I’ve been working on a design for our Ultimate Stash box. Currently, Grace is hand painting the boxes, which isn’t sustainable for a long-term solution.
I promised Grace when we started Tiny and Snail that I would save her wrists – she had been destroying them with repetitive tasks. She had been selling individually hand-painted cards on Etsy, and we were talking over the phone one day about it.
In an instant it dawned on me: “Grace! I can be your hands and you can be my brain!” (I had struggled with the organizational aspects of running an art business.)
I had gone to 4 years of art college and learned computer programs to lay out designs. I knew I could figure out how to turn our artwork into digital files and get them printed. (Honestly, it sounds simple, but running a greeting card company is surprisingly complicated!)
So…now I feel like I’m saving Grace’s wrists again by designing an Ultimate Stash box.
I can basically see what I want it to look like in my head, but when it comes to drawing it, I haven’t felt like I’ve nailed it yet. I’m about 9 hours into working on this design, and I haven’t even finished designing the front of the box. Sometimes when you’re in the middle of a piece of art, you don’t know how far you are from the finish line.
And it can be a little scary.
Because sometimes you start doubting yourself. When it doesn’t flow the way you know it can, the only thing you can do is to keep showing up at the canvas and keep trying. That’s what it means to make your living as an artist. It’s creativity on a deadline, and you’d better keep showing up to the drawing board or it’ll be hard to pay your bills.
For this box, like most of my illustrations, I’ve been striving to create a design that is several things:
- Beautiful. It’s my goal that you’ll want to display this on your desk or in a special corner.
- Whimsical. Currently, Grace’s boxes are quite whimsical, and I like that. It’s us. The vibe of Tiny and Snail is both serious AND whimsical.
- Potentially a visual metaphor for what this Stash means: more love and more peace in this world. I want it to inspire you to write.
- Reproduce well. This aspect of the project gives me some constraints on this project. But as an artist, I like having some bounds. It gives me a direction to go in.
When you see my cards, you might not see the hours of concept and sketching work. You don’t really see all the experimenting until it’s *just* right, so I thought it would be good to be transparent in this and to show you that I don’t always know how a project is going to come together — but I guess I have faith that it will if I just keep working.
Well, I have 45 minutes until Ellie gets home from her babysitter’s. I better keep designing this box. 😅
9 comments
Thank you for the window into the struggle. Your art is a glimpse into your soul. Honesty, vulnerability, humor, authenticity, and soooo much love are what I love about these cards. I just know we would be friends. I would love to collaborate!
Love the idea of the stash box. When can we order one? Also I’ve been meaning to ask for more pet condolence card designs. It seems like half the people I know have lost a beloved pet recently.
“Faith” seems to be a recurring theme in your post and some of the comments. “Keep showing up” resonates with me and seems to have left an impression on some of your other fans/customers! Round that out with spreading peace and love and being both “practical and “whimsical” and this is bound to be one Spectacular Stash Box!
Shall we begin pre-ordering so you know how to plan for your first run?!?!
Kathy Hope
I love your visual metaphor for what this Stash means: more love and more peace in this world. Yes, all your creations inspire to write! Thank you for sharing your process and beautiful creativity.
You are so dedicated to the creative process and to your partnership with Grace. I admire that. Thanks for pulling aside the curtain on the hidden work that goes into a design. You are right that showing up at the canvas is important. It embodies a faith that the universe will provide the material if you’ll make it your business to get into a state of flow.