What a week! I haven’t blogged twice in a week in years. I’m also posting on Instagram several times. What is this? What has quarantine done to me? Folx, I’m exhausted. I haven’t been able to write the “What Not to Do When Launching an E-commerce Business” post but I am working on it.

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 big one this week is the Lesbians Who Tech Pride Summit (Not IRL). This whole summit has been phenomenal. I’ve always wanted to attend this amazing event and it has not disappointed. If we’re in the AC (after COVID-19) next year, I’ll do my best to attend. A lot of the keynote sessions with amazing humans like Angelica Ross, Elizabeth Warren, Stacey Abrams, Megan Rapinoe, and others are up on their Facebook page. I will say my favorite sessions have been the “smaller” break-out sessions via Zoom. Ariel Belgrave, the founder of Gym Hooky, led a fantastic workshop called, “The Importance of Self Care in the Age of Black Lives Matter: Taking Care of Your Mental, Physical, and Emotional Self.” Also, this amazing playlist has been the soundtrack to the event, and what better way to better yourself than with amazing tunes to accompany you?

♥ This article by Leigh Stein dismantling the myth of the Girlboss has been making the rounds online and for good reason. There needs to be a larger conversation happening about abuse at the hands of people perpetuating commercialized feminism for their personal gain and not for the betterment of their sisters.

♥ Ron Tinlsey wrote this powerful open letter to the white graphic design community. As someone who is “in” the design and tech community, I’ve been let down by the stances so many people who have positions of power have taken over the years. Currently, so many of those leaders are now adopting the voice of change and empowerment of Black people. I’m questioning a lot of voices and continuing to do my power to uplift Black creatives on the platforms I have.

♥ Speaking of uplifting Black creatives, how amazing is Sharee Miller’s Instagram account? She’s amazing. I’m in love with this piece.

♥ I will yell on the hill of Dana Tanamachi as much as I can for as long as I live. The MiiR x Tanamachi Drinkware & Coffee collection is all I want. Give me all of the things.

♥ I’m catching up on Second Life Podcast episodes and this episode with Justina Blakeney left me with plenty of notes.

♥ I’ve been watching Taste the Nation with Padma Laksmi and it’s so great. If you’re looking for something light, I highly recommend it.

Around the Studio

♥ New products have been added into the shop, including these amazing note cards!

♥ We talked to Ben O’Keefe about activism on the podcast.

♥ ICYMI, I shared some insight into the Summer Solstice Collection and how this revamp came to be.

The post Links I Love – 06.26.2020 appeared first on Studio 404 Paper.

Welcome back is an understatement. I think I had to blow off cobwebs before logging into the Admin panel but here it is. I was never ready to release this into the wild but here it is. On Saturday, June 20th, I launched my very first Studio 404 Paper collection of 2020 and the first collection in over two years. I know there is a lot to explain about returning to this space after a two-year hiatus but I wanted to share some background about the collection, how it was born, and what to expect in the paper shop going forward. I’m an old-school, wordy blogger so I’ll try to stick to the highlights.

Choosing a theme

The summer solstice and winter solstice have been highlights for me after starting my yoga journey so many years ago. I decided a year ago that I wanted to go back to making products. As we’ve grown our agency, we’ve adopted several systems to help automate the process which made the thought of returning to product production alluring. I quickly dove into inspiration mode and began to seek inspiration in my daily work both online and offline.

With a global pandemic just around the horizon and moving into a bigger space at the beginning of the year, I decided to push for a summer launch. The summer solstice is the official beginning of summer, the day where we experience the longest amount of daylight, an opportunity to embrace on growth, and to allow yourself to embody the spirit of illumination. With all of these themes and words in mind, it couldn’t be a clearer sign of rebirth to embrace the theme.

Embracing colors

As someone who regularly embraces an all-black-everything lifestyle, choosing to push myself outside of my comfort zone is a recurring theme in this collection. I knew I would have to use color in my personal designs in a way I wasn’t accustomed to. My original plan was to spend as much time outside to soak in the surroundings around me but of course, in typical 2020 fashion, we were hit with a global pandemic.

I’ve spent a lot of with my own plants at home, watching nature, cooking, and travel documentaries, and being endlessly inspired by the works of those who are more color-conscious like Justina Blakeney. I found two distinct palettes that I could work from and pull inspiration from. I was able to come up with a “safe” palette of retro seventies-inspired colors and an “adaptive” palette of brighter colors that would be a little harder for me to embrace. In all honesty, I’ve struggled with the brighter palette but I’m looking forward to releasing newer products that are ready for these colors.

Product Development

I’m going to share a what-not-to-do post but as a creative challenge to myself, I wanted to spend less time thinking and more time doing. I decided on ten core messages for the prints and illustrations for the note cards that will be released soon! I went back and forth on which designs felt “ready” and reserved the “needs work” category for later. I’ll share some tips and mantras I’ve learned to adapt in this process after learning on-the-go all those years ago.

Key Takeaways

There is no perfect. There’s only finished.

This is so true. I am a perfectionist but over the years, I’ve learned to do my best and hopefully someone else enjoys the work I’ve decided to share out into the world.

Phases are essential for the busy.

I do so many things. I don’t have all of the time I’d love to dedicate to this space so I’m releasing products in stages. There will be new products every other Friday and re-releases of some of my favorite heritage designs.

Get passed the thought of no one asked for this.

No one did. I think about this all of the time. I know no one specifically requested for artwork from an unsuccessful stationery business. However, in the past two years, I’ve been surprised by the number of people who still have those prints and cards around or in their homes. No one requested this but it’s ok to share your art anyway. Someone who didn’t ask for it may discover it and love it.

Failure is what you make of it.

Hillary Kerr’s Second Life podcast inspires me so much as it shares the seasons of change that have elevated so many women’s lives in a different direction. If this failed (With past releases, it’s already done so much better.), I would be ok with it and make the best of it to pivot with the next release.

Never stop creating.

As a creative and a maker, this process has been so therapeutic. It’s been hard to exist as a black woman, especially in 2020. I don’t want to take the time that has been given to me for granted so I’ll spend some of it creating products I love. I’m looking forward to sharing them with you.

The post Introducing the Summer Solstice 2020 Collection appeared first on Studio 404 Paper.

The post Inspiration: Bailey Sullivan appeared first on Studio 404 Paper.

I’m very excited about today’s illustrator. Boyoun Kim is an award-winning illustrator who is based in New York City. I would describe Boyoun’s style of being whimsical but oddly methodological. Everything is neat, clean, and in its place but all of the elements flow so well together. I really also love Boyoun’s usage of colors which are colors I never gravitate to. There’s something about her 70s-style palettes that really drew me in to her work. Let me know your thoughts below!

The post Inspiration: Boyoun Kim appeared first on Studio 404 Paper.

The post Inspiration: dekanimal appeared first on Studio 404 Paper.

The post Inspiration: Ryn Frank appeared first on Studio 404 Paper.

Happy Monday! I’m so excited about today’s interview with a local artist I met at Artlando this year. It’s always been important to me to support local artists and with the weather now cool enough, there are plenty of local art festivals to attend. It makes for a great outing with a little one and allows room to allow me to be inspired. Andi was one of the few artists who was warm and welcoming. She didn’t mind my crazy lady invasion and was happy to do this interview. I’m so excited to use my platform to share Andi’s work and her story here and I hope you all enjoy her as well.

When did you become interested in design?

I became interested in Design when I realized I wanted to create things that would not only showcase my love for Jesus, but also my love for making everything pretty ! I also find it really relaxing and refreshing to create things, it recharges me.

How do you stay connected with the local art scene?

I have a lot of friends who create things around the area, so mostly through social media or by hanging out around social church events.

Which creatives inspire you the most?

Rifle Paper Co is definitely a big inspiration for me! It’s a dream!

What has been your favorite project in your career thus far? 

My favorite project so far has been creating a self promotional mailer for a class I took spring 2015. It was so challenging, yet really rewarding. It also made me realize how much I love lemons ! (:

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

I believe the voice I have among other trends is just making sure the heart of my company and all art is the heart of Jesus. I want nothing to do with negativity. My goal is to encourage people by loving on them and letting them know the value that they hold. 

What has been your biggest challenge as a creative? 

My biggest challenge as a creative is being able to manage my time productively. I am always so busy with my jobs, school and with my freelance business. Life is hectic!

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

Don’t be afraid to look stupid!  seriously, this is something I struggle with sometimes. Post whatever you want, whenever you want, however you want ! just do it !

Connect with Andi: Portfolio | Behance | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest

The post Artist Showcase: Andi of With Love Andi appeared first on Studio 404 Paper.

Hello! I’m so excited to have launched my 2015 fall line of cards and prints at the paper shop. I’ve been working on holiday in between working on this fall line and I am so excited about the way this paper shop has developed over the past year (almost two!).

The post Fall 2015 Paper Line appeared first on Studio 404 Paper.