Judy Patterson
How do I even pick my favorite part of the Immersion course???? haha! It is easy! It is Bonnie—who is so inspiring and encouraging. I loved the way that Bonnie set up the class. It was step by step and paced to set us up for success. I loved the combination of videos and live chats that made it possible for me to work at my own pace, get lots of practice, and have answers to questions when needed. I loved our peer group- and quite frankly, part of our group has continued meeting once a week all these months later—where we share ideas, keep each other motivated, and cheer each other’s successes.
I have been a lifelong creator of art but put in on hold for years when I became a full time teacher in elementary education. A few years ago I began the process of moving back into my art filled life. I realized that the business of art had changed dramatically during the years I spent as a teacher.
MY PATH BACK TO BEING AN ARTIST
Prior to teaching, I had done all my art endeavors basically in person—whether teaching painting classes or selling at art shows. When I wanted to work with businesses, I took pictures of my work and sent photos via snail mail to various companies and we worked out deals to license my artwork to fit their needs.
When I stopped teaching and decided to head back into the world as a full time artist I realized that I needed to learn how to deal with this new wonderful digital world. I began by watching videos and trying to learn the skills necessary to digitize my artwork. Well…. that was quite the overwhelming situation. When looking at all the various videos available, I did not have any idea what I needed and what I didn’t. I didn’t know how to sort through the content and make sense of even where to begin. It was very frustrating. I knew that my art was decent… but I was so demoralized at being unable to figure out how to move it from where it was to where it needed to go.
When I saw Bonnie’s course, I was full on terrified of spending the money. That is the honest truth. I had taken a year leave of absence from work and did not have money coming in—so to spend money on the cost of the course was very daunting. It came down to this: I was investing in myself. I spent money when I was getting my master’s degree in college. Similarly, with this course, I was investing in my future. I needed help with the specifics of how to use Illustrator for the purpose of creating repeat patterns.
I went into the course with the attitude of “it is hard but I can do hard things!” I also went into it with the attitude of “I WILL put in the time and effort” because I did not want to waste one penny of the money I spent on the opportunity to learn.
From the beginning, I was so happy to find that I had absolutely made the right decision!!
Since the course, I have continued my path of practicing my skills and creating. I have opened a Spoonflower shop where I sell my fabric designs. I also have an etsy shop where I sell art prints and other items. My goal this year is to step right out of my comfort zone and approach companies for the purpose of licensing my art. I am excited to see what is next for me.
