Stella Anderle

I love many sides of the Immersion Course, as well as the Flourish Membership.

I love very much the positive mindset, which is like a rocket for me, especially at the moments when I needed this extra little ingredient, called “enthusiasm” to make everything flow again for me and my creative workflow.

I love the warm human environment (let me say ” the warm human hub”) starting with Bonnie, then all the wonderful support team, and the members’ community. I had so much constructive feedback that helped me grow tremendously in a very short time. Even, if I had graphic design and illustration studies, even if I was feeling quite familiar with Adobe Illustrator, as far as Surface pattern design, I was a beginner.

I learned so much, I have now 2 collections + many other individual patterns, and I am working on my third collection.

I love also the structure of those programs (Immersion and Flourish), which brings a lot of clarity, and “clarity” is an essential part for me for building “confidence” and pursuing my goals.

MY TRANSITION FROM STUDENT TO ARTIST:

Before starting the Immersion Course, I was at the end of my graphic design and illustration studies (4th year in a school for Applied Arts). I didn’t have any job. I have just moved from France to Canada, joining my husband and I was especially concentrating on completing my Professional Project, required by my school for graduation. I discovered surface pattern design through Skillshare 4 months before the Immersion Course started. I asked my school administrators if I can choose as a Professional Project to create a surface pattern design collection and present the collection and its lookbook, as well as my creative process, even if it was not a domain covered during my studies. The answer was “YES”.

I think this is what gave me a lot of motivation to jump into the Immersion Course and to overcome my fears. At this time the Immersion Course was really an investment for me, as I didn’t have any job. The fear of putting myself and my husband into a difficult financial situation was what was holding me back.

Nevertheless, I decided that life is short and if I don’t do it now, in a year I would regret it. I just decided to take the risk, to do my best out of this course, and to trust life. I didn’t worry if I will succeed in completing all the modules of the course because I didn’t give myself another option but to complete them and to do the work. Having to complete my professional project was helpful for that.

MY CREATIVE LIFE AFTER IMMERSION:

• First, the presentation of my professional project in June 2021 (my very first pattern collection “Backyard Treasures”) was a success that I didn’t expect at this point. My school was interested to know if I can create surface pattern design courses in French. With this purpose, I now follow some additional courses which allow me to deepen even more the technical process of fabric making. But, the initial point was my very first successful pattern collection, built during Immersion 2021.
  
• Second, I built my professional website and started posting my artwork on Instagram. Then I applied for a job as an art teacher in a private art studio. When I was asked what is my specialty as an artist, I decided to present myself as a surface pattern designer and presented my portfolio of patterns, as well as my process for creating the elements of my designs.
  
  During the interview, I dared to tell my employer. “You know, I am probably not the right person for you. If I am not the right person, there is no problem. I am OK with that. But here is what I do as an artist”, and referred him again to my patterns. To which my employer answered: “You are the right person.” And a week later I had a job as an art teacher.

I also had some interesting client-based commands for surface design. I especially loved the one for creating a custom design for wood furniture, inspired by Hungarian floral motives.