Meet Artist Lisette Niemand
Hello, my friend! If you’ve been eager to get started in Surface Design, you’ll love this week’s blog. I’m spotlighting another one of my Pattern Design Academy® students, Lisette Niemand. Her journey is a wonderful example of how great things can happen when you step out of your comfort zone.
Lisette is an author and Surface Designer, known for her children’s book titled “Sassi and The Squirrel’s Father,” which started her Surface Design journey. She discovered how the person illustrating her book used Adobe Illustrator, and she decided to learn how to do it herself. She joined my Doodles® course, dove deep into my 10-week Academy® coaching program, and since then, she’s set up online shops on a number of print-on-demand sites like Spoonflower to earn passive income from her fabrics.
The video of my interview with Lisette is over on my YouTube channel here. Please subscribe to my channel when you pop over there to watch it.
Lisette offers these helpful tips for overcoming mindset blocks:
#1 – Beautiful patterns can be very simple to create.
Lisette shows us two of her designs that she made by drawing simple lines and playing around with colors. She has birds on one of the patterns and she says, “even if you can’t draw, you can do something like this [arranging lines].” Her son ordered the simple pattern with just lines, and the other one with birds is one of her popular sellers on Spoonflower!
I always like to say that everyone can draw because everyone has unique handwriting, and even if you don’t believe you have great drawing skills, you don’t need to be Picasso to create gorgeous patterns. Think about simple ways you can arrange lines and shapes, then play around with colors to see what you get. You just might be surprised to see what you create!
#2 – Inspiration is everywhere.
Lisette is inspired by nature, and she shows us a couple of her designs inspired by a flower back in South Africa where she used to live, and the birds on the bird feeder outside her kitchen window. She also mentions how they have moved a few times because of her husband’s work, but she never had to worry because she could create patterns anywhere because all you need is a computer, Adobe Illustrator and an internet connect to add or sell new designs in your online shops.
I encourage you to lean into the world around you. Maybe nature isn’t your go-to for inspiration. Take a moment to discover what is. While you’re out walking, take photos of what you see with your smart phone and use those as inspiration for your work.
#3 – Everybody is in the same boat.
Lisette offers a reminder that “everybody is in the same boat [in my programs], we’re all learning how to use Adobe Illustrator, we’re all at different levels, whether you can draw or not, it doesn’t matter, you can make something, and everybody is learning.”
It’s important to keep this in mind, especially when that voice inside your head starts to say: oh, look how talented she is… Don’t fall into the comparison trap because it will steal your joy. You’re on your own unique path, and that’s what matters most.
If you’re ready to explore the amazing world of surface design, join my upcoming free workshop. You can learn more about it here.
If you would like to see more of what Lisette is up to, you can find her on Instagram, @sassiniemand, or on her website, sassiniemand.com.
To learn more about my Pattern Design Academy® program, click here.
Pop over to my YouTube channel to watch Lisette’s interview. Click here and please subscribe while you’re over there.
Bye for now. I'll see you next week.
xo,
Anne
P.S. Dive even deeper into how to Craft a Career You Love in Surface Design by downloading my free ebook HERE.
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.
