Finding My Way Back

In between designing my new website and portfolio, I’ve been making small attempts to get back into creating patterns. One of those attempts was taking part in Barbel Dressler’s Trailing Flower Pattern Challenge.

The challenge pushed me in ways I wasn’t expecting. For starters, it was the first time I’d really had to plan the composition and layout of a design before jumping into the drawing itself. It forced me to slow down and think more intentionally, which felt quite different from my usual way of working.

Unfortunately, the challenge also landed during what was probably my busiest two weeks of the year. Unsurprisingly, I didn’t meet the deadline, but I still wanted to see the project through and continued working on it afterwards.

To add to the chaos, Adobe Illustrator updated midway through the process and I lost some of my work. I’m still trying to recover parts of it, and if I’m honest, it knocked my momentum more than I expected.

Despite all of that, the challenge was incredibly valuable. It encouraged me to explore pattern styles I hadn’t considered before, particularly Indian-inspired and Chinoiserie designs. While I ultimately stayed within my comfort zone of florals and nature, I enjoyed creating more intricate motifs and experimenting with a different approach to pattern building.

I may have missed the deadline, but I didn't give up. The result looks a little different from what I first imagined, yet I'm proud of it all the same. The motifs have already found new purpose too, appearing in different colourways and compositions, which makes the whole experience feel worthwhile.

In other creative news, I recently worked on a napkin design for a memorial service honouring a parents of a dear friend. In some ways, it felt like my first commissioned piece. I began by drawing lilies in Procreate, but I wasn’t completely happy with the results. To help move the project forward, I incorporated elements from Rawpixel, a resource I discovered while exploring stationery design.

In the end, the design wasn’t used due to production timelines, but creating it felt meaningful. It was a small way to support a friend during a difficult time, and although I felt pressure to get it right, I enjoyed working on something outside of surface pattern design.

For now, my focus is on creating new colour palettes and developing five fresh designs using motifs I’ve already drawn. Sometimes starting from what you already have is easier than starting from scratch.

Let’s see where those ideas lead.