Copying is crap, there’s no two ways about it.  Seeing something that you created – that came out of your head – pop up on your Facebook feed, in an Instagram story, or in a private message from a friend or customer.  Yes, a word might’ve been changed, a layout tweaked slightly, but essentially there it is, your own creation, bastardised and ready to make money for someone else.  I genuinely get a physical reaction when I see it - I shiver and go all cold.
 
Nothing is truly original – it’s a simple fact.  Humans have been around for some six million years.  There have been over 100 billion human beings in that time.  Even if each one only ever had one creative idea in their whole lives, there’s bound to be some considerable overlap there.
 
We’re also now living in an age where we’re exposed to loads of different ideas – if the average person spends around two hours a day on social media that’s a heck of a lot of things we will see and – sometimes inadvertently – be inspired by.
 
I’d say that 99% of people in the world are good, honest souls, who would never intentionally copy anyone.  I will stand by that completely.  My initial reaction whenever anyone says “this is a copy of your work” is to question myself – “have you seen this before, did you inadvertently copy it?”.
 
I’ve been alerted to goodness knows how many Dinosaur Alphabets.  I didn’t invent dinosaurs - or alphabets - and although I didn’t find any others online when I completed mine, it’s definitely not to say I was the first person to draw one.  There are loads of other folk out there doing them and it’s no problem if it’s genuinely their own work.  I actually love seeing other people’s take on different alphabets.  I’m a proper alphabet nerd.
 
Over the weekend I saw a good friend of mine attacked on Social Media because she had created a design, which – by her own admission, when confronted with the original – was very similar to another local artist.  She’d definitely not copied it; it was a genuine coincidence.  She was really upset by the vitriol and abuse directed towards her by the “original” artist, and a group of her friends.  It was pretty distasteful, nasty name-calling - and totally unproductive.  At the end of the day, why the heck would anyone publicly share a work in progress if they’d willfully copied someone?
 
Which draws me to the main point of what I feel about copying – it’s not the being copied, it’s the way that you deal with it that really counts.
 
Coincidences happen.  And people will have the same ideas, at the same time.  Artists will also draw similar subjects – food, alphabets, skylines.  That’s been going on for centuries.  That’s not copying.  Heck, I’ve been accused of it myself – so I know how utterly distressing it can be if an unfounded accusation is made.
 
But when you see someone copy the exact wording and layout of a bestselling card design, you know damn well that it’s a copy.  So my general strategy in this instance is to deal with it quickly, privately and discreetly.  I think that causing a big fuss on social media just isn’t very dignified, and it’s going to cause ultimate distress for all concerned.

It’s also very telling, how someone who has copied you responds.  Some are very gracious and remove the product in question immediately.  I have, however, had a number of copiers argue with me “well I re-drew the cheeses, so it’s not a copy”, or “someone asked me to copy it” or – my favourite - “I’m just a sole trader trying to make a living”, are just a few that spring to mind.  Great, thanks for that guys, maybe just think of your own ideas in future, huh?
 
I have seen blatant copies of my designs in several high street stores – which really really hacks me off.  But if I am honest I don’t have the time or energy to pursue a lengthy and stressful campaign against the big boys.  I’d rather spend my precious time drawing new things, cos, well, that’s what I like doing.
 
I’m also not going to name and shame, it’s just not me.  I don’t want these ratbags to get any more publicity than they already have.  But even I have limits, and there are certain high street stores I keep a close eye on, especially round Valentine’s Day.  But I’m not going to be consumed by negativity.  My time’s more important than that - and I hate the drama and outrage that comes with it all.
 
So, copying.  In conclusion.  It’s not flattering, its downright bloody rude, and it’s stealing.  But, I have the capacity to come up with new ideas – out of my actual brain – so basically, I win.

On Saturday 12th August the Merseyside Etsy Team (which I'm honoured to be the Captain of), undertook our first ever Photo Walk.

We met just after lunch at the Albert Dock, and happily strolled our way round the Pier Head (braving a few showers and a lot of wind), up through the Business District (where the sun thankfully put in an appearance), through town to the Georgian Quarter and then on to Chinatown, finishing in Baltic Triangle.  We deviated from our original plan, as we'd slightly underestimated how long it'd take 25 people to walk through town on a busy Saturday afternoon!

Along the way we stopped to look at all sorts of landmarks - and our amazing Team Leaders had all prepared a bit of information about some of the highlights.  We learned about the workhorse statue and the Engineers' Monument on the Pier Head, the missing Banksy on Chapel Street and we had an especially informative presentation (with laminated sheets, no less!) at the Chinese Arch.  The highlight had to be, in the grounds of Our Lady and St Nicholas church, another tour group attaching themselves to our little presentation - all credit to Kerri, who carried on regardless!

Spending a Saturday afternoon surrounded by fellow Etsians was really lovely; wandering, chatting, discovering new things and getting to know everyone that little bit better.  All while getting some extra steps in too!

Here are a few of my photos, but to see many more check #merseyetsyphotowalk on Instagram.  To see photos from the other Etsy Teams who took part in walks on the same day, see #etsyphotowalk.

We are already in full planning mode, hoping to extend our adventures to locations further afield - but still within Merseyside.  Watch this space!

I'll be writing another blog really soon all about my Etsy Team - and how brilliant it is - but in the meantime, if you are looking for your local Etsy Team, here's a handy list of active teams throughout the UK, courtesy of my friend and fellow Team Captain, Joanne Hawker.

I’ve been offering advice to small businesses – by means of workshops and also Shop Reviews – for years; and the one thing I get asked about most is titles.   They're also the most frequently misunderstood aspect of selling on Etsy.
 
Here’s a super-brief guide to getting to grips with your titles:
 
1. First things First
 
The first word in your title is most strongly weighted on Etsy, and then the second is the second most important etc., so bearing this in mind try to choose the most important and descriptive word/s to go at the beginning.
 
Avoid using really broad terms such as “large” or “set of four” at the beginning of your title – they’re just not descriptive enough.  Likewise, don’t use anything too niche as no-one will find your items!

Sounds obvious, but don't use the fancy titles which you have given to your artwork - as unless someone has already seen the art they won't know to type in "Deathly Days no 7"; you'll be much better using a term such as "Green and Red Skulls Art Print".
 
2. Use the Space
 
You have 140 characters – so use them!  You can use little searchable phrases and split them up using punctuation (I use hyphens as I find them more visually appealing, easier to read, and it’s what Etsy have recommended to me).  Think of the various phrases someone's likely to type in when looking for a product like yours.
 
So, for example, for a Silver Wedding Anniversary card I would use a title along these lines:
 
Silver Anniversary Card – Personalised 25th Anniversary Card – Twenty-fifth Anniversary Card – Personalized 25th Wedding – Silver Wedding Card

I stick to UK English in the first instance, but using American spellings can also help.  Etsy do recognise both UK and US spellings for common words, in their search, but for less common words/terms it's good to use both.
 
3. Finding the Words
 
The words you use for the title and the keywords can and should be influenced by what you get if you start typing into the Etsy search bar.  This drop down will show you the most commonly searched phrases on Etsy.  Bear in mind that you might not want to use all of these, you may wish to go a little more niche, but this can be a great starting point.
 
You can also ask friends or customers, pose it as a question on social media (“what would you call this?” - great for some interaction and reach) or use an online thesaurus.  It's so easy to overlook words or phrases that people might commonly use when looking at your product, specially when you are so close to the object yourself.

This weekend I went to Batfest in Shropshire.  I shared a few photos on social media and had a few questions - "what on earth is Batfest?"!

Well Batfest is no big secret - it's just that it's a private event, so you won't find details about it anywhere!

It all started in 2015 when I'd arranged to go to a fancy industry event in London with a group of my online small business buddies.  The event will remain nameless, but just to say it was the biggest waste of £160 ever.  We were all thoroughly dismayed by the whole thing, and started a jokey conversation about creating our own event... which would be much better, much more fun, and much much better value for money.

From an initial joke, somehow it actually became a reality, when we found a campsite in Shropshire with all the prerequisites; a nearby pub, glamping, B&B accommodation... and as an added bonus a lake with a boathouse!  We hired the whole site, in the grounds of a stately home, arranged a marquee and a fish and chip van, and in July 2016 flung open the gates to over sixty friends and their family members.

It was a total leap of faith - and amazing that people actually got in cars and drove for eight hours to get there, not knowing quite what to expect!  Fortunately (thank goodness) it was such a success we did it all again this year.

Batfest 2017 saw rain, wind and - fortunately - sunshine, rowing, walking, a sports day, SUP action, an epic pub quiz, wild swimming, lots of macrame and an entirely inappropriate game of Cards Against Humanity... among other things!

We're all small creative businesses, which is how we all met each other - but we come from all over the UK (in fact one Batfester this year flew in from Singapore); it's a great chance to get together with kids, dogs, tents, beer and food!  Business is very much on the back burner for the weekend - helped no end by the lack of 3G onsite; it's basically four days of friendship, laughter and fun.  Everyone goes away with a little grin, and a warm feeling inside, thoroughly content with a lovely weekend spend with like-minded folk.

Roll on 2018 - the campsite is already booked and I can't wait until it's Batfest time again!

If you want to put on a similar event then the campsite we use is at Walcot Hall in Lydbury North.  To enquire about the campsite visit www.thepowisarms.com, call 01588 680254 or email enquiries@thepowisarms.com. Say Becka from Batfest sent you!

Pretty much every small business owner I’ve ever met has the propensity to work way too hard, and finds it near-impossible to switch off.  It's one of the reasons we're successful at what we do; it's one of the reasons we can suffer from burnout too.
 
Running a small creative business it can be super-difficult to draw the line between work and leisure, specially when you love drawing/sewing/knitting, or whatever it is you do.  But it is so important to switch off completely every now and then.
 
I’m no exception; and despite choosing to do what I do so that I have the ultimate control over the way I spend my time, it can be all-consuming, especially at busy times of the year.  I make no secret of the fact that I’ve struggled with bouts of stress and anxiety at various points throughout my adult life, but I have worked hard to work out coping strategies for myself.
 
Drawing is genuinely really relaxing for me – which is pretty lucky.  However it is still work – and, to be totally honest, I don’t get that much time to spend drawing in a normal week.  I’m working hard on carving out time each week to draw, but admin and general “stuff” does take so much time it can be difficult.
 
So, here are my six top activities for relaxation.  Handily most of them are super-simple; I can do a lot of them without much preparation, and it’s easy enough to fit one or two in most days:

Swimming
I’ve loved swimming since I was a child.  I used to swim – fairly badly – for a local swimming club.I don’t swim as much as I should these days, but during the summer I try to get down to Liverpool Watersports Centre for a dip in the docks at least once a week.  I first tried open water swimming last summer, and was instantly hooked.  I hate swimming in a wetsuit, and I don’t much like putting my head into the salt water, but I do get a huge amount of enjoyment from tootling round the docks, taking in the gorgeous view of the iconic Liverpool skyline.  45 minutes of no internet access does me a lot of good.

Yoga
I did Pilates for years – first introduced to it by a friend when I lived up in East Lancashire – I though that yoga just wasn’t for me, it was all a bit airy fairy.  Well, Louise at White Wolf put paid to that theory, and I started doing yoga regularly with her about two and a half years ago.  I still go a few times a week, my current regular yoga haunt is Yogacita, for convenience; but I get over to White Wolf when I can – and I’m off to India in November with the White Wolf lot too.  Again it’s a full hour of not checking my phone – it’s so good for the soul.

Cooking
I’ve always loved cooking, but over the past three years it’s become more and more important to me.  After years of health issues I realised that what I eat actually made a real difference to my wellbeing; I mostly eat a plant based diet these days – and I absolutely love experimenting with food and adapting recipes.  I feel so much healthier for it, and I find that I can lose myself in cooking for hours when I have time.  I love preparing food for the whole week on a Sunday afternoon, making sure I am super-organised for the week ahead.  I reckon if I’d not been an illustrator I’d have become a vegetarian chef.  There’s still time…

Walking
I got a Fitbit a few months ago and discovered the pleasure of walking.  It’s great. Spurred on by a little group of small business friends we are all making huge strides in getting fit and meeting our daily step targets.  Walking in the park is a complete pleasure when it’s sunny, and it’s not so bad even when it’s a bit grey too!  I’ve found myself wandering around lots of different places, some really close to my house – that I’d never been before.  It’s ace what you can discover when you go exploring!

TV
Watching TV doesn’t always work as a relaxation strategy for me – my mind can often be really busy and it can wander – before I know what I’m doing something else and the TV is just background noise.  But my guiltiest of pleasures is Coronation Street – I find it so easy to switch off that noisy brain, put my phone in another room, and watch an episode or two of Corrie.  Yep, I know it’s a bit naff, but I blooming love it!

Reading
Again, there are times that I really struggle to keep my concentration on reading, but if I run a bath – ideally with something nice from Lush in it – and get in there with my Kindle I can generally while away half an hour or so.  I really enjoy reading books which aren’t too complicated – my main requirements from a book are that it has to be set in the current day (or at least partially) and there can’t be anything supernatural or magical in it.  Specific, huh?I love a bit of crime or mystery, even a bit of tragedy – my favourite authors include Jonathan Harvey, Emily Barr and Dorothy Koomson.
 
Nearly all of these activities involve me not being able to keep checking my phone – which is pretty telling!  Cutting down on screen time is something I definitely need to work on.
 
How do you find time to relax, and what do you do?

For the past six months I’ve had a complete obsession with drawing UK skylines.  I’ve drawn all sorts of places – from the obvious (London, Glasgow) to the more unusual (the Wirral, Carlisle).  I’ve just completed my thirtieth – a slightly more personal illustration of Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle, which is the area in which I’ve had my studio for the past three years.
 
I’ve absolutely loved drawing every one of them – and the process I’ve developed really satisfies the logical way I like to work.  With very few exceptions, each skyline had developed as the result of a collaboration of different ideas – all via social media.  I simply pose the question “what landmarks make your city special?” and let Facebook and Instagram responses guide me to the most notable, iconic, memorable landmarks – both classic and contemporary.  From Hull’s white phone boxes to Nottingham’s Sky Mirror, nothing is too small or too insignificant – and if enough people mention it then I include it in the final illustration.

I generally work on a tally list and pick the 8-10 most popular things – although I must admit there are a few times where I’ve picked out things that I really fancy drawing, even if they’re not that popular!  Completely by chance, every single shortlist has included enough tall, short, big and little landmarks to make up a visually appealing composition.
 
The really lovely thing – and something that I didn’t anticipate happening – is that I am now a whole load more knowledgeable about UK cities.  I can be sitting watching TV and know exactly where a programme is set before anyone has even spoken a word!  I have a little list in my head of places I really want to visit too.  Cardiff’s Animal Wall is at the very top.

I’m frequently asked “why’ve you bothered drawing such a small city?” and my answer is simple – if you look at how many skylines there are of big, touristy places like London or Liverpool you are spoilt for choice.  I love drawing smaller, more obscure places.  Leicester is one of my biggest sellers, and Leeds is really popular too – in part, I am sure, because there are a lot less illustrations of these places!
 
My favourite?  Well, that has to be Liverpool.  The most emotionally draining was Oxford – a city where I lived for a short time after graduating, and a city where I properly fell in love for the first time.  It was like walking down memory lane… a somewhat bittersweet experience.  Lancaster held some strong memories for me too, but for some reason this was much easier for me to draw.

I absolutely love anything that adds a bit of character - so a donkey on the beach in Blackpool, a little Herdwick sheep in the Lake District or a little Viking sauntering along the street in York, all add to the interest for myself and - hopefully - for the viewer too!

Adding my skylines to wedding invites was a no-brainer – I have an existing Liverpool skyline illustration (which I drew years and years ago) which has always been really popular on wedding stationery, so to expand on this and offer invites with any skyline made perfect sense.  I can even work on a little bespoke illustration of a wedding venue and drop this into the skyline for an extra personal touch.  My Personalised Graduation Skylines and Cards have been really popular over the past month or so too.
 
And, what’s next… well, on the list is Durham, Bath, Reading and Middlesborough – all by popular demand.  I also want to branch out and draw some European cities, inspired by my own travels – Paris, Berlin, Barcelona...  I definitely want to do Sydney soon too.   I’d love to hear any other suggestions!
 
Ultimately I’d love for people to say “oh, I was born here, went to uni here, got married here, and my child was born here” and be able to buy multiple skylines to tell their own story.  I’m getting there, but I know I have a lot more work to do… watch this space!

So, you've made the decision... you want to move your business out of your home (read more about when I made that decision here).  Now the fun starts... you can look around some workspaces.  But how on earth do you decide which one is - or isn't - right for you?

Here is a whole heap of things you might want to consider when you've had a look at a potential workspace.  I'd always recommend taking someone you trust along with you too - they might be more critical and spot things you don't!  Gut feeling is important - and don't ignore that - but you also need to take into account some practical considerations:
 
Access
This is your number one concern - can you get there?  I'm super-lucky, I live a ten minute walk from the thriving Baltic Triangle in Liverpool, where there are so many options for studio and office space.  It may be you're in an area where there are less options, but do your research - chat to other creatives (join an Etsy team perhaps), check out listing sites (try Gumtree as well as local arts-based websites) and look out for local creative Facebook groups too.

• Is it easy to get to from your home?
• Is there suitable parking and/or public transport?  Are there any parking restrictions?
• Do you know anyone else in the area?
• Are there any access restrictions or can you come and go 24/7?
• Will deliveries or postal collections be an issue?
• Is there a lift (if it’s upstairs)?  Who else uses this lift?
• Is the entrance safe, well lit etc?  Will you feel safe letting yourself in in the dark?

 
Money
Rent varies throughout the country - I'd make sure you've looked at a few different options if possible, to make sure you are being charged a fair amount for your rent.  It's probably the number one reason why people put off moving into a studio space - your rent has to be affordable for you, even at quieter times of the year, otherwise you will just be stressing about paying it each month.

• Is the rent affordable?  Think about if your profit goes down at all, is it still affordable?
• Does it include any bills (internet, gas, electricity etc)?
• Is it a fixed term contract?  Are you able to terminate the contract if you need to?  How much notice do you need to give?
• You may need to get legal advice before signing a binding contract.  How much is this going to cost?
• Do you need your own insurance or is this included?  Get an insurance quote if necessary.
• Are consumables like toilet paper, hand soap, bin bags included?
• Is there a kitty for milk, teabags etc?
• What extra furniture will you need to buy to make it workable?
• How much will it cost to move there?  Will you need to hire a van or pay anyone to help?

 
The Space
There's no point moving into a space that you won't fit into - it's just going to cause you stress and will probably not last long.  Make sure that the basic space is adequate and that it is suitable for the forseeable future - moving is a stressful business!

• Is there enough space for all your equipment and stock?
• Is it secure?  If not can you add any extra security?
• Is there heating?  Try and visit on a colder day and spend a bit of time there to check how the temperature is.
• Is there a window (if you are a hot person like me)?  Likewise, try and visit on a sunny day – what’s the temperature like?
• Is it suitable for what you do (eg is there ventilation?)
• What are the arrangements for postal deliveries and collections?
• Would you be able to expand in the future?

 
Light and Power
Daylight is super-important to me.  I didn't realise until I'd spend three years in a space with no natural light, getting gradually grumpier and grumpier.  If you are out and about going to meetings and visiting clients it may not be so important to you, but it's worth considering.

• Is there daylight?
• If not, are there enough lights, or will you able to light the space adequately?
• Will you need to supply blinds or window coverings yourself?
• Have you been to have a look when it’s dark too?
• Are there enough power points?
• Are the sockets in the right place for you?

 
Noise
I'm pretty sensitive to noise - but other people like a bit of chatter going on around them.  Have a think about your own tolerance and what you can and can't put up with.  There's nothing worse than being in a space you struggle to work in because of your neighbour's noisy power tools.

• Can you make a noise if you need to (meetings, chatting, machinery etc)?
• Is there anyone else likely to be making a noise in the vicinity?
• Do you have privacy for making phone calls if necessary?
• Can you play your own music if you want to?

 
Facilities
Sometimes it's easy to overlook really obvious things; make sure you are happy with the toilet arrangements in particular, specially if you are going to be spending all day at work!

• What’s the bin situation?
• Are there recycling facilities?
• What are the toilet arrangements?
• Do you have access to a kitchen (is there a microwave, kettle, toaster etc)?
• Is there a private meeting area?  Who else uses this, and how is it booked?
• What is the wi-fi like?  Ask other residents, is it reliable?  Is it fast enough?  Take your laptop and give it a go?

 
People
I've always worked in spaces which are - at least in part - shared.  It works well for me as I like to have a bit of company from time to time.  However you might decide you need privacy and you don't want to share your space... it's worth looking at both options before you make a decision.

• Is there a communal area?
• Who are you sharing with?
• Have you met them?  Do you like them?
• Do they work similar hours to you?  What do they do?
• Would you still be okay if the people you share with changes over time?
• Do you have friends nearby that you can meet for lunch if you wanted to?

 
Landlord
Having a good relationship with your landlord is really important.  I prefer a landlord to be pretty hands-on and present, so you can ask them about niggly things as and when they arise.

• Is the landlord on site?
• How has communication with the landlord been so far? Are they easy to get hold of?
• Does the landlord seem proactive?  Are they listening to your questions?
• Do you like the landlord?

So that's the kind of think I'd look at - and so far I've been really lucky and have had largely good experiences with my workspaces.  There's definitely that added element of "does it feel right?" - very much like when you buy a house.

Is there anything else you'd recommend looking out for when you've been looking for a studio space?

Is there anything more satisfying than a beautiful handmade mug?

Whenever I post a photo of any of my ever-expanding handmade mug collection on social media I get comments about how beautiful they are.  So I thought I'd spill the beans and credit the very talented Etsy potters behind my top four current favourite mugs...

Far left: A gorgeous blue cup by Virginia Balistreri of ViCeramics.  I actually own two of these - they are so pretty, the texture is lovely.  This was £15 on Etsy, and was the most beautifully packaged thing I have ever seen... the box was full of intricate origami made out of of little bits of newspaper.  It was such a lovely surprise!  I love getting these cups out when I have a guest so we can have matching cups!

Centre left: My first handmade mug, bought after watching the first series of The Great Pottery Throwdown in 2015; this beauty is by Somerset potter Kara Leigh Ford.  I love him so much!  He was a very reasonable £16 on Etsy.  He's a lovely size and shape, just perfect to wrap your hands round on a cold day.  Perfect for herbal tea or coffee alike.

Centre right: Oh wow.  Now this is a special mug.  It combines my love of mugs with one of my very favourite things, swimming.  It's made by Inverness-based potter Julia Smith.  My friend Katy told me about Julia's Etsy shop, and I fell in love with the little diver right away!  It cost £20 on Etsy.  It instantly makes me feel cosy and content, this amazing mug.  Other designs are equally covetable...

Right: My most recent mug acquisition is a return to my old friend Kara Leigh Ford (we're not actually friends, but I am sure we would be if we ever met each other, even if it was just so I could get a load of free mugs).  This is possibly even more satisfying than the original chap, but it's a really close call.  What a way to start a morning, with a strong, sugary black coffee out of this beautiful speckled duck-egg mug.  He was worth every penny of the £18 he cost me on Etsy.

So there you go - the lowdown on my expanding handmade mug collection.  Watch out on Instagram as - inevitably - it grows.  And if you have any recommendations for new Etsy potters for me to check out then please do let me know!

Moving out of my house into a shared studio was one of the best things I did – for my sanity and my business.  It shifted my work-life balance and made everything work much better for me.
 
Until I gave up my day job it made perfect sense to work from home.  It was cost-efficient and saved me time in commuting.
 
However once I’d taken the plunge and was doing this thing full-time it became apparent that there were a few massive down-sides to this arrangement.
 
Firstly, I was lonely as hell.  I live on my own, and I was going for days without seeing anyone.  The lady in the post office really doesn’t count (although by the end of my first month working from home, she knew all about me).  When I did see people I’d do this crazy jabbering thing, talking about a million miles an hour.  It’d take people a good half an hour to get a word in edgeways.  One of my main reasons for keeping the day job for so long was because I know I’d miss having human company!
 
Secondly, I wasn’t getting any exercise.  At all.  It’s easy to forget about the kind of incidental exercise you get simply by walking around an office, or from your car to your desk, in a day job.  I was literally opening my bedroom door and walking ten steps to my desk.  I’d have a trip to the Post Office most days, but I found a Post Office with parking right outside – those sacks are heavy, and I didn’t fancy lugging them down the street.  I put on so much weight in those first few months.
 
Thirdly, I was working ALL THE TIME.  Like from 7 or 8am until 10pm every night.  There was no cut off.  And if I did decide to finish at 6pm, it was only too easy to nip back into the studio to look at something, and realise three hours later that I’d accidentally started working again.
 
Finally, I didn’t have an actual spare room as it was full of my work stuff (the bed had been moved out of there a few years previously to make more space for shelves).  All my immediate family live at least a 2.5 hour drive away, so if they were going to come and see me they’d normally stay over, and I could only offer them the sofa.  Which is less than ideal, really.
 
It became apparent after about six weeks that my situation wasn’t working, and something had to change.
 
I’m often asked “when do you know it’s the right time to get a studio?” - I think that anyone asking that question is close to knowing it’s the right time!  If you’ve thought about it, you’ve maybe done a bit of research, and you’re weighing up the pros and cons, then you’re ready to move.

Once I’d made the decision it was pretty straightforward, and I was lucky enough to find a nearby shared studio that was reasonably-priced - I’ve written more about finding the studio space that's right for you here.
 
Whether it’s to give you extra space, to create separation from work, give yourself a routine, or simply to have some human company, it is a big decision.  But – in my opinion – it’s absolutely worth the hassle of moving everything, coupled with the extra expense of renting another space.  It made me so much more productive.  No more doing the washing up in the middle of the morning, no more friends popping round for an unannounced cup of tea, and absolutely HAVING to get dressed every day!

Are you struggling with knowing when to make the move?  Or have you recently taken the plunge?  I'd love to hear your experiences!

Before I write any more blog posts I really should contextualise everything.
 
After I graduated from Liverpool John Moores in 2002 I was a bit disillusioned by the whole creative world.  The internet wasn’t really a thing, and career options seemed to be either working in a flashy graphics agency (not my scene) or freelance illustration, which seemed scarier and more precarious than I wanted to contemplate.
 
I decided that money was the most important thing.  I embarked on a graduate training scheme for a national pub company, and was a pub manager for a number of years.  There were some fun times, some less fun times, and some really crappy times.  My mental and physical health really suffered.  Smoking and drinking at that time was very much part of the job description.  I worked a hell of a lot of hours - and it was extremely hard work. I can never understand anyone who says they want to retire to go and run a pub!

Anyway, in 2009 everything changed quite suddenly.  I ended up working in Housing Association Call Centre – initially as a temporary three month contract.  Turns out I quite liked it.  I made friends, the hours suited me – I was doing 35 hours a week instead of 70+ hours a week – and I was actually quite interested in housing.  I ended up doing a bit of voluntary work with a few homeless shelters, and even did a secondment as a Homeless Prevention Support Worker.  These were good times.
 
However, soon after my big life change I realised I had a whole heap of extra time on my hands.  Effectively, when I’d been running the pub, I’d been working the same as if I had two full time jobs.
 
I’d not drawn anything for years, and hadn’t really given it a second though.  But with my new found free time I went up to visit my mum and young sister in Cumbria for the weekend.  My sister was doing some art homework and I sat down next to her and picked up a pencil…
 
A few months later I’d dusted off my watercolour paints and had drawn a few things at home; the most noteable being a black and white ink drawing of the front of my house.  I loved working on the brickwork detail – it was so calming, almost meditative, to draw.  I did a few more houses, a friend who lived on the same street, his parents… and then it became a bit of an obsession.  I’d take photos of all my friends’ houses when visiting, and a few weeks later they’d get a little painting through the post.  Before long it became apparent that people liked my little paintings, and what’s more, they were willing to pay me to draw them!

Still working in the call centre, I’d happily offer to do overtime shifts at weekends, and I’d smuggle my paints in.  I’d be happily painting little dinosaurs while discussing rent arrears or arranging boiler repairs.  My colleagues saw what I was up to and were so supportive – they started asking me to draw things for them too, and before long it was becoming a good little sideline.  I should mention at this point that I did get into a bit of trouble by the time I got caught painting away in work.  Ah well.  By that point the seed had already been sown.
 
I started doing a few little craft fairs here and there, selling greetings cards and prints, and was having some success.  In May 2011 I went a step further and set up an Etsy shop.  It was great, I got a few orders a week, and I was really happy balancing my job with my part time business.
 
In January 2012 I opened my notonthehighstreet.com shopfront.  It was a big step up from only selling on Etsy, and by this time I was getting a few orders a day.  My Cheese Alphabet was proving really popular, and I started to expand on my range of “off the shelf” artwork, as I realised this was more time-effective than working on bespoke artwork.

28th April 2012 was the first really big milestone in my business journey.  I’d drawn a family friend’s parents’ house as a wedding anniversary gift.  The recipients were so delighted by it that they wrote to the Guardian and I was featured in the Guardian Weekend supplement.  Things went a bit crazy and I was deluged by emails about House Portrait commissions.  It was so unexpected.  I’d just started a secondment as a support worker in my day job, and was really struggling to juggle both – my evenings and weekends were taken up replying to emails, packing orders and frantically painting!  It was a stressful but really exciting period.

Christmas 2013 was mayhem.  At the time I was working Sunday evenings in the call centre until 10.30pm, and then back in at 10am the next day.  I didn’t get a lot of sleep on Sunday nights, rushing home to pack orders and then making sure I was first in the Post Office queue the next morning.  Sunday evenings are always a busy time for online orders; this shift pattern was a bit of a disaster for me.
 
In between Christmas and New Year I started thinking about the forthcoming Valentine’s Day.  I came up with what I thought was a fairly funny greetings card idea.  I posted a photo of in on Facebook and it got a great reaction.  Good stuff, I thought, I might sell a few of them…

Fast forward to late January and I was getting 50-60 orders a day for Cheesy Valentine’s Cards.  It was incredible.  I was managing, but only just.  On 31st January I woke up to a full inbox – bulging with new notonthehighstreet.com orders.  I was working from the spare room in my house at this time, and I padded through to my computer in my pyjamas and started work.  The orders kept coming.  And coming.  I’d never seen anything like it.  By teatime I’d had 400-odd orders, and I’d run out of envelopes, card and delivery note sheets.  I did an SOS call to my friend Michael who managed to pick up some new delivery note sheets for me, and I just kept packing.  My spare room was so full I had to store the full mail sacks in my bedroom.  I distinctly remember at one point becoming so overwhelmed by it all I was sobbing actual tears – while still packing of course!
 
By the end of that day I’d had a record 565 orders through notonthehighstreet.com.  It turned out they’d shared a link to the Cheesy Card on their Facebook page and it had gone viral.  The following weeks the sales continued – looking back now it’s a blur of sheer exhaustion, with not enough food or sleep, being held together by the unwavering support of my amazing friends.  They were coming to help me in shifts – two in the morning and two in the afternoon.  We sat and folded and packed in my little spare room, and there are small parts of that time that I remember being really lovely.  But mostly – if I’m honest – I just remember the sheer exhaustion.
 
On 9th February 2014 I became an auntie for the first time.  I was such an exhausted mess, I got the phone call, cried A LOT, but then got on with packing Valentine’s cards.
 
I handed in my notice to the call centre the next day, and on 10th March 2014 I became a full-time illustrator.