I'm an artist, surface pattern + fabric designer, author, mama, and online teacher in Portland, OR. I believe in the power of art-making as a tool for radical self-care. I help people feel a little bit brighter and a little bit less alone through the art and products I make, the words I write, and the classes I teach. Come join 18k+ people in my colorful, uplifting world!
Spring break and life's juggling acts
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Hi Reader, It's Spring Break for my kids this week, and we're staying put in Portland this year since we're going on a big adventure to England this summer (my little family of three's first international trip!). which means I'm doing the ultimate juggling act right now, trying to work with 2 kids here 24/7 and also make time for fun stuff so they're not just sitting around in front of screens. Basically I'm bouncing between things like zoom meetings to going to the pool to hosting live art-making sessions to feeding people (again omg) to trying to concentrate in very short bursts (knowing an interruption is likely right around the corner) to answering questions about whether I'll buy things like (more) rubik's cubes and soccer goals for the backyard, whether we can please order pizza for dinner, if I can name all the countries in the world (I cannot), if they can use my computer charger, if we have any batteries, if we can also go to France and Ireland this summer, oh and also the world cubing championship in Seattle please please please, to writing emails, to working on a new fabric collection..... you get the idea! In real life, for most of us, there's always a juggle of some kind. Real life is full of imperfections and distractions and setbacks and demands and hard things and balancing acts and wearing lots of different hats and getting frustrated and feeling defeated and hopeful and excited and afraid, sometimes all at once. But so often we see the shiny, perfect versions of each other's lives on Instagram, and we get this idea that there's something wrong with us. That we're not doing it right. That someone else knows the way, and we just haven't figured it out yet because we're not smart enough, cool enough, creative enough.... But the truth is, I think this is making a lot of us miserable. And my longtime friend Sarah Watts and I want to talk about all of it, through the lens of being working artists. We're tired of the shiny veneer and want to pull back the curtain to shine a light on what's real. Not in a depressing way, but in an empowering and authentic way. That's where The Variety Show – a new live workshop I'm co-hosting with Sarah next week – comes in. To celebrate the event, Sarah and I are hosting two free live calls this week. Come hang out on Zoom with us! Here's the info:
In The Variety Show we're pulling back the curtain on our unique workflows, programs, and philosophies—and inviting other artists to do the same. You'll get to see how industry pros approach pattern design in a way that actually works for them. (No one-size-fits-all here!). It's your permission slip to find the mix of processes that works for you! During the week you’ll get an inside look at several different programs and processes – including Photoshop, Illustrator, Procreate, and block printing – from all of us; real working artists who've been in the surface pattern design/illustration/teaching. We'll be sharing inside, behind-the-scenes looks and truths about the programs we use and our unique processes, highs and lows of our careers, and what it's actually like to be a working artist (and all the hard, gratifying work that goes into it!). We'll be talking about pattern design and so much more, because we just can't help it. Sarah and I love what we do, and we want to help lift up and support fellow artists – each other, and you.
Details:
We're also giving away some really fun surprises at the Variety Show. UPPERCASE Magazine is also offering a discount code to all attendees along with a free subscription to one lucky winner. Thanks so much to Janine! Uppercase is a beloved magazine in the design industry and has been around for a long time. Pentel Arts has put together an awesome goodie box of their favorite art supplies that will also go to one lucky winner. And there are more giveaways to come! Sign up and stay tuned! We truly, truly hope you'll join us. Sarah and I are passionate about lifting up other artists and supporting each other for real. We're teaming up to host this event together because we believe in collaboration. Not competition. We believe in the power of true connections, friendship, and honest sharing. Our goal for this special week-long event is that you'll leave feeling inspired to carve out your own path instead of trying to do it how you think you "should" do it. You don't need to be an accomplished artist to attend. You don't need to know anything at all about pattern design. YOU are needed. You creativity is needed. The world needs creativity and connection now more than ever. If this sounds like your kind of thing, there's a seat just for you in The Variety Show. We'd love to see you there!
Whew. OK! That was a lot. I hope The Variety Show is lighting up your creative soul and that you'll join us if it feels like a good fit. :) Remember, everything will be recorded, so it's totally ok if you can't be there live. We got you! Lots of love. LET'S BE FRIENDS ON IG!
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Jessica Swift.
I'm an artist, surface pattern + fabric designer, author, mama, and online teacher in Portland, OR. I believe in the power of art-making as a tool for radical self-care. I help people feel a little bit brighter and a little bit less alone through the art and products I make, the words I write, and the classes I teach. Come join 18k+ people in my colorful, uplifting world!
Hi Reader, Last week I told you about a super special collaboration I've been working on with my friend Sarah Watts, and today I'm excited to share that registration is OPEN for The Variety Show: Surface Pattern Design Edition! The Variety Show is a weeklong workshop – coming up March 31st–April 4th – all about surface pattern design. Sarah and I are hosting it together, and we’ll be joined by a couple of very amazing special guests — artists Jen Hewett and Peggy Dean. Yes! And, we’ll have...
I turned the drawing I shared in my email last week into a repeating pattern! Hey Reader, Happy Tuesday! Today I've got pattern design on the brain, and it's always a good day when I get to focus on patterns because making them is pretty much my favorite creative thing ever. :) I'm working on designing a new fabric collection right now, which has been super fun but I've also felt a bit rusty. I don't like feeling rusty, but I know by now after being a working artist for so many years that the...
Hi Reader, When I was in college, I remember learning that to be a successful artist in the world, you have to find your niche and your signature style, and then make work like that forever, never straying very far from your chosen medium or recognizable look. (Maybe that's not what they were actually teaching us, but that's apparently what I absorbed and what I remember!) I remember thinking then that it would be so BORING to just make the same kind of thing over and over for years on end,...