my first "assignment"

A few weeks ago I sent a message to a small group of friends and family members, introducing them to my love for stationary design and asking for their help in growing my portfolio. I still think that I want to keep this design thing as a hobby rather than a money-maker (because I tend to lose joy in things once money is attached) but I knew that in order to get some more experience and opportunities, I had to do more than continue creating things for my own enjoyment.

I was more than excited when my friend Stef asked if I would design some funky custom invitations for her upcoming birthday party. Being asked was an honor in that it validated that my friends were encouraging this new venture for me. But I also jumped at the opportunity because of the unique opportunity this presented. Any artist knows that it gets complicated when you are using your creative impulses to create a “product” for someone else. There are truly few times when you are faced with the task or creating something yourself, that totally “says” your client.

I am really excited to reveal the funky chic design we came up with for Stef’s party (after her official invitations go out obviously - don’t want to ruin the surprise for anyone who will be getting these in the mail next month) and I’m infinitely grateful for having friends that are such an awesome source of encouragement in this!

[If you have a few extra minutes, I included my initial message mentioned at the beginning of this post to give an idea of this journey I’m heading into…]

Hey Guys,

If you’ve noticed some of my facebook posts recently, you’ve seen that I’m 100% loving wedding planning. I’m neurotically organized and detail-oriented as it is, but I’ve discovered that another passion of mine is the meticulous craft of designing the billion paper products that go into a cute, personalized event. We’re still almost a year away from our wedding date and I already have a folder full of different invitation designs we might use once it’s actually time to send them out, lol.

After some thought and encouragement, I’ve decided to see what I can do with this enthusiasm. I am thoroughly grateful for the job I currently have and have no intention of leaving that any time soon. This is purely something I want to try out as a hobby and more of a passion than anything. That’s why I’m reaching out to you guys specifically first.

I want to give this whole stationary design thing a spin for a while and see if it’s something I would like to do for profit eventually, or even just keep as a hobby that satisfies my creative side. My main goal right now is to see if there are projects out there for me to pursue with this. Because of where I’m at with this I would be offering my services to anyone I decide to work with for free (no design fee or anything, simply payment for the materials used in creating the final product). The question of how I’m going to keep this passion going after my own wedding comes together has been really disappointing to me, so even if these efforts only result in me creating 1 or 2 projects for people I know I will consider it a success. I’m hoping you guys would be able to help me get my name and services out there if you or anyone you know would be interested in giving me some free experience with this kind of thing.

I can design projects that are classic or artsy, formal or creative. I also have a great friend who is a fantastic illustrator that can add her touch to any projects that come my way (potentially for a small fee from her).

Like I said, this is 100% a creative “journey” (if you will) that I’m feeling inspired to pursue right now. It would bring me so much joy to be able to share my love for this with others and bring my talents towards creating something really wonderful and special for those around me.

I’ve created a pdf document that I’ve attached to this to give an idea of the kinds of things I’ve worked on so far. Just taking the time to read this is really appreciated!

Thanks guys!