Design Tribe Podcast Lauren Lesley: Atlanta designer + illustrator

Originally aired on Harmony Hardin's YouTube Channel.  Check out the video version here.
 
From Harmony:
Ah, art style. The elusive "thing" we want to be known for as artists. Have you been stuck on that big topic, wondering what to do to find your art style, what all goes into developing an art style, not knowing if you've found yours? Or even where to start? Do you struggle with thinking you need to actively develop a style, or that it should come naturally, but it just isn't happening for you? Are you still copying other artists for practice, but stuck in art block as soon as you try to come up with a style and concept of your own? Uff, it can feel frustrating and confusing, for sure.
On the 15th episode of art business podcast "Harmony & Friends", Terry Runyan, Nina Cvijovic and Lauren Lesley share their personal path to finding their current style, and their insights into how you can get there, too. Join us live if you can! It's lots of fun to hang out with the community in the live chat, and by joining, you have the chance of getting your question displayed during the livestream and answered by the panel.
Share the link with a friend too, the more, the merrier! If you enjoyed this conversation, consider subscribing to the channel, where we have a conversation just like this one approximately every 2 weeks. Though we do not give you step by step art business advice or tutorials, the conversations shed light on 3 different examples, 3 different lives experiences.
You will hear directly from successful artists about a specific income stream or art business topic, and how it works specifically in the businesses they have built. Enjoyed this video? So many more fun & insightful artist chats this-a-way: https://www.youtube.com/@HarmonyHardi... //
 
ARTISTS:
Terry Runyan Visual Artist & Creative Encourager
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/terryrunyan
Website: https://terryrunyan.com
YouTube: @terryrunyan
 
Nina Cvijovic Illustrator & Pattern Designer
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diujdi
Website: https://diujdi.com
 
Lauren Lesley Textile Designer
YouTube: @laurenlesley
Website: https://laurenlesley.com/sketchbookin...
 
Harmony Hardin Host & Watercolor Artist
NEW Etsy Shop: https://harmonyhardin.etsy.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harmony.har...
YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@HarmonyHardi...
 
 
 

ART STYLE ACADEMY:  https://www.laurenlesley.com/asa-sales-page-35-spots
DM me on Instagram:  @LaurenLesleyStudio
 
Do These 6 Things BEFORE Going Full-Time as an Artist
Hey!  How are you?  If we haven’t met before, I’m Lauren.. I’m your host of the Design Tribe podcast, and I’m an artist and textile designer.  In the last episode, I went into pretty great detail about what it was like working as a full-time artist and licensing surface pattern designs.  So if you missed that episode, be sure to check it out.
 
I know a lot of you are either trying to make it as a surface pattern designer OR you dream of one day being able to leave your day job to license your artwork to companies.
 
I spent 2 years as an independent artist, and although there were many things I loved about working independently, I ultimately went back to an in-house job as a Senior Textile Designer.  
 
A lot of these tips I’m about to share with you are things I WISH I did before making the leap to being a full-time artist.  We’ll talk about all the money stuff in the very last tip so be sure to stick around for that juicy topic.
 
Okay, so my first tip is to…
 
Publish a class to Skillshare.
This might not be the advice you were expecting, haha!
And to be honest, I’m a little annoyed with Skillshare, because last year they cut their teacher’s income by almost half - with no warning.
From a business perspective, I understand if they needed to do this, but they really should have been up front about it and approached the cut in a much more gradual way.  So, it felt really crappy.. Especially when a lot of teachers relied on this as a dependable stream of income.
BUT!
The reason my first tip is to upload a class to Skillshare is because when you go full-time as an artist, you will need some recurring revenue coming in on a regular basis.  
When it comes to teaching, Skillshare is one of the easiest places to start, because they already have such a great built-in audience with lots of students who are creative.  
Domestika is another popular teaching platform you could choose if Skillshare has lost your trust.  I haven’t personally uploaded classes to Domestika so I can’t comment on whether I like the platform or not, but other artists seem to really like it.
Another reason to upload a class is to just get your feet wet and see if you enjoy teaching.
A lot of full-time artists teach on a platform like Skillshare or sell a course as a way to supplement their licensing income, which if you’ve ever done any licensing, you know very well it can fluctuate a lot!
Your first class doesn’t even have to be related to what you WANT to do moving forward.  It’s easy to think:  “Well, I can’t teach about that, because I don’t have enough experience yet.”  And you would be right!
Instead, think about where you were 5-10 years ago.  What have you learned since then?
Your course could be about learning how to use Photoshop or how to draw a Still Life.  What are some things you learned in school that you could teach?  What did you major in?  It doesn’t even have to be art-related!
It does help to keep your class topics related in the long term, but for your very first class - it could really be anything.
The idea is for you to discover A.) if you enjoy teaching - e.i. Filming yourself, doing a little video editing, etc.  and B.) to start generating some recurring revenue.
Develop your Art Style
When you’re working as an in-house designer, it can be really hard to find your own Art Style.  
Often when we work an in-house job, you get really good at doing ANY style… depending on what the project needs.
Companies often try to fill out the white space in their line by covering a range of styles from traditional to modern to boho, you name it.  That means, as the designer, you develop the skill of designing ANY style.
The problem with that is… you start to lose a sense of your own style and who you are fr

Art Style Academy:  https://www.laurenlesley.com/asa-sales-page-35-spots
Guest Episode Application:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdIGrg1q59yw4c47VniYirOBpp2aoEYjA33N9o9a4eWgYR_tw/viewform?usp=pp_url
 
Transcript:
Hey, how are you?  I basically disappeared from this podcast for the past 2 years and I owe you an explanation!
 
If this is your first time listening, hey, I’m Lauren of Lauren Lesley Studio.  I’m an artist and textile designer, and I started The Design Tribe podcast back in 2019 as a way to add some transparency to someone who was just getting started in surface pattern design and the whole licensing world.
 
In this episode, I’m going to spill the tea on what it’s REALLY like being a full-time artist…. Full disclosure:  it’s not exactly how I thought it would be.
 
But first, let me explain where I’ve been and what the plan is for the Design Tribe podcast moving forward!
 
Back in the Fall of 2021, I decided to go back to an in-house job and I found out I was pregnant all in the same month! 
 
On top of that, my husband and I decided to move houses to have a more suitable neighborhood for our baby to grow up in.  The idea of moving after our daughter was born really stressed me out so we were on an intense timeline trying to find the right place.
 
The housing market was incredibly competitive when we were moving and it basically took up 150% of my time.
 
We literally closed on our old house one week before my daughter was born! Then, she came into the world and my full attention was on her.
 
So, I’m very sorry that I’ve been gone for so long.  That was never exactly the plan, but you know, sometimes life gets in the way of creative pursuits.
 
So, what is the plan for the Design Tribe podcast moving forward?
 
During this season of life, I have to be realistic about the fact that I just don’t really have time to conduct a lot of interviews myself.
 
But, that doesn’t mean I won’t in the future.  I personally hate the idea of letting this podcast die just because of my own time constraints.
 
So, I started thinking outside the box and was wondering what WOULD be feasible for the podcast moving forward.
 
Sometimes, as artists and designers, we simply don’t have time to create ALLLL of the content all by ourselves.  It’s probably been a year since I’ve even created an Instagram post for my actual feed..  I am way more active in my Stories though!
 
But, the point is…. I started thinking what if The Design Tribe lived up to its name and became more of a collective effort?  Wouldn’t it be great to be able to hear from different voices and different artists who have different experiences?
 
SO!  I’m opening up the podcast to publish more guest episodes.
 
That means, if you are an artist or designer who has conducted your own interviews… either in podcast format or on YouTube… and you’d like to repurpose your episodes for further reach, please get in touch with me!
 
Especially, if you find yourself unable to keep up with a demanding weekly interview schedule on your own podcast… I’d love to collaborate with you! 
 
Wouldn’t it be great to slow down and put our content efforts together… and get a bigger bang for your buck?
 
Imagine if you could relax the pace and schedule out one interview per month.  The Design Tribe is the perfect place to contribute those podcast episodes and reach more people.
 
If this sounds interesting to you, please look in the show notes for an application.
 
 
 
OKAY, so now let’s get into the good stuff.
 
Why the heck did I return to an In-House job and what was it REALLY like being a Full-Time Artist?
 
So, I dreamed about being a full-time artist for as long as I can remember.  Back in college, I was an oil painter so back then I envisioned doing something more along the lines of Fine Art.
 
But upon graduating, I realized I needed a JOB and a stable income to pay the bills.

In this episode of the Design Tribe podcast, I'm chatting with Jenna Rainey and Julie Turkel about how to get your art in retail stores + so much more! Jenna Rainey is a successful licensed artist with an incredible YouTube channel with over 120K subscribers. She provides tutorials for illustrators, calligraphers, and watercolor artists. Jenna has collaborated with brands like Papyrus, Anchor Brewing Company, and Target!
 
Website: https://jennarainey.com/
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqWj...
 
Julie Turkel is a licensing agent who started at Nickelodeon, building the brand collab business from the inside out. Julie left Nickelodeon to then go on to represent Jonathan Adler, Nate Berkus, Dabney Lee and Jenna (among a few others). After 25 years in the business, her expertise is in brand licensing and she and Jenna have a unique experience working together on fun projects like a calendar line in Staples, a collection with Toki Mats for baby mats and more!
 
During the livestream, we discussed:
- How to get your foot in the door and products on the shelves of retail stores
- How to build a profitable licensing business - What is licensing (brand collaboration) and is it for you? 
- What getting your work in Staples, Target and big box retailers really looks like
- Trend Research and Informative Research to help with developing your signature style and strategy as a creative entrepreneur
- Key elements to building a brand that everyone must know
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