Meet Diana Malone!
Hello there, my friend! This week I have another student spotlight for you! These are great, right? In today’s video, I sat down with another one of my Academy® students, Diana Malone, who has always loved to create art with all sorts of materials since she was little.
When she retired, she had more time and the opportunity to explore different things, and she shows us a few of her creations. You get to see how Diana leans into her creativity, continues learning, and always takes action so that she can grow as both an artist and a business owner.
Keep reading for a recap with key takeaways and highlights. The video lesson itself is over on my YouTube channel here. Please subscribe to my channel if you pop over there to watch it.
Here are three learning points from this interview:
#1 – What type of creative are you?
Diana tells us how she chooses products based on how she views herself as a creative. She says, “I like the idea of creating stationery and the wrapping paper, the planners… I think I just am practical, and I like functional things. I can't sit down and draw something and then it'd be good enough, or paint it, and they put it on a wall. I'm not that type of a creative. I'm more of a maker, I guess.”
You’ve heard me talk about the importance of honing your signature style so that you can pick products that are the best fit for your art. Leaning into your identify as a creative will help you pick products that are the best fit for YOU, and this all ties into helping you stand out and feel fulfilled as an artist.
#2 – Pay attention to little details
Diana has always loved to embroider. In her store, she likes to add a nice detail of an embroidered gift tag to match her creations. This is so great! You want to pay attention to little details like gift tags because they enhance the product and show your customers that you care about the details.
Do you use gift tags, tissue paper, boxes, or even thank you cards when selling to customers? If you can use your own designs on little details like these in your packaging, you can curate a lovely experience for your buyers so that they come back. They will also tell their friends and have a story to tell about how much they are enjoying what they purchased from you.
#3 – Keep learning and taking action
Diana describes herself as a “lifelong learner,” and I think it’s great for us as artists to view ourselves this way because whether you’re honing your skills or refining your business, you will always encounter new lessons on your creative journey, and you’ll need to take action on these lessons in order to grow.
For instance, when Diana found me on Facebook and saw my sketch to gift-wrap, she thought “wow, I can do this and have a product at the end”. She started with something a little different, a wreath, then moved on to a gorgeous snowflake pattern, and she says, “by the end of From Doodles to Dollars®, I was able to create these pajamas out of fleece.”
This is a great example because by taking action and acquiring these new surface design skills, Diana found the type of products that work best for her and her art. And she’s fulfilled her desire to create real, practical products that people will use in their everyday lives.
If you’re interested in From Doodles to Dollars®, you can find out more about it here. You’ll discover the step-by-step process to turn a little doodle, or sketch, into a repeating pattern using the magic of Adobe Illustrator. By the end of the mini course, you will have a design that you can put on a variety of different products like wrapping paper, wallpaper, fabric, iPhone cases, mugs, notebooks. . .the list goes on and on and on.
In From Doodles to Dollars®, you get video trainings, cheat sheets, and a ton of support. Students rave about Doodles® because I teach you a very important skill that will open up opportunities for you as an artist. You’ll be amazed!
Pop over to my YouTube channel to watch Diana Malone’s interview. Click HERE and please subscribe while you’re over there.
xo,
Anne
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.
