Meet Creative Entrepreneur Susan Palmer
Ready to step up your creative practice and do more with your art? Let’s jump into this super fabulous spotlight with Susan Palmer, an alumna of my Pattern Design Academy® program who is now a very successful creative entrepreneur.
Susan’s journey shows us what can happen when creativity meets courage and collaboration. In this interview, you’ll get to see how Susan made a pivot into quilting when she no longer had a j.o.b., and how she’s been bold about approaching people and using her experiences to create win-win solutions for her customers, fellow creators, and her community.
The video of my interview with Susan is over on my YouTube channel HERE. Please subscribe to my channel when you pop over there to watch it.
Here are a few important takeaways from this interview:
#1 – Level up your patterns with collections.
Susan tells us how “quilt shops look for the same things quilters look for. They want a beautiful “focus” or hero fabric…something that catches their eye, and then what they do is they build from that. They go to the secondary fabrics…and they go all the way down to solids.” This mix of designs is commonly known as a collection, and in my Academy® program, I teach you how to create a collection with a hero print, a series of secondary prints, and additional blender prints.
Collections are important because you can create different pieces of art that complement each other. They work well together which makes it easier for people to buy them. People love to mix & match! I challenge you to start designing in collections so that you see how they level up both your patterns and your profit.
#2 – Harness the power of collaboration.
Susan took a big leap in her creative business as she went through my Academy® program. She developed a fabric co-op and now collaborates with other Surface Designers to help them purchase fabric at affordable rates. She consolidates one big bulk order, and Academy® students can order small quantities of fabric with their designs on them through her.
As creatives, we’re often looking to serve the world with our art and our experiences. Don’t forget to look for synergies with the people in your community. No artist is an island. I encourage you to think about how you can grow and serve using collaborations.
#3 – Think big and be bold!
Susan is taking bold steps in approaching different stores to see if they would like to carry her line of fabrics. She’s working with the city of Seattle to put her signature “geese” design on the city’s water tank! These are great examples of thinking big and being bold when it comes to going after opportunities to get your art into the world.
Consider your long-term creative goals. What big, bold goals you can set now and start taking steps towards? Remember that fear may just mean it’s worth it, and action will always bring you much needed clarity.
If you would like to see more of what Susan is up to, you can find her on Instagram, @aquiltlife, or on her website, aquiltlife.com.
Curious about fabric design? Join my upcoming free workshop. It’s FREE and you’ll learn valuable information about designing for fabric and paper products. Join us and enroll HERE.
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.
