Begin…

In Dutch they have a saying: “Elk begin is moeilijk”. Which means: “Any start is difficult”. I know that since I started many things in my life and it is definitely not easy. I moved to 2 new countries and started a business, in which I had no training and experience…

This was an amazing lesson, though…

Hi! My name is Oksana. I am an artist, textile designer, and a creative soul. I have 10 years of experience as a freelance textile designer and a founder of Oksancia Textile Design Studio. My work and passion is to help my clients envision and design beautiful products that will wow and connect their customers. I am also passionate about sharing my experience of running a textile design business with fellow creatives.

Up to this point, I created more than 5000 vector repeat patterns and worked on more than 58 freelance surface pattern design projects. In this video, I talk about my experience getting started on a path of a self-taught textile designer.

I’ve been receiving many questions on how to get started and wanted to share my experience and what helped me to start and to grow my creative business.

In this video I am talking about how to start a career in textile design or how to become a surface pattern designer :

1) Call yourself what you want to become. Write it down and tell people.

2) My iStock “illustrator” story which empowered me to become a professional illustrator and later textile designer.

3) Design your patterns, order them on Spoonflower fabric, and hold them in your hands. Look at them every day. Show people. Then create more.

You can order your patterns on Spoonflower fabric here. *I am not affiliated with Spoonflower. Only have experience as a customer and designer with them.

I have been receiving many questions about how I got started as a textile designer and I wanted to take the opportunity to share my journey and experiences with you. I am a self-taught artist and designer, with over ten years of experience in this field. I know how challenging it can be to get started, especially when you are self-taught and how mental blocks can hold you back.

I have a Master’s degree in English and Dutch Literature, but after finishing two Master’s degrees in the same year, I felt the urge to pursue my creative passions. My friend Nastia, who is now also an amazing designer, introduced me to microstock images, which I found to be a fascinating idea. The idea of creating graphic images and illustrations, selling them online and making money from them really resonated with me.

I faced a big challenge at the time, as I had no experience with Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop. But, I decided to go ahead and start anyway. I registered on iStockphoto and submitted my first few images. To my surprise, I was accepted and started selling my illustrations right away. Receiving money for my work, even just a few cents or dollars, made me feel like a professional and gave me the confidence to continue.

Ten years later, I have been able to turn my passion into a successful business, supporting myself and my family. I have traveled the world, live in California, and now have a daughter. My journey as an artist and illustrator has taken me on many exciting and creative paths as a self-employed textile designer.

“I faced a big challenge at the time, as I had no experience with Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop. But, I decided to go ahead and start anyway.“

For those of you who want to become textile designers or surface pattern designers, I have some advice for you. Start by creating whatever you can, even if it is not perfect. Don’t compare yourself to others, just focus on creating the best work that you can, with your own vision and style. Don’t overthink it, just try to get your work out there as soon as possible.

You can use sites like Spoonflower to order your own fabric and try different techniques. This is a great way to start, as it is not expensive and you can see your designs come to life. Just believe in yourself, call yourself what you want to become and the possibilities are endless!

I hope I gave you some ideas and inspiration how to start as a textile designer or how to become a surface pattern designer. Please let me know if you feel that my advice as a professional textile designer has been useful for you.

#GrowLoveCreate

Oksancia