libby (and the rest of the Adobe team) is always two steps ahead of me. They’re constantly scheming of ways to make the most of my time as a resident. Because of these weekly meetings, I have done things that I would have otherwise delayed or declined because I didn’t feel ready, think I had the time, etc. This is where the growth really happened. I got so used to saying yes to new things that I accidentally became tougher, faster and better along the way.

Let’s talk more about accidentally becoming brave.

One year ago, I was scurrying to meet with a local film crew (Arts+Labor) at their cool Austin office (it is cool by definition because it has a conference room that’s heavy on the windows.) Since we’re both based out of Austin, it made sense for me to meet at their office while we had a call with my new Adobe team in San Francisco.

It was in a building that shared an address with a few other offices. I was so close, but so far away, because I couldn’t find their suite number. I was already nervous enough as it was — they were filming a video all about Becky to show the world what Adobe was thinking by hiring me as one of their inaugural Creative Residents. Yet I couldn’t even find an address in plain sight.

That was one of those moments where, if you’re like me, you feel completely unqualified and freaked out that someone (or something, particularly an entity as big as Adobe) is investing time, energy and money in you. At the same time, in your heart of hearts you know that you did not trick them in the process, therefore things must be going as planned. It felt more like the leap from high school to college than the leap from 7th to 8th grade.

Thinking back to how nervous I was compared with how comfortable I am now makes me realize that I walked in as a freshman and I’m walking out as a graduate.

Like Adam Garcia says, “The pressure is good for you.”

We don’t (I don’t) always win with the first try, but if or when I do succeed, those little victories lead to bigger victories. It’s important to challenge ourselves so that when we win, we really win. My talk at Adobe MAX went better than expected, so, I accidentally became a little bit more brave and that made me a little less nervous for the next talk. And even less nervous for the talk after that. Before I knew it, I saw myself as someone who “give talks.”

And just like that, I became more confident without meaning to. It happened because I was pushed a little and then tiptoed even more out of my comfort zone. The accountability led to bigger things, beyond what I thought I was capable of in 365 days.

I said yes to figuring it out later and then I figured it out later.

A core part of my role as a Creative Resident is to share the process publicly. The goal is for this program to lift up and elevate the creative community as a whole. I didn’t have much trouble with this as I shared my 100 Day Project (#100daysofgettingstarted), where I displayed my daily illustrations. I also didn’t mind sharing the process for The Roommate Book. And I also didn’t mind showing folks 90% of the process of designing, building and launching Chipper Things. That last 10% was a lot harder to share.

Before I go on, I acknowledge that sharing the process of my Creative Residency project is a fair ask. It is the main part of the job description. It’s interesting and helpful for us (humans) to see a dream turn into a plan and then that plan turn into reality. Sharing is easy when you know you’re in the clear. It’s much harder when you’re not so sure.

And by not so sure, I mean, plagued with doubt. I’ve been talking this dang thing up for a year. “What if come launch day people are just…underwhelmed?”, I often thought to myself. We’re busy people. If something isn’t up to snuff, we don’t take the time to rationalize why. We make our judgments and move on with the day.

I also had a “to-do” list that was longer than my “done” list just days before the launch. I knew it would work out but I was still very nervous (most likely seen on my Real World Confessional-esque Snapchats).

What ended up happening was the opposite of what I had feared.

1. I finished Chipper Things on time, and I finished it well. Part of why I still had so much to do come launch week was because I was obviously behind schedule. Why was I behind schedule? I made a semi-last minute decision to swing for the fences a few months ago and added 50 more products than originally planned. This significantly pushed back the whole operation. Instead of starting out slow and steady, I decided to throw it all out there and figure out what sticks. I bootstrapped everything from photographing the products to building the site (thank you, Shopify) to sourcing materials. The notebooks weren’t actually in the hands of my fulfillment center until the day of launch.
2. I was overwhelmed by the support I received from the moment the site went live. Friends, acquaintances and internet cheerleaders banded together to make sure the world knew about this project I’d been working on for the last year. I couldn’t believe (and still can’t believe) how enthusiastic people have been.

I learned an important lesson in all of this: By letting people in on my journey, they became vested in my success. Things become interesting when we know a thing or two about them. This is true for flags, astronomy, art and everything else. Knowledge leads to understanding. That’s why we all got lost in the deep web learning more disturbing facts about Robert Durst after we watched the Jinx.

This is connection.

I believe that when we get a teeny bit vulnerable with our goals/dreams/ideas, the rest of our community identifies because they see a bit of themselves in our story. They know we’re in a fragile place, so they rally to protect us (if we have a kind community). Plus, it’s a lot easier to root for a real person than a robot who just “woke up like this.”

Everyone’s situation is different. This is not a rule of thumb — this is an observed personal outcome. It just so happens to be something that I find useful and will keep working toward — sharing my work in a sustainable way and trusting that nobody is going to beat me up if some projects are better than others, I change my mind along the way or even fall flat on my face. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of discernment. Not everything needs to (or should be) shared, nor should we hastily announce our goals to the world. And I also think it’s okay (and best) to ask for help and feedback. When I launched this store, I was not shy about asking friends to help spread the word. We have to ask for what we want and help people help us.

At the end of the day, it’s a lot easier to create when we know that our comrades are rooting for us. It’s tough when we fear the wrath of not getting it right the first time. We make better stuff when we put ourselves in situations where we’re pushed further than we think we can go, and the nectar is that much sweeter when the backstory was illuminated along the way.

Not sure how to properly link to myself below. I’d like to provide places for people to reach me / my work, but I don’t want to overwhelm them with links.

Check out the Chipper Things store and read more about my process and the release of The Roommate Book over here.

--

Note: To read more about why it’s nice to show your work, read Austin Kleon’s appropriately titled book, Show Your Work!

Chipper Things is Live

Origin Story

In 2010 I moved to Waco, Texas from Ames, Iowa. I landed a job at a cool design firm where I was paid to doodle, draw and distract my co-workers with ridiculous hypotheticals. I look back on these 2 1/2 years fondly. But I often forget how hard it was in the beginning. I didn't have any friends when I moved. On one particular stroll through the aisles of Hobby Lobby, I saw a wood  burning pen and a few planks of wood. I decided to buy it. That night I burned a ship (inspired by an old stamp) onto  one of those planks of wood. Eventually I started burning more wood planks with quotes, pictures and letters. Then I had them laser cut and then I opened an Etsy shop.

(This one was laser cut)

In searching for the perfect name, with equal parts jolly, spunky and punny, I came upon Chipper Things. My product was literally (and I mean literally the way it is meant to be said) chipper things.

Not long after that, the Chipper Things blog began as an outlet for me to share my drawings, writing, ideas and inspiration. I started I'd Rather Be Short on this platform (as well as a handful of other good and bad ideas). Meanwhile, my Etsy store morphed into a little print shop, where I sold my art on paper instead of walnut (and by art I mean, mostly this print in particular). Through this experience, as well as writing my first book, I learned that it is indeed possible to make a living off of my art.

Enter Chipper Things 2.0

Between the wood burns and today, Launch Day (April 19, 2016), I've spent a lot of time freelancing. During this time, I had been dreaming of opening up a more robust online store with my work. I was slowly chipping (see what I did there?) away at this when I wasn't working on client work. Then, a little over a year ago, Adobe came out of nowhere. I started my Creative Residency, which afforded me the opportunity to work on Chipper Things full time, without the responsibility of those client obligations. Throughout the last year I had the chance to make art, explore, play, learn from artists, entrepreneurs and professional tinkerers who inspire me to keep playing and keep creating.

Today Chipper Things is an online store that sells paper and lifestyle goods. I have plans to expand to wholesale but I want to get this part right first. There are over 70 products and only two were carried in the original Etsy shop. The collections are: Gal Pals, Flowcharts, Young at Heart, Love and Kindness.

As the name implies, Chipper Things is as much about process as it is seeing the good in our world and ourselves. This business aims to embody exploration, connection and play. The logo, colors, art and products will always be evolving, as will I.

I think this is a good place to start.

I'd love to hear what you think. What do you like, don't like or want to see more of? Shoot me an email at becky@chipperthings.com.

Adobe Creative Residency Application FAQ

You may have noticed that Adobe has opened up applications for the 2016-2017 Creative Residency. I've been receiving a handful of inquiries about the application process and I'm happy to share my answers with you here. I can't believe I'm in my last quarter! This year has flown by. Long story short: this residency has been even better than I imagined and I highly recommend you apply.

"Do you have any general tips on applying to the Creative Residency?"

I wish I had the magic answer, but the application is really about you. Enthusiasm is contagious. Be really excited about what you're doing and don't try to make it fit a certain formula that you imagine Adobe is seeking. They're looking to expand the program (new mediums, objectives, processes, etc.), so don't assume that because you haven't seen it done a certain way means it can't be done that way in the future. This is the second year of the program. Anything is possible.

"Do they pay you a yearly salary? Is the salary comparable to what I'd otherwise be making?" 

Yes, I think so. It was for me. As a resident, I have always felt like the entire Adobe team has been rooting for me. This includes how they have compensated me over the last year.

"Do they compensate you for the materials?"

When I was applying, it was explained to me that Adobe is investing in my creative journey, not my business. So in my case, no, they do not pay for my materials that I will end up selling. But they will pay for materials to help foster my creative growth (art supplies and travel!).

"How do I budget what the project will cost?"

This portion is to give them an idea of what they'll be investing in with you. Sometimes it will be expected for you to pay for things with your salary and sometimes they'll pay (it's a case by case basis). But the rule of thumb is what I said before: if it aids in the creativity, they're all about it. The project budget is really to help them understand if they can fiscally support you. It doesn't have to be perfect, just do your best with the knowledge you have at this point about your endeavor.

"Do they provide free software?" 

Yes, Adobe has given me the Creative Cloud suite for the year as well as a MacBook Pro (that will be returned at the end of the year).

"How much do you travel?" 

Quite a bit, but that's relative. You're expected to be available for travel about 25% of the time. In my busier months I probably traveled twice a month, sometimes more. But often times it was initiated by me where I found an opportunity and went for it. They don't make you go anywhere (though there are a few important events), but it is assumed that as a resident you're willing and speak and travel when the opportunities arise. But no, they won't make you skip your best friend's wedding. Adobe covers all travel expenses.

"Could your partner or friend join in on the travel?"

Yes, sometimes Greg joined me. Often times I would be so busy with work that it didn't make sense to make it a couples trip, but you could do it. It is nice having one of the flights plus the hotel paid. The event you're traveling for is the priority so as long as you're smart and doing what you came to do, they don't care.

"How much of your work should be shown in the proposal?"

It really just depends on what is needed to give them a clear idea of your project. You can always link to your portfolio or a blog post that expands on the subject if there's a lot more you want to show (or give them the opportunity to dive in more).

"Does Adobe own your work?"

No. Part of the nature of the residency is being really transparent about what you're working on, so you're already sharing a lot. They don't want you creating in a dark corner. I think they always ask when they use my work, and it's always credited to me. I've always felt that it was to bring me exposure and support me. My book and art I'm selling is not owned by Adobe, but they do get to use it (again, they've always credited me). I'm more than okay with this.

"Can I do freelance work while in the program?"

Mostly no, but maybe yes. The point of the program is to totally focus on your personal project(s). They aim to pay you well enough that you don't need to consider taking on other work, but if a really great/special/exciting/once in a lifetime opportunity comes up, they'll work with you. The right perspective would be to go into this assuming you will not be taking on client work for a year.

"How did you hear about / how were you accepted into the program?"

Adobe found my work online and reached out to me to talk further about the program. I was asked to provide a project proposal and we continued the conversation from there. The process was much like the application process today, except they reached out to me rather than me finding an open call for applications online.

Closing thoughts

Remember, these are real people who are doing this because they really do care about our creative community. They're excited to see the applications and how they can work with you this year. They're not looking to nitpick your proposal. They want to see eager folks who are already investing in themselves; they want to take that to the next level. It's important that you share with the community as a resident (everything from social media to public speaking). If you can prove that you're already doing "your thing" to the degree that you have the opportunity, great. You're in good shape. It's better not to know what I did or what other people are doing (as far as crafting the proposal) because yours is a blank canvas and that's a good thing. Picasso wasn't formally trained as a sculptor. He just went after it, and you can too.

Check out what it means to be a Creative Resident, and don't miss the FAQ at the bottom of the page.

Good luck!

Chipper Things 2.0 is coming this Spring!

Hi. Hello. Howdy.

Real excited to share some news I've been working on and thinking about 25/7.

As a part of my Creative Residency, I'm opening an online store with my new product line, Chipper Things. I called it 'Chipper Things 2.0' in the header of this post because that's exactly what it is: the new and improved, all-in, LOLs to the walls, "There's no turning back now" art and paper paraphernalia line that will be illustrated by yours truly.

I've had my Chipper Things Etsy shop for a little while now. Some of these products will be in the new store, but that's nothing compared to the work happening behind the scenes. Follow @chipperthings on Instagram for more process shots and a glimpse into the tangents of my brain.

This is something I've been dreaming about for years so I'm very excited to share the process with you. Pretty soon I'll share more about my timeline, strategy, how the name came about (and stayed) and why I decided to take my art in this direction. Sign up for my newsletter for the occasional picture viewing and pump up party as well.

Art show at Companion

My very first art show, All the Things, opened on December 1 at Companion. I displayed 31 pieces total, with a mix of prints and originals (and a variety of mediums like gouache, watercolor, risograph, screen printing, etc.) It was a very special night for me and I greatly appreciate all who came out to support this work I've done during my Creative Residency.

The show will be up through the end of the month. Check it out if you're in Austin!

Photography by Chelsea Francis 

  

Mama's Sauce Workshop: Holiday Drawliday

My friend Val gave me the idea to put "Drawliday" in the name of the event. I don't remember what I would have done without her input (actually I think I was going to do Say It Ain't Snow), but I'm glad she stepped in.

Mama's Sauce has a fantastic internship program and they take great pride in their end of the semester lecture / workshop series. It was an honor to follow in the footsteps of Dana Tanamachi and Will Bryant in teaching a workshop to this Winter Park, Florida crew. The purpose of my workshop was to spur a night of drawing and remind everybody that illustration is accessible to all. This year we had help from a cool folks to make it a really great event, including Adobe Creative Cloud, Creative Live, French Paper, and of course, Mama's Sauce (and thank you for helping out, AIGA Orlando!).

Everybody is creative, and creativity is just connecting the dots. No dots to connect? Enter creative prompts.

I led attendees through a series of guided steps so they could illustrate their own posters out of just paper and Sharpies. The steps were as follows:

1. Pick a theme.

Wait for it...

No theme? Pick a number between 1-8.

DON'T READ AHEAD.

Have your number?

Okay.

Here's a topic to riff of of for your theme: 1) food 2) imaginary creatures 3) nature 4) animals 5) region 6) person/people 7) holiday 8) something you don't understand.

2. Next: see the image bank below...

Now fill this whole thing out—with words or pictures. You will end up with 25 prompts to illustrate for your poster. Don't overthink it. The idea is to have imagery to use that isn't as obvious as "Christmas tree" with a Christmas theme. If your theme is, "The Midwest," you'll have 5 ideas/pictures under "see" that you see when you think of the Midwest (farms, Grant Wood, etc.). Under "taste," do the same. You might write, "snowflakes," "sweet corn" or even "cow manure". You get the idea.

3. Pick your five favorites.

4. Draw the centerpiece of your poster using one thing from your top five. The centerpiece is the hierarchy of the poster.

5. Choose another image from your favorites in the image bank. Draw it twice on the poster and make it symmetrical or asymmetrical. This will compliment your centerpiece.

6. Do this again with a new image from your image bank. Now you'll have 2 sets of 2 images. That's 4 images, plus your centerpiece. Way 2 go.

7. Create a pattern out of the design elements from row 2, column "hear." The point of this is not only to employ the power of repetition, but it also serves as a reminder that we can find inspiration in ANYTHING. Whatever is in this box has pattern potential. Even if you wrote, "farts" or "tree." You could take it literally and draw simple leaves, or you could draw little tear drop shapes, or use the lines from the branches. It's whatever you make of it.

8. Create border inspired by imagery/texture from "touch" column.

9. Mentally divide poster in half...then choose your own adventure with how you finish. Do you want to leave it blank and employ the negative space? Or do you want to make a pattern out of box 1 under "taste"? OR how about you draw something from the smell column? The world poster is your oyster.

10. Color it in! Or color in what you want, where you want it. Remember, contrast is king.

BONUS STEP: download the Adobe Capture app, then go to the Shape tab and take a picture with your phone to vectorize the image so it's all ready for print. How cool! One of the attendees from the workshop will win a free run of screen printed or letter pressed prints of their design. I'm so looking forward to seeing this finished, printed piece.

Thanks again for having me, Orlando! You made me feel so warm (very literally) welcome and I hope to be back sooner than later.

Mama's Sauce Workshop: Holiday Drawliday

My friend Val gave me the idea to put "Drawliday" in the name of the event. I don't remember what I would have done without her input (actually I think I was going to do Say It Ain't Snow), but I'm glad she stepped in.

Mama's Sauce has a fantastic internship program and they take great pride in their end of the semester lecture / workshop series. It was an honor to follow in the footsteps of Dana Tanamachi and Will Bryant in teaching a workshop to this Winter Park, Florida crew. The purpose of my workshop was to spur a night of drawing and remind everybody that illustration is accessible to all. This year we had help from a cool folks to make it a really great event, including Adobe Creative Cloud, Creative Live, French Paper, and of course, Mama's Sauce (and thank you for helping out, AIGA Orlando!).

Everybody is creative, and creativity is just connecting the dots. No dots to connect? Enter creative prompts.

I led attendees through a series of guided steps so they could illustrate their own posters out of just paper and Sharpies. The steps were as follows:

1. Pick a theme.

Wait for it...

No theme? Pick a number between 1-8.

DON'T READ AHEAD.

Have your number?

Okay.

Here's a topic to riff of of for your theme: 1) food 2) imaginary creatures 3) nature 4) animals 5) region 6) person/people 7) holiday 8) something you don't understand.

2. Next: see the image bank below...

Now fill this whole thing out—with words or pictures. You will end up with 25 prompts to illustrate for your poster. Don't overthink it. The idea is to have imagery to use that isn't as obvious as "Christmas tree" with a Christmas theme. If your theme is, "The Midwest," you'll have 5 ideas/pictures under "see" that you see when you think of the Midwest (farms, Grant Wood, etc.). Under "taste," do the same. You might write, "snowflakes," "sweet corn" or even "cow manure". You get the idea.

3. Pick your five favorites.

4. Draw the centerpiece of your poster using one thing from your top five. The centerpiece is the hierarchy of the poster.

5. Choose another image from your favorites in the image bank. Draw it twice on the poster and make it symmetrical or asymmetrical. This will compliment your centerpiece.

6. Do this again with a new image from your image bank. Now you'll have 2 sets of 2 images. That's 4 images, plus your centerpiece. Way 2 go.

7. Create a pattern out of the design elements from row 2, column "hear." The point of this is not only to employ the power of repetition, but it also serves as a reminder that we can find inspiration in ANYTHING. Whatever is in this box has pattern potential. Even if you wrote, "farts" or "tree." You could take it literally and draw simple leaves, or you could draw little tear drop shapes, or use the lines from the branches. It's whatever you make of it.

8. Create border inspired by imagery/texture from "touch" column.

9. Mentally divide poster in half...then choose your own adventure with how you finish. Do you want to leave it blank and employ the negative space? Or do you want to make a pattern out of box 1 under "taste"? OR how about you draw something from the smell column? The world poster is your oyster.

10. Color it in! Or color in what you want, where you want it. Remember, contrast is king.

BONUS STEP: download the Adobe Capture app, then go to the Shape tab and take a picture with your phone to vectorize the image so it's all ready for print. How cool! One of the attendees from the workshop will win a free run of screen printed or letter pressed prints of their design. I'm so looking forward to seeing this finished, printed piece.

Thanks again for having me, Orlando! You made me feel so warm (very literally) welcome and I hope to be back sooner than later.

Art Show at Companion on December 1

Dear Austin, Please join me at Companion on December 1st from 7-10 p for the opening reception of my very first art show.

I'm very excited to be showing off work I've created throughout my Creative Residency that will kickstart the next phase of my project (I'll tell you about it soon).

The show will be up through December, but I want to see you there. Grab a drink next door at Brew & Brew and join the fun!

Address:

908 E 5th St #106c Austin, Texas 78702

Wall calendars are here!

Woo hoo! 2016 calendars are available! They're 12x18" and perfect for any office, kitchen or kids room.

I illustrated the type with crayons and India Ink. Each month's header has a unique illustration and type treatment. The left side has space for writing notes and goals, and each day on the calendar has little boxes for marking goal progress. It includes holidays and even has a cardboard backing to make it extra sturdy.

Includes October 2015-December 2016.

Snag one while they're hot.

Interview with Meg Gleason of Moglea

Meg Gleason is the founder and designer of Moglea (pronounced Moh-glee), a letterpress and stationery studio. You've probably seen her work, even if you don't know it.

I met Meg at Iowa State back in 2006. It was a brief but memorable interaction. Long story short, she was a junior when I was a freshman. I saw her work and thought it was the coolest (she had a poster that featured a llama). The following year she remembered me and asked if I was accepted into the graphic design program. Fast forward 10 years later and her work is still the best and I'm still trying to play it cool.

Today Meg works from her studio on her family’s farm in Audubon, Iowa (which is beautiful). Her husband Chad is also a designer and farmer. They have several employees and they ship their stationery and other paper goods to Anthropologie, Paper Source, Steven Alan and shops all around the world.

Meg was kind enough to let me hang out with her at the studio when I was in Iowa a couple of months ago. She gave me the full tour and some pretty great swag. She dropped some knowledge and I learned a lot about what to expect from the stationery world as I move on to the next phase of my creative residency—developing my creative business.

Here are a few of my questions about starting a stationery business and some of her answers.

Q: How did you first get your work into stores? Where do you sell the most products?

A: Tradeshows. If you want to make a big splash in the stationery world, you need to attend the National Stationery Show (NSS). It’s in May, but it’s best to apply early (ideally by October in order to get a good spot—you don’t want to be on the outer ring). There are others too, like NYNOW, which is twice a year (this show is optimal for gifts like prints and other products).

Q: I’ve looked into NSS, but the price of attending seems unclear. How much does it all cost? How did you know what you were doing when you first attended?

A: NSS costs about $2,500 for a small booth then several thousand more (at least) to put the space together and cover travel, food and products. It’s not cheap, but this is the place to be seen. As far as how to navigate the new tradeshow scene, sign up for Tradeshow Bootcamp.

Q: How prepared were you when you first attended?

A: “I never sold a card before attending. However, I did go into it with confidence from my Minted line that was doing well. Since I was sharing a booth with some other designers, something that helped give me attention was another company that directed big buyers to check out my work. Before I left the NSS in May of 2012, I had orders from Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters. I came in with 30 designs, but buyers wished I had an even bigger catalog.”

Q: How do you start a new business when the markup is so low per product? It’s so expensive to print a low quantity that selling a few here or there seems hardly sustainable.

A: “You might not make money right away. It takes time. The idea is to grow to get big enough orders so that it lowers the cost per product.” Meg said she doesn’t see how people can grow a business without going into debt. “If you make $30,000 from a tradeshow, you have to invest that right back into the business in order to grow and meet the demand.”

Q: What’s a line? How many cards do you need to have in a line?

A: “A line is all of your cards. It’s best to have 60-100, but it’s okay to start smaller.” Meg went into the first tradeshow with about 30 designs. Her products went over well, and retailers even wished she had more. Obviously it’s best to have quality over quantity, but quantity is really important too. When I had lunch with her and Chad, they told me that retailers like to be directed to top sellers. “The top 3% sounds better than the top 30%. That’s the difference between a line of 100 and a line of 10.” Well put, Chad.

Q: How do you find the time to design and run the business?

A: Shocker: delegation. While Meg does do all the lettering and card designs, she has designers who work on the website and online marketing, as well as employees who work on shipping, sales, painting the paper, printing etc. She focuses on the things that need to be cohesive for the brand—essentially the work that nobody else can do. “You have to learn to trust others with your work and be able to clearly communicate the vision behind each piece so that they can help you accomplish your goals.”

Q: Where do I start?

A: Observe what’s missing in the market. See what people are doing. Find the right balance between being knowing the market really well and not finding yourself too…inspired…by other brands. When Meg emerged, nobody was doing what she was doing—mixing hand painted cards, collage, hand lettering and letterpress (they still aren’t). She’s found a way to mass-produce individual pieces of art. Find what makes your style unique and run with it.

Thank you, Meg!

Shop Moglea here and follow Meg on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. 

*Photos courtesy of Moglea

Q&A: How do you make time for side projects?

Last week I received an email from a nice college student named Lauren. Lauren had a good question and I thought it was worth sharing on the world wide web (with her permission, of course). I also edited the exchange to only keep the relevant parts to this blog post. Hello! I am currently balancing a job, class and my “side-project” illustration work. When you were in college, what worked for you? Did you keep a daily journal? How did you keep what you wanted to do separate from your assignments?

Thanks a ton! Lauren -- Hi Lauren,

Thanks for writing. I was a crazy college kid who took herself like, soooo seriously. I spent all my time on class projects, which is okay enough because I did a good job and had fun, but a few side projects wouldn't have hurt. I think you're already ahead of the game if you're creating personal work now. I do well with self-initiated projects that have a start and end date (100 day projects and the like). I even started my first book by turning it into a monthly blog post where I uploaded one new "I'd rather be short" drawing every day. They took way longer than I thought, and I only created half as many as I intended, but this structure helped me accomplish my big goal—compile enough illustrations to pitch to lit agents.

I've also found that doing a side project at the same time every day helps, even if it's just 10 minutes before bed or first thing in the morning. I think it's best to give your personal work the best part of your day (early morning). This way you start the day out feeling satisfied, and no job or class project can take that from you.

I've learned that slow and steady wins the race. Steady baby steps are usually more powerful than sporadic sprints. There's a time and place for each, but for the sake of practice, I'd rather "stay in shape" by drawing a little bit every day than just picking up the pen for a huge project once every couple of weeks.

I hope that helps. Best of luck!

Becky

Q&A: How do you make time for side projects?

Last week I received an email from a nice college student named Lauren. Lauren had a good question and I thought it was worth sharing on the world wide web (with her permission, of course). I also edited the exchange to only keep the relevant parts to this blog post. Hello! I am currently balancing a job, class and my “side-project” illustration work. When you were in college, what worked for you? Did you keep a daily journal? How did you keep what you wanted to do separate from your assignments?

Thanks a ton! Lauren -- Hi Lauren,

Thanks for writing. I was a crazy college kid who took herself like, soooo seriously. I spent all my time on class projects, which is okay enough because I did a good job and had fun, but a few side projects wouldn't have hurt. I think you're already ahead of the game if you're creating personal work now. I do well with self-initiated projects that have a start and end date (100 day projects and the like). I even started my first book by turning it into a monthly blog post where I uploaded one new "I'd rather be short" drawing every day. They took way longer than I thought, and I only created half as many as I intended, but this structure helped me accomplish my big goal—compile enough illustrations to pitch to lit agents.

I've also found that doing a side project at the same time every day helps, even if it's just 10 minutes before bed or first thing in the morning. I think it's best to give your personal work the best part of your day (early morning). This way you start the day out feeling satisfied, and no job or class project can take that from you.

I've learned that slow and steady wins the race. Steady baby steps are usually more powerful than sporadic sprints. There's a time and place for each, but for the sake of practice, I'd rather "stay in shape" by drawing a little bit every day than just picking up the pen for a huge project once every couple of weeks.

I hope that helps. Best of luck!

Becky

Adventures in Book Publishing at Adobe MAX

UPDATE: Watch my MAX talk here. 

--

Adobe MAX is right around the corner! As a Creative Resident, I'll be giving a presentation (twice!) called Adventures in Book Publishing. It's a dream for many designers, illustrators and writers to see their name on the cover of a book. I'll be giving an hour long talk where I share my story as well as answer some questions to help aspiring authors get started. Questions like...

Do I need an agent? Should I go with a traditional publisher, or self-publish? How much money will I make? How long does it take? What can a book do for me? Should I share my ideas online? What's the difference between a query and a proposal? ...and more.

I hope this provides clarity to what can seem an ambiguous, arduous undertaking.

Not going to Adobe MAX? Sign up to view the keynotes online. I'm going to try to Periscope my talk. Will keep you posted! Follow the fun. 

Exquisite Totes at Makeshift Society Brooklyn

Hi Brooklyn,

Please join Adobe, Makeshift Society and me for a night of Exquisite Totes next Thursday, September 24 from 7-9.

We're paying homage to exquisite corpse, a surrealist game dating back to the early 20th Century. Artists would pass around a piece of folded paper and write a word that would become part of a collaborative sentence. The name comes from one of the first sentences, translated to, “The exquisite corpse will drink the young wine.” It's also fun to play with pictures, and now totes.

I created a series of monster heads, torsos and legs. During the event you'll be able to pick one of each to create your own monster for a tote. There will also be drinks and light bites.

Purchase your ticket here. Even better, take 50% off with coupon code 'friendsof'. 

See you soon!

Creative Residency x Tattly

Only a couple more weeks left of my September Tattly bonus! I designed this pup with the Adobe Creative Residency. It's the next best thing to having a real tattoo, and you even have the opportunity to reenact this scene. How it works: order any Tattly(s) from the site and you'll receive this pup with your order for free.

If you'd like to see how I created it, check out this tutorial I wrote for the Tattly blog.

Photo by Tattly, worn by my groovy biz mentor, Nic Annette Miller

Drawing/Lettering Night at Studium

Howdy, lettering and drawing nerds!

I finished up 100 Days of Getting Started last week. This is the first completed project during my creative residency.

Celebration is lovely in theory but most of us hardly make time to commemorate important milestones because we're too busy moving on to the next thing. Not this time! I decided to celebrate with a rousing night of illustration at Studium. Lucky for me, Justin David Cox had hosted a lettering night in the past and was looking to do another. We combined forces and created a super party: Drawing/Lettering Night.

It was a real hootenanny. We drew, lettered and drank.

In case you missed it, fear not. We're going to have another in September. Stay tuned!

Doing the Work: 100 Days of Getting Started

I finished my 100 day project last night (if you haven't read about this concept, head over to The Great Discontent to learn more). My project? 100 Days of Getting Started, inspired by Mark Twain's quote, "The secret of getting ahead is getting started."

I recently read this Tweet by Ugmonk founder, Jeff Sheldon:

Top 5 Mind-Blowing Secrets of Successful Entrepreneurs:

1. They don't read clickbait articles all day.

2. They do the work.

3.

4.

5.

(Slow clap)

We live in a world of information overload. We’re constantly forced to curate our lives, because we know that if we don’t, someone else will. We have more opportunities than ever, and we’re better than ever at sifting through said click bait links and YouTube videos. Those of us who have found our home in creative industries are also learning how to hone our skills, manage our time and coddle the vision that got us here in the first place.

We’re dreamers!

But that’s the double edge sword. We like to dream.

It’s easier to dream than work.

I feel a sense of FOMO rush over me every time somebody posts a book/blog post/podcast that was “life changing.” I want to drop what I’m doing so I can acquire this fruit from the tree of knowledge instead of doing the work that will instill valuable lessons of my own.

Before I started working for myself several years ago, my dad told me, “Your biggest struggle will be staying focused. Every business owner has to learn focus.” I didn’t know what he meant because I always thought my vision was clear: I wanted to work for myself doing graphic design and illustration. I wanted to be my own boss. What else was there to figure out?

After a couple of years I realize exactly how right he was. Productive procrastination runs rampant in any workplace. Crossing tasks off the to-do list welcomes a lukewarm adrenaline rush that can only be satisfied by crossing off more lukewarm tasks.

As I reflect on the last three months of art I’ve been creating for 100 Days of Getting Started, I’m oddly surprised by how much I learned by experience (those specific lessons learned will be on Adobe Inspire later this week).

Perhaps the biggest lesson of all was the reinforced advice my dad gave me that December: learn to prioritize focus.

The beauty of 100 day projects is that they don’t allow room for petty excuses or lack of direction.

At the end of the day, the only question that matters is: “Did I do the work today?” If the answer is yes, then you are inching closer to victory. If it’s no, then you have failed. However, knowing that each day is a fresh start is the most redemptive part of the project (side note: this is also how I survived golf in high school—new hole, fresh start). Doing this over and over makes you feel like Tom Cruise in Edge of Tomorrow for pretty much three months straight, and that’s cool because he saves the world from aliens...but I digress.

100 day projects don't have to be complex, but they should be challenging. They're meant to be practice, after all. With healthy practice, process and growth are celebrated, not perfect performance.

Projects like this teach us to hunker down and do the work. Unexpected consequences arise (a.k.a. lessons learned), but only those who do the work will be able to internalize these game changing lessons. It’s the ultimate, “You had to be there” for personal growth. The good, the bad and the ugly are all agents of change. They’re the warriors to bring us to the finish line.

What else is nice about working on something for 100 days?

You have 100 more of anything you want. In my case, it's a slew of new illustrations.

Remember: baby steps.

What's your project?

Deciding what to print

I need your help! I'm nearing the end of my 100 Days of Getting Started project with my Creative Residency (reminding me that three months is not long at all). I'm excited to bring some of this art to life. Below are a few images I may print. Several of them would be edited / recolored / resized appropriately. Do you have any favorites? If you give me your feedback by Thursday morning (August 6), you may win a print of your choice from my shop. Also note: anybody who leaves feedback will receive 25% off the next round of prints (email becky@chipperthings.com to redeem). Let the games begin!

Spirit Animals & Newsletter Sign Up

Hello all! I'm chipping away at The Roommate Book one spread at a time. Here's a modified version of said spreads.

I want to let you know that I'm regularly updating the home page of www.beckycmurphy.com with new art that I'm creating for 100 Days of Getting Started (the 100 drawings I'm creating for my first quarter in my Creative Residency.)

Here's why it might be relevant to you:

1. New art in any capacity is cool, right?

2. I'm jotting down my process / tools used for every new piece from now on (including the last nine).

3. I also include the original scan, unedited. It's easy to highlight our process—to show on Instagram what we want people to see. This is the raw footage.

My hope is for this art to become a resource for aspiring illustrators or those looking to compare notes. Check out the rest of the page. I'm still deciding if I want to make the animals black or keep the white cutouts. Thoughts?

If you're interested in these updates being delivered to you via email every other week, sign up below. I promise I will never send something just to fill the space. Also, a newsletter that's 90% pictures? TOO EASY.

Biweekly art & notes

* indicates required

Email Address *

First Name

Last Name

Spirit Animals & Newsletter Sign Up

Hello all! I'm chipping away at The Roommate Book one spread at a time. Here's a modified version of said spreads.

I want to let you know that I'm regularly updating the home page of www.beckycmurphy.com with new art that I'm creating for 100 Days of Getting Started (the 100 drawings I'm creating for my first quarter in my Creative Residency.)

Here's why it might be relevant to you:

1. New art in any capacity is cool, right?

2. I'm jotting down my process / tools used for every new piece from now on (including the last nine).

3. I also include the original scan, unedited. It's easy to highlight our process—to show on Instagram what we want people to see. This is the raw footage.

My hope is for this art to become a resource for aspiring illustrators or those looking to compare notes. Check out the rest of the page. I'm still deciding if I want to make the animals black or keep the white cutouts. Thoughts?

If you're interested in these updates being delivered to you via email every other week, sign up below. I promise I will never send something just to fill the space. Also, a newsletter that's 90% pictures? TOO EASY.

Biweekly art & notes

* indicates required

Email Address *

First Name

Last Name