Something Old...

In keeping with my promise to create five new designs from existing motifs, I found myself digging through old sketches and doodles I’d created in Procreate last year. What felt random at the time suddenly seemed full of possibility. To my surprise, those forgotten drawings became the foundation for two new designs, each evolving into multiple colourways.

Along the way, I also rediscovered designs that had been left unfinished, some because they no longer fit the collection I was working on at the time, others because I’d simply lost momentum. Looking back at them felt a bit like finding unfinished conversations.

One of those revisited projects included motifs from the Trailing Flower Pattern Challenge. I also returned to a design that sat well outside my usual style. When I first started it, I had high hopes for where it might lead, but no matter how much I worked on it, the pieces never seemed to fit together. Eventually, I set it aside.

This time was different.

Perhaps it was the distance, or perhaps I’d grown as a designer, but the same elements suddenly began to make sense. What once felt disjointed now feels like the beginning of something cohesive. I may even have the beginnings of a mini collection.

Most importantly, I kept the promise I made to myself. Five designs completed.

Now my attention is turning back towards stationery design; a creative path I’ve been curious about for some time. Part of me wants to stay firmly within the comfort of surface pattern design, where things feel familiar. I’m still trying to work out whether that’s because it’s where my passion lies, or whether it’s simply fear of stepping into something new.

Either way, I suspect the answer is to keep exploring.