There's Room For You - 3 Mindset Shifts So You Don't Quit
Do you ever start to doubt that the path you are on is not going to work out? Or that there won’t be room for you in a new field after you learn new skills? This can happen a lot especially when you are taking a course with a lot of other people in it. It frequently happens about mid-way through any new program or course you’re taking.
I’m leading over 100 people through Bonnie Christine’s Surface Pattern Design Immersion course. There are over 1,700 people taking the program all together. It can feel overwhelming at times and you can start to hear those voices in your head telling you that the surface pattern design industry must be getting oversaturated. We are at the midpoint in the Immersion course and this is exactly when these feelings of insecurity start to pop up.
I’m here to tell you that there is room for you. You’re working hard to learn new skills. But you aren’t done yet. There is still a lot more to learn and even more to implement. You’re realizing that pursuing your dream of putting your designs on fabric is going to take a lot of time and effort. And you start to wonder: Is this worth it? Is there really room for me?
The surface pattern design industry is huge. Look around you right now and start counting the number of patterns you see on:
· pillows
· the carpet
· wallpaper
· your notebook cover
· your clothing
· the tea towels in your kitchen
Now go online to Anthropologie.com or Target.com and try to count the number of patterns you see on the products listed. Just a tiny sampling includes:
· dishes
· window treatments
· bedding
· linens
· blankets
· wrapping paper
· wall décor
The list goes on and on and on.
Another important factor is that you are unique. What you decide to do with your new surface pattern design skills is going to be different from everyone else. You might pursue licensing for fabric while someone else pursues licensing for stationary. You might pursue digital products or hand lettering, or quilting, or greeting cards, or selling spot graphics or placement prints. There are so many options and you’ll find the option that works best for you.
When you get those feelings, there are three mindset shifts that will help.
Your passion will sustain you
Remember why you started down this path to begin with. Reignite that passion and believe in yourself. You can do this. It does take work. It does take effort. But it’s worth it in the end. Don’t give up now. You’re nearly there, which leads me to…
Celebrate your progress
Recognize and celebrate how far you’ve come. If you are mid-way through an online course, take stock. Look back at where you were at the very beginning and realize just how much you’ve learned. If you’re learning surface pattern design, you are mastering Adobe Illustrator. That’s A-MAZ-ING. It’s a beast of a program and you are wrangling it to the ground. Yay, you.
Recommit to your goal
Review your goals. Update them if necessary. Write them on large post-it notes and put them on your fridge or on a wall in your studio. Better yet, create a pretty graphic using your new Illustrator skills. Incorporate your goals into the design and print it. Tape it above your computer or somewhere prominent where you can glance up and read it from time to time.
There is room for you. You just need to keep on going to achieve your goal. One step at a time, my friend.
Remember,
It’s Never Too Late to Create
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MEET ANNE
Hi…I’m Anne!
My creative inspiration comes from a lifetime of observation. I grew up in Paris on the Place St. Sulpice and walked to school through the Luxembourg gardens. And that was only the beginning… Learn more by watching the video on my About page.
