In this blog post, artist Lauren Faye Peachey shares her journey in her own words, reflecting on the experiences that shaped her creative path. From discovering her passion for art during a backpacking trip in Southeast Asia to navigating the challenges of imposter syndrome, Lauren opens up about the defining moments, her creative process, and the role of social media in promoting her work. This is her story.

On the Path To A Creative Life

I am Lauren, an artist with two brands - Life’s Peachey, a digital style surface pattern design brand, and Lauren Faye Peachey, a watercolour brand. I've always been creative and arty, enjoying the process of bringing my imagination to life through art. My passion for art has been a lifelong journey, evolving as I experimented with different mediums and techniques.

The Defining Moment

In 2017, I took time off work to go backpacking through Southeast Asia with my partner. Unfortunately, I got food poisoning and found comfort in drawing. Feeling unwell often, I needed to keep away from the energetic activities which my partner was keen to do. During this time, I taught myself digital illustration and pattern design. I also found it to be a fun hobby while waiting for trains, at airports, or on aeroplanes.

When I returned from my backpacking adventure in 2018, I realised I no longer belonged in the corporate world and I had found my calling with art. However, I didn't have the skills to jump into making art for a living, so I continued to learn while working in my office job until I felt secure enough in my abilities to become a full-time artist.

On Handling Uncertainty

Over the years I have experienced imposter syndrome and fallen into the comparison trap many times. To overcome this, I first had to acknowledge that it's completely normal to have doubts and uncertainties. They are natural in any creative pursuit. Even now, after gaining more skill and recognition, I still experience these feelings. However, nowadays I remember to talk to myself with the same kindness as if I were talking to someone else.

On the Creative Process

My creative process begins with inspiration, which I find everywhere—from nature and travel to everyday objects and experiences. I start with a mind map, then I’ll sketch motifs, patterns and collection ideas. It’s quite scruffy at this stage, all I am aiming for is to capture my ideas. I’ll then refine these sketches and start making decisions on what motifs to focus on. Sometimes I’ll do this process a few times. I often redraw the same thing multiple times as a way of exploring different ways to draw the same thing and make sure my style shows through. I then digitise these motifs and experiment with different patterns and designs. Incorporating surface pattern design into my portfolio involves creating cohesive collections that showcase my style, using both traditional and digital techniques to bring my ideas to life.

Lauren Faye's very distinctive watercolour art

On Marketing

Using social media platforms has been important in promoting my work, although my accounts are fairly small they have supported my income with people asking to buy directly from me through Instagram.

I found that for a while I was creating art just to have something extra to post on Instagram and this approach held me back from completing tasks related to my big goals. After months of doing this my instagram looked great but I still hadn’t completed my pattern portfolio. I decided to focus on my big goals instead and only post on instagram when I had something that I was going to create anyway and was really good or important. Since making this decision, my instagram followers actually started increasing more than they were before and I have been able to start pitching my pattern portfolio.

My biggest aim is to create videos for YouTube to provide more in-depth tutorials and behind-the-scenes content. I have started experimenting with creating extremely basic timelapse videos but developing that will be quite a learning curve.

I think that all platforms have their purpose but the most effective one for anyone will quite simply be the one they enjoy creating for and engaging with the most.

Tips and Advice for Aspiring Creatives

1. Experiment with different software: Explore tools like Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, or Procreate to digitise your watercolour art. Illustrator is great for vector patterns but you will likely lose a lot of texture, while Photoshop excels at detailed editing. Procreate is inexpensive and extremely convenient although it has a few more limitations. Experiment to find which software fits your workflow and style the best.

2. Batch work: try to complete all the painting before moving on to the scanning/ digitising, then pattern making, instead of constantly going back and forth between tasks. This can streamline your workflow, reduce repetitive transitions, and increase productivity in your creative process.

3. Scan at a high resolution: Scanning your artwork at a high resolution, such as 1200 DPI, ensures that you can enlarge your motifs without losing quality. For example, if you scan at 1200 DPI for a print project that requires 300 DPI, you can scale up your motifs up to four times their original size while maintaining sharpness and detail.

4. Use a limited colour palette: Using a limited colour palette can simplify your design process, create a harmonious and cohesive look, and ensure your patterns are versatile and easily adaptable to various applications. This will make adjusting colours easier as well.

5. Be open to trying new styles: While you often hear that you should ‘find your style’ and stick with it, don’t be afraid to explore new styles. Experimenting with different approaches keeps your creativity fresh and helps you grow. Ultimately, this will lead to a more authentic personal style. Don’t let the pressure to stick to one style stop you from experimenting.

Portfolio Showcase

You can explore my work and follow my creative journey on the following platforms:

Lauren Faye Peachey (watercolour style)

Instagram: www.instagram.com/lauren_faye_peachey

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@lauren_faye_peachey

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@Laurenfayepeachey

Website: www.laurenfayepeachey.com

Life's Peachey (Digital Surface pattern style)

Instagram: www.instagram.com/lifes.peachey

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@lifes_peachey

Website: www.lifespeachey.com