Kismet + Charisma

My podcast other-half, Charisma, keeps herself booked and busy but her candles are the only candles we should be talking about during Black History Month. She sells out QUICKLY and each of these hand-poured, soy candles are sure to keep you in your hygge feels all winter long.

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Heretics Shop

With their resin jewelry, book memorabilia, accessories, and more, Heretics has something for everyone. Did I mention that they also do commissions? Not only is Jade dedicated to their craft, but they have also done an amazing job of curating an e-commerce store that gives you the feeling of walking into your favorite small, town gift shop.

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Andrea Pippins

Honestly, I could host an entire blog post dedicated to my love and admiration of illustrator and author, Andrea Pippins. Her work has inspired me for years and her journey as an artist is awe-inspiring. I highly recommend purchasing any of her published books to add a piece of that bright, happiness that her work illustrates into your life.

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Val’s Cheesecakes

1. Watch Jonathan Morris’s Self Employed on Magnolia Network. 2. Come back very inspired by Val’s story, hungry, and craving cheesecake. Cheesecake is a love language and Val has taken his mother’s legacy and created a cheesecake empire right in the heart of Dallas. This post is also a plea that Val’s can start delivering nationwide, expeditiously.

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Shop After Another

Alyissa is a MAKER-maker. She makes jewelry, art, greeting cards, pins, patches, and so much more. Alyissa’s work is colorful, bold, bright, and empowering. She makes products that radiate joy and embody positivity. I cannot say enough about how talented she is and how you should be supporting her for all of your 60s and 70s revival needs.

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Simisienna

Simisienna is one of three sister brands that have a HOLD on me. As we are still #pandemicliving, athleisure is a top clothing choice for me. I don’t want to wear hard pants. Simisienna makes beautiful options for those who are looking for something stable for their next workout or whoever else wants to elevate their #WFH lifestyles.

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Afrohemien

Afrohemien is everything. This craftily curated shop of handmade jewelry, cultural goods, and vintage finds is my favorite e-commerce find of the pandemic. I could easily have an Instagram feed of the amazing work Lakesha is doing to create this shop. Her eye for details is immaculate and everything highlights the beauty in Black and African culture.

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Namiwear

This is an obvious outlier for my style choices. I am a woven blanket, chai latte person, but, this jacket is everything. Honestly highlighting an anime-influenced streetwear company is all-encompassing on the Black joy scales. For bonus points, enjoy the Sailor Moon Fan Club podcast, a Sailor Moon fan podcast hosted by a Black woman.

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Eso Tolson

Eso’s lettering embodies every feeling of Black joy for me. He has effortlessly created some of my favorite pieces. I have shamelessly highlighted him before on this site. I cannot say enough kind words about his bold block or fluid lettering style that makes you feel each phrase in your chest. 10/10 Must-buy.

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Moonlight Roller

One of my favorite pandemic trends has been the resurgance of roller skating. Growing up in Atlanta in the 90s and early 00s meant that roller skating rinks were a welcomed weekend destination. Insert Moonlight Roller, a black-founded roller skating brand based out of Tennessee. These stylish skates with their signature crescent moon will help you stand out aamong your local skate gang.

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Black Brew Bros.

I am heavily invested in Black people roasting coffee. I discovered this gem out and about at my local farmers market. You can smell the beans before walking to the booth which is nothing but a good sign of coffee worth trying. With a variety of different roasts of their Grade AAA Arabica coffee beans, there are plenty of options to choose from. I can’t wait to gift these beans to all of my fellow coffee-loving friends.

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Brave + Kind Bookshop

This bookshop was also a pandemic find of mine. Located in my hometown, Brave + Kind is a bookshop that carefully curates books for littles and some books for grown-ups too. As a parenting person, it is so much easier to browse the wide variety of children’s literature when someone has done the work of putting together an artful selection to choose from.

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One of the things I’ve learned in my six years of being a podcast producer is that there are some real gems out there, despite podcasting having a ROUGH 2022 thus far. The best way to help support podcasts is to share them, rate them, and consistently talk about them if you love them. Remember how you found out about Serial for the first time? Now do that with some of these podcast gems.

I’ll do my best to highlight Black creators and businesses on Instagram stories throughout the month in this Celebrating Black Joy series. This is just a small snippet of everything I want to share but let me know of your favorite Black businesses, creators, artists, and technologists in the comments below I can follow along.

The post Black Businesses & Creators Guide appeared first on Studio 404 Paper.

Remember yesterday when I said I’d have a gift guide for you? Well never fear, that day has come. Unsolicited gift guides are a longstanding blogger rite of passage. Due to the nature of our fun year, I’ve decided to share gift guides in six different categories, highlighting some of my favorite small businesses that are doing amazing things. It’s very hard to navigate the holiday shopping noise so I hope I can introduce you to some fun shopping ideas, not only during our generic winter holiday season but all year-round.

My Holiday Shopping Must-Haves

My go-to candle provider is Kismet + Charisma all year-round. It has been so difficult to find a soy candle company locally that provides scents that appeal to me. My friend and co-producer Charisma has done just that. I am not just saying this to be nice, these are actually really good candles. They just as long as my favorite bigger box candle company which is a big deal for me, as someone who has candles going all of the time. She will be sharing her winter/holiday collection very soon but I wanted you to bookmark the shop and come back to check this out.

Unfortunately, this is a Central Florida-local thing, but my dear friend Kim of Chaos Bagels makes the very best bagels I’ve had in this state. I am not a bagel-snob by any means but I have had bad bagels here. If you have friends in the Central Florida area, do them a favor and order these bagels for the holidays. I gifted my husband bagels for his birthday which is how wonderful they are. Also, who better to trust with your bagel providing than a mom of three boys?

Quarantine Holiday Gift Guide

2020 gave us a unique perspective on living indoors for prolonged lengths of time. Now that we’re heading into cooler weather that is typically a tricky time for many people health-wise, we are extra-vigilant on keeping our outdoor time to a minimum during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are some fun things to keep you occupied while you make the best of your physical distance winter season.

1. Snack + Go Organic Cotton Tote by Project Pop | 2. Blue Dottie Adult Face Mask by Sarah Hearts | 3. Save The Post Office card by Creative Future Studio

4. The Sampler Kit by Haus | 5. In Therapy and Thriving Greeting Card by Curated Dry Goods | 6. Postal Service Crew Neck Tee From Natalie Reales Designs

Art Enthusiast Holiday Gift Guide

Fellow art nerds, assemble! Some of my favorite items to express how much you love the visual arts. If none of the things vibe with you, I recommend donating to your local theaters and community art groups as they are all looking for support while keeping their artists safe.

1. Postcards do Bem by LOJA by Barbara Astrini| 2. Thank You Stamps by Dana Tanamachi | 3. Basquiat Corkcicle Canteens

4. This Joy I Have The World Didn’t Give It by Christa David | 5. “Stop Stealing Tote” by Jasmine Mans

Entrepreneur Holiday Gift Guide

Your entrepreneur friends always need a gift, no matter what they say. We are running around and we’re thriving in making it up as we go along. Supporting small businesses while uplifting your friends who own small businesses is a win-win anyway. 10/10 would recommend.

1. Emma Design Squarespace Kit by JDS Creative Studio| 2. Classic Polka Dot Customizable Planner – Undated / Open Dated by June Paper Market | 3. Grinding All My Life Pin by Adé Hogue

4. Explore: Journey from Fear to Happiness by David Yarde | 5. In the Company of Women by Grace Bonney| 6. DSA Magic Girl Keycaps Round 2 by Mintlodica

Plant Lovers Holiday Gift Guide

If you follow me along on my very rare Instagram sharing journey, you probably know that I, too, have fallen into the trap of millennials with plants. What better way to raise your serotonin levels, than with plants that spark joy? If you’re not sure where to start, never fear, I’ve got some gems below.

1. Jungle Dreams Notebooks by Castlefield Design| 2. Ficus Elastica Burgundy Rubber Plant by Botany | 3. Wild at Home Book by Hilton Carter

4. Buried In Plants Where I Belong Tote Bag by Jungalow | 5. Macrame Plant Hanger No. 1 by Eco Vibe| 6. Tall Painted Clay Planter by The Jungalow

Holiday Gift Guide for Kids

If you don’t interact with kids, it’s not the easiest to just jump in and buy a gift for one. There are various things to consider and so many places to buy gifts. Here are some fun things I’ve found that aren’t your typical pickup in your local superstore.

1. Constellation Kids Tee by Jessica Hische| 2. The ABCs of HBCUs (Board Book) by HBCU Prep School | 3. Who Will You Be? by Andrea Pippins

4. Double-Sided Pre-Writer Shape and Squiggle Board by Schoene and Son | 5. Black Lives Matter – Love ASL Print from Nicole Marie Paperie 6. Little Likes Kids – Fun Outside 48 Piece Floor Puzzle

Home Holiday Gift Guide

If you’re looking to try some fun things at home or buy for friends who may be living in a new space, here is the gift guide for you. It’s been a good time to try some new products from companies you may not ever have had the opportunity to support to help make your living space a home.

1. Rose Body Scrub from Luna Nueva Apothecary| 2. You Are Your Best Thing by rayo and honey | 3. Rise & GRND – Coffee Blend, Medium Roast by Blk & Bold

4. Matcha Set by Junbi Matcha| 5. 2021 Sun Wall Calendar by Under the Sunlight 6. Playful Marks (Golden) Tea Towel by Ritual Morning Studio

The post 2020 Small Business Holiday Gift Guide appeared first on Studio 404 Paper.

Unsure of what to get your friends from the Studio 404 Paper shop? Don’t fret! There are plenty of options for yourself, your favorite people, or even something fun to add to the office gift exchange. Shop the official Studio 404 Paper Holiday Gift Guide below and stay tuned for the gift guides this week that will be showcasing other amazing small businesses for you to support!

Best Sellers

Gifts for Co-workers & Professional Colleagues

Gifts for Teachers

Appropriate Gifts for 2020

Gifts for Coffee Drinkers

The post Studio 404 Paper Holiday 2020 Gift Guide appeared first on Studio 404 Paper.

Hey friends! We are continuing with the Artist Showcase series after five years of hiatus. I’m thrilled to restart this series to interview and showcase amazing creatives that I’ve found influential for me and are willing to share information about themselves. It’s 2020 and I enjoy having a space to showcase creatives without having to do so many things or even pay to be featured. It’s a bit of the old-school blog vibes that I miss.

Instagram is probably the largest photography referral service right now for photographers who work with entrepreneurs. I started to see Arlene’s work pop up in the tiny Orlando bubble because her style is something I lean towards. She’s been so kind and supportive and I want more people to hire her to take photos of them doing what they love.

I’m an Orlando brand and product photographer specializing in images that help creatives and small businesses tell their story. My passion lies in capturing real moments and emotions I was born in Fajardo, Puerto Rico and you can find me listening to music all day while sipping my favorite coffee, Cafe Bustelo. When I’m not helping businesses and people with their photography needs, I’m teaching my son through distance learning or watching The Office or The Good Place with my husband.

What are your favorite ways to create? 

For work: putting on my headphones and listening to R&B. When I need to spark some creativity and I’m not working, I love to leave town and head somewhere different, and just look for things to photograph that inspire me. Architecture, cool places, or an amazing cocktail all help with this process. I really think the change of scenery helps me a lot creatively.

What made you decide to start your photography business?

I started out as a travel blogger, and my focus was to show the many awesome local aspects that Orlando had to offer: shops, restaurants and artists, murals and more. I started using photography as a way to compliment my blogs and post to social media and started to realize how much more I enjoyed photography. I started investing all my free time into learning everything I could about photography, from shooting in manual settings to lighting and composition.

Where do you often find inspiration? 

St. Augustine is my absolute favorite place when I need to get away and get inspired. Alternatively, music is really influential to me, from how artists are styled in photoshoots to how they create their visuals for music videos, particularly Beyoncé.

How have you had to pivot in the age of COVID-19?

I started getting more into product photography since it was something I could do at home and not around people, and I’ve actually fallen in love with it! I wanted to bring a different style to the work I was creating so it didn’t look like just products on a white background, and found inspiration in the morning light that hits my front porch each day.

I started doing little shoots for fun and posting them on social media, and those fun shoots have actually landed me a few clients.

How do you find your voice among all of the photography trends??

It’s hard to not feel like you have to jump on whatever is trendy right now, but I want my work and the images I deliver to people to be timeless. With photography, I feel like there is always a popular way to edit at the moment (light and airy, moody, etc) but I stick with editing a little on the warmer side while trying to keep most colors as true to life as possible and maintaining the natural look to my client’s skin tones.

What has been your biggest challenge as a creative?

Not letting imposter syndrome prevent me from putting my work out. Social media is great for putting you in front of new people and connecting you with new and old friends, but it’s also notorious for the comparison game. I’m definitely not immune to that, but I try to not let what others are doing makes me feel I’m not doing enough or my work isn’t as good. We’re all bringing our individual talent and flavor to what we create.

What advice would you give other creatives who are thinking about opening their own business?

Honestly, stop debating and wanting things to be perfect and just do it. Start now. You will evolve and improve the more you get out there and create, so don’t be discouraged. Keep reading and practicing. Do your own thing and don’t worry about what everyone else is doing! Follow your instincts and what inspires YOU and the right people will find you.

Connect with Arlene: Portfolio | Instagram

The post Artist Showcase: Arlene Laboy of Arlene Laboy Photography appeared first on Studio 404 Paper.

Hey friends! We are continuing with the Artist Showcase series after five years of hiatus. I’m thrilled to restart this series to interview and showcase amazing creatives that I’ve found influential for me and are willing to share information about themselves. It’s 2020 and I enjoy having a space to showcase creatives without having to do so many things or even pay to be featured. It’s a bit of the old-school blog vibes that I miss.

Today’s guest is my friend! I met Melissa via Twitter after attempting to work with two other bloggers to get all of the Florida Bloggers together on one site. (RIP to that idea.) Melissa lived in the same town as I did and we spent many an hour in our local Starbucks bonding over coffee, business, and all of the nerd things! Melissa has an amazing company Jelly Design Studio and has been working on a fun new venture JDS Creative Studio. She is a delight and the nicest human. She bakes all of the amazing things. I am so thankful for everything Melissa does and I’m thrilled to share her work and story here on the blog.

Melissa is the owner and designer of Jelly Design Studio — specializing in WordPress website design and development for creatives and other small businesses. She recently started a new venture, JDS Creative Studio, where she offers Squarespace Templates for creatives. When she’s not working, you can find her reading the latest YA book next to her sweet puppy Luna.

What are your favorite ways to create? 

I always start the design process for any website project on paper. I love to just jot down my ideas and do some rough sketches. My sketches are definitely messy and don’t think anyone will make much sense of them — but this helps the ideas flow for me. I then tidy up the sketches a bit and move on to converting my ideas into a digital design.

How did you start Jelly Design Studio?

I started Jelly Design Studio back in 2012 after wanting to learn a bit more about design and development. I had a lifestyle blog that I always wanted to customize and as it was just a hobby I figured I could learn how to make those changes myself.

Blog friends would eventually reach out asking for assistance on their blog — and slowly it turned into referral clients. From bloggers to boutiques, my client base started to grow.

What started out as just wanting to learn a few more skills here and there — eventually turned into a full-time career that I created for myself where I would work with so many creative and inspiring small business owners. 

Where do you often find inspiration? 

This may sound cheesy but I do believe that inspiration is everywhere that you look. One of my creative outlets, when I’m in need of inspiration, is the kitchen. I love to bake and make all the pretty sweet treats. The process of combining raw ingredients and then using different flavors, textures, and colors to create something fun for others to enjoy is a process that I love when I need a change from sitting in front of a computer.

How have you navigated challenges as we navigate COVID-19 and all of the other things affecting our country?

This year has been a curveball for us all. The year started with a lot of plans and honestly, most of my goals have completely shifted. This year has taught me that sometimes our business needs us to pivot towards a new path and we shouldn’t fight against it.

For my business, I realized that I needed to offer different solutions that can help small businesses in all stages. I expanded my offerings so it can work with a business that is just getting their foot in the door or for a business that has been around for over 10 years.

How do you find your voice among all of the design trends?

As most of my design work is custom I always focus on what my client needs, not trends. My main goal for any project is to create a website that my clients will love and their target market will be able to easily navigate.

What has been your biggest challenge as a creative?

Investing time to learn a new skill or improve on a current skill is something that is a bit of a challenge for me. As a creative that runs a business, it’s sometimes easy to just fall into this cycle where I don’t take the extra time to try something new because there is always something else that is waiting for me on my to-do list. Whether it’s trying out a new process for designing a website mockup or learning a new skill that can be converted into a new offering for my clients.

I do my best not to fall into that cycle and I am constantly adding to my “things to learn” list and creating the time to work on it. A recent example of this was learning how to make Instagram filters for Stories. I  made time to learn this new skill and I am now in the works of designing a new filter for a client.

What advice would you give other creatives who are thinking about opening their own business?

Don’t wait to get started. If you have an idea for a business that you are passionate about — go for it. We sometimes get stuck in this cycle of waiting for the right time or having to make something perfect before it launches. This is just a way that we postpone moving forward.

I look back at some of my work from when I first started and it makes me cringe a little, but that is part of the process. We grow our skillset, improve our craft, and continue to discover our voice throughout the years. So don’t hold back.

Connect with Melissa: Jelly Design Studio | JDS Design Studio | Instagram

The post Artist Showcase: Melissa Bandera of Jelly Design Studio appeared first on Studio 404 Paper.

Hey friends! We are continuing with the Artist Showcase series after five years of hiatus. I’m thrilled to restart this series to interview and showcase amazing creatives that I’ve found influential for me and are willing to share information about themselves. It’s 2020 and I enjoy having a space to showcase creatives without having to do so many things or even pay to be featured. It’s a bit of the old-school blog vibes that I miss.

Today’s guest is someone who I’ve been following in the blog world from way back when. She has been so inspiring to me, personally, and I’m grateful to have been following her journey via Instagram. She’s grown so much creatively since I stumbled upon her blog and she is so supportive of other creatives.

Nikkita Cohoon is an artist who designs holistic brand identities for business owners with big vision to help them convey their value with clarity and build trust with their people. She also designs patterns, art, products, and planners to help you find the ritual in the everyday and make the everyday a ritual.

What are your favorite ways to create? 

For branding, I work mostly digitally, but I always start in my sketchbook because I love working by hand. I love trying a variety of techniques including printmaking, playing in Procreate, painting on ceramics, and working with ink.

How did you start Ritual Morning Studio?

After getting my MFA in poetry, I started work as a communications director for a non-profit management company. My writer friends often needed posters for readings, banners for their blogs or websites, and different promotional materials, and I also started designing books for a few poetry presses. I realized I loved helping creative professionals and businesses translate their vision into holistic design, so branding was the natural combination of those things. I started creating patterns for some of my clients and fell in love with surface design as well.

Where do you often find inspiration? 

I take a lot of walks and am always snapping pictures of different elements of nature that I encounter, or even collecting specimens. I’m inspired by architecture and the geometry found everywhere you look. I love the bold graphic appeal of vintage paperbacks, and I used to collect lots of collage material and inspiration from a book repository in grad school. I’ve always loved patterns found on textiles, wallpapers, and inside book covers. Really I’m just always filing away visual information!

How do you find a balance between your service-based offerings and your retail business?

My clients are always a high priority for me, and I truly gain inspiration from the collaborative process of creating a brand identity. But I also find it necessary to follow my own creative curiosity, and I love seeing things I create on tangible objects that can enter people’s homes and give them a moment of joy, pause, or reflection. I find with each season the different things I do ebb and flow, so I can focus on what is most needed at the time.

How do you find your voice among all of the design trends?

While I’m aware of some trends because I’m part of the design community and love seeing what my friends are doing, my design work is always informed first and foremost by my clients themselves. We spend a lot of time in the discovery phase developing a strategy that considers who will actually be seeing the designs, how they will interact with it, what they’ll be attracted to, the impression the design might make. Those are the driving factors for choices like color, type, and the design itself. For branding especially, we’re trying to create designs that will hold up as time passes, and grow with the business. So I’m using my voice to express that, rather than speak to a trend.

What has been your biggest challenge as a creative?

I’m a very creatively curious person, and for the most part this serves me well. But I don’t have time to do all my ideas justice (at least at one time), so my biggest challenge is focus and what to give time to when.

What advice would you give other creatives who are thinking about opening their own business?

First, is it something you truly want for yourself, and do you have something to offer that people need or want? Sometimes people see a person creating, doing, or making something unique and tell that person they should start a business. So I want to say first it’s great to do something just for the JOY of it and it doesn’t have to be a business because someone told you it could be.

But there are also people who just have that entrepreneurial bug and they will feel that calling regardless of what those around them say. For those people I would say make sure you’re ready to wear all the hats, because early days of running your business especially you’ll be spending just as much time on accounting, administration, client/customer management, and logistics of running a business as you will with the creative component (and sometimes more). Make sure you take a lot of notes on what’s working and what isn’t, track your time so you have a realistic picture of how you’re spending it, and set up systems to help automate what you can.

Connect with Nikita: Portfolio | Instagram 

The post Artist Showcase: Nikkita Cohoon of Ritual Morning Studio appeared first on Studio 404 Paper.

If you are new here, Links I Love is my Friday wrap-up series. I am online and reading so much content so I wanted to use this to share with my friends without having to blow up their inboxes (Yes, this blog is that old.) Every Friday, that I can, I’ll try to share some things I’ve seen on the internet that are interesting (in my humble opinion).

♥ My talented friend Melissa released an amazing new to-do list Instagram filter. You can get it on your stories by visiting her profile (in the app!), and selecting the filter icon. (It’s the icon we normies don’t have.)

♥ Speaking of friends, my friend and podcast co-producer Charisma has just released her fall collection of candles at Kismet + Charisma. I cannot wait to get the pumpkin king candle in my house ASAP.

♥ It’s been my very first Grace Hopper Celebration and I cannot rave enough about how amazing this conference has been. There are so many sessions and tons to enjoy.

♥ Sherell Dorsey has released the Clark Street Project podcast which is a narrative look at the evolution of black business and entrepreneurship.

♥ I have been making these mini cinnamon sugar pretzels from Mike Bakes NYC for the past two weeks and they’re so great. It’s an easy recipe to follow for someone who has never made pretzels ever in her entire life.

♥ Little Occasion is the cutest small shop of clothes for the littles. I love button-downs on tiny kids. They’re so ridiculous and it’s fantastic.

Around the Studio

♥ I talked to Andrea Flores of Drea Flow on this week’s Artist Showcase and I was not disappointed.

♥ We shared ALL of the things we’re doing for content for our businesses and our clients in 2020.

♥ I’m currently getting the 2020 Holiday Gift Guide ready to go. If you have small businesses you’re wanting to recommend, please comment below!

♥ The holiday catalog is going out NEXT WEEK to newsletter subscribers only so you need to subscribe below so you don’t miss out.

The post Links I Love – 10.02.2020 appeared first on Studio 404 Paper.

Hey friends! We are continuing with the Artist Showcase series after five years of hiatus. I’m thrilled to restart this series to interview and showcase amazing creatives that I’ve found influential for me and are willing to share information about themselves. It’s 2020 and I enjoy having a space to showcase creatives without having to do so many things or even pay to be featured. It’s a bit of the old-school blog vibes that I miss.

Today’s guest is a wonderful multi-faceted creative who I found also on Instagram. She knows the struggle of a creative who is constantly working between various mediums within their business and I appreciate having someone around who can relate to what I deal with. Andrea is extremely talented and is building her empire. I’m so grateful that she spent time chatting with me about her life as a creative.

Andrea Flores is a Miami, Florida based photographer, marketing strategist, and the founder of Drea Flow, LLC. Mostly known as “Drea” by friends, she is a first-generation Guatemala-American Latinx who wears a healing crystal every day and loves exploring new skincare. Drea holds a Bachelors Degree in Fashion Merchandising from Miami International University of Art & Design and worked at 16 different jobs before launching her business.

What are your favorite ways to create? 

One of my favorite ways to create is through my mind – I could look and study an object and begin to dissect the creativity from there, later transfer the idea into tangibility, and executing it through photography. Photography is my ultimate creative escape!

What made you start Drea Flow?

After working in corporate office environments for more than 10 years, I continued to feel a lack of creative fulfillment and the inability to grow. “Climbing the corporate ladder” was never a real aspiration of mine; however, launching my own business always has. It became clear to me while working fulltime and freelancing on the side, that I could really make this happen! It didn’t bother me taking client meetings during my lunch breaks (and not actually eating until later at my desk), or waking up at 5:00 AM to meet deadlines before starting with work. I would meditate A LOT because it was heavy on me to juggle and at times felt overwhelming, but truly I knew that a paycheck wasn’t all that I sought. This brought me more joy than stepping into an office with no ability to grow.

Client referrals were coming in, repeat clients were staying, and it was then that I accepted what my soul was being called to do.

Where do you often find inspiration? 

Inspiration is everywhere! From simply looking up from this computer and outside at my window – the colors of nature, the sound leaves make as the wind moves them, rain tapping on my window, and butterflies swirling above the cars driving by. Nature is a big part of my inspiration, as is architecture. I easily get lost with the intricacies of structure, design, decór, and open space.

How have you been able to balance creating and running a business?

I’m giggling as I answer this question because, to be honest, the “balance” is a daily work in progress. Sometimes I spend days being more analytical — handling administrative tasks, planning out my next marketing strategy, meeting deadlines, having client meetings, and so on. My body instantly reminds me when I haven’t been creative – as in, styling or photographing something, so I am very conscious of listening to my body.

My goal is to be creative every day – nothing too extravagant or out of my reach, even if it means styling earrings on my dresser and grabbing my iPhone to photograph it during golden hour (that’s the best natural light in my opinion). I do reserve Fridays as my “production day” – I allow myself to run wild with ideas because all of my business-related work has been completed. It’s still a balancing act, but we’re getting there!

How do you find your voice among all of the design trends?

Trends are great to study, to see and understand what’s relevant to the public eye but I don’t necessarily always follow them. I closely observe the trends that will serve my creativity—whether for personal or client projects. After intuitively deciding which trends could be the most beneficial, I take my own spin on them. So in reality, the trends serve as inspiration but you, as a creative, make them your own.

What has been your biggest challenge as a creative?

Ha! Moving past the imposter child syndrome phase has been the utmost challenge for me! I am a self-taught photographer and it took my mind some time to accept (let alone call myself) a photographer. Although I also focus my creative energies in marketing, because I had experience on paper – titling myself a Digital Marketing Specialist was never a problem. But it’s all mental – we, as artists, often think we need some sort of degree or paper to validate our talents.

What advice would you give other creatives who are thinking about opening their own business?

Even though you are a creative, always treat your work as a business! Taking a couple of online webinars and joining entrepreneurial groups on Facebook, could really help. I would also suggest registering your business as an LLC sooner than later, opening a business checking account, create a website (even if you just have a home and contact page), and if it’s in your reach – hire an accountant. Having a plan is important because you could always refer back to it for guidance and clarity.

Be mentally prepared for the level of commitment business requires. It takes time to build it, but a business must be nurtured daily! Be ready to show up, even when you feel like this has been the worst idea you’ve embraced — it isn’t. Believe in your craft, believe in yourself, and give it your all.

Connect with Andrea: Portfolio |Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest

The post Artist Showcase: Andrea Flores of Drea Flow appeared first on Studio 404 Paper.

Hey friends! We are back with the Artist Showcase series after five years of hiatus. I’m thrilled to restart this series to interview and showcase amazing creatives that I’ve found influential for me and are willing to share information about themselves. It’s 2020 and I enjoy having a space to showcase creatives without having to do so many things or even pay to be featured. It’s a bit of the old-school blog vibes that I miss.

Today’s guest is hyper-local as another Osceola County resident. I was thrilled to find Kristine’s Instagram and have really enjoyed following her journey as an artist. She’s very transparent with her process, how she creates her work, and she’s undoubtedly talented.

What are your favorite ways to create? 

I started with gouache and acrylic paints but have really loved learning digital illustration. I am mostly using my iPad and Procreate to do it.

How did you come up with Curated Dry Goods?

I wanted something that could grow with my brand. I have big dreams to put my art on lots of different products and didn’t want to limit my brand to just paper products. So, I chose Curated because I make art and Dry Goods for all the future products I’ll put that art on.

Where do you often find inspiration? 

Gardens! My mom has always been a gardener of exotic fruits, plants, and flowers. I grew up surrounded by nature. So I love to visit botanical gardens and her home garden to find inspiration when I need it.

Why is important for you to have mental health greeting cards that give back to the Mental Health Association of Central Florida? 

Four years ago, I was Baker Acted for suicidal ideation and was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. At the time, my friends and family didn’t know what to say to support me. They loved me and stood by me, but no one knew how to talk about it – I didn’t either.

So I created mental health greeting cards to make those conversations easier for people who have experienced the same thing themselves or with their loved ones. It’s so important to have a support system because caring for your mental health is challenging sometimes. We need our loved ones to say “You’re doing great, I’m really proud of you.”

Going to therapy, taking medication, and making art have been life-saving for me. Giving to organizations like MHACF, who make finding treatment possible for everyone, is the least I can do to pay it forward.

How do you have a voice among all of the design trends? 

I thought about this a lot when I first started and to any artist who is struggling with their style or voice – it will come with time. I’m doing a challenge where I’m only posting old artwork on Instagram for 30 days. I’m surprised to see each of them together creating a cohesive look when I thought I didn’t have a voice or style at the time I made them. So, every artist has it even if they don’t know it! Keep honing it.

What has been your biggest challenge as a creative?

Comparison and perfection! Hands down. I have to remind myself often to create imperfect things just for fun because it makes me happy.

What advice would you give other creatives who are thinking about opening their own business?

Do something you really love and find a way to pay it forward.

Connect with Kristine: Shop |Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube

The post Artist Showcase: Kristine of Curated Dry Goods appeared first on Studio 404 Paper.

If you are new here, Links I Love is my Friday wrap-up series. I am online and reading so much content so I wanted to use this to share with my friends without having to blow up their inboxes (Yes, this blog is that old.) Every Friday, that I can, I’ll try to share some things I’ve seen on the internet that are interesting (in my humble opinion).

♥ Hello! There are new Halloween prints and printables available in the shop to get you prepared for your favorite spooky holiday.

♥ I was very inspired by this video of Masako Wakamiya via Great Big Story. Masako learned how to code at 81 and calls herself an IT evangelist. She’s amazing.

♥ The very amazing Jessica Hische and Adé Hogue collaborated with twenty other artists to work on the Rise Up. Show Up. Unite! campaign to help uplift the Biden-Harris campaign and the results are stunning. The hashtag is growing quite rapidly on Instagram showcasing the talented work of so many people.

♥ Adanna shared a list of 16 affordable dresses for a summer-fall transition and she didn’t miss the mark.

♥ I’m late but Kristle Marshall’s amazing Small Business Directory is full of wonderful small businesses to support as we continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.

♥ The ever-wonderful Grace Bonney has created a site where you can be a part of the Design*Sponge Good Company book by generating your own page.

♥ If you are a womxn founder seeking a collective group of like-minded individuals who will help guide and uplift you to help grow your mindset and business, Honeycomb is for you.

Around the Studio

♥ I’ll be speaking at the WPMRR Virtual Summit on September 24, 2020. This two-day conference is put on by the cool people at WP Buffs and spoiler alert: tickets are free.

♥ We talked to Marley of Marley’s Menu about how she started her food blog after being furloughed.

♥ I’m currently getting the 2020 Holiday Gift Guide ready to go. If you have small businesses you’re wanting to recommend, please comment below!

The post Links I Love – 9.18.2020 appeared first on Studio 404 Paper.