read, write, design, create
November is NaNoWriMo season! If you’re a writer, perhaps you’re already writing like the wind and going for the gold. My two cents? Think outside the box. Nobody likes a cliche.
Last year, I challenged myself to make art a priority and set a personal challenge in October to create beverage-themed illustrations. My Drinktober results were so fun that I made some of my favorites available on holiday stationery shortly after! Looking back after a year, I’m so proud of myself for letting loose, having fun, and making time for something I knew I wanted to improve in.
I guess I’ve always been meant for the graphic design life, because packaging has always interested me. I’ve collected tags, ogled advertisements, and always chosen my next read based on the jacket. If you’re an aesthetic-first reader, this design is for us both!
For me, style isn’t about being a trend-setter or keeping up with the popular crowd. It’s a way of expressing who you are and what makes you happy! The best thing about dressing in something super nerdy is that you tend to suss out other people who enjoy the very same thing. In a way, that’s what my Kindred Spirit design is all about!
One of the coolest things about designing merchandise for my shop is that I learn tons of new things while I work. I knew I wanted to letter all of Jane Austen’s novels for a design, but in doing my research, I learned her books were NEVER attributed by name during her lifetime. Her very first novel was simply billed “By a Lady” and the following books were “by the author of Sense and Sensibility“. Her success as an author during an era when women didn’t traditionally hold a career is even more awe-inspiring when you take a moment to look at all the things that stood in her path. This woman was a fighter!
This month’s featured design embraces all things bookish. While writers are generally told to avoid done-to-death sayings, I think cliches and idioms are a fascinating part of language and culture. So, while I might steer clear of them in my novels, I have a lot of fun making them part of my other creative ventures.
This month’s highlight is an original quote from yours truly! I love figures of speech and puns, so I toyed with bringing them together into something any word nerd would love. If you’re the kind of writer who likes to compare and contrast, I hope this style is speaking your language!
The fun thing about owning a shop is creating products that are specific to your very own taste and sense of humor. Lorem ipsum is placeholder text used by designers. While inspired by Latin, it doesn’t translate to anything coherent. In a way, it’s like putting a [text goes here] disclaimer on your design.
This weekend I’m participating in #virtuAAL2020, an online artist alley! Peruse and purchase artwork, merch, and other goods created by independent artists and small business owners. There will be sales, short-run items, and other cool specials you’ll want to get in on. It’s a fantastic time to do some early holiday shopping!
Don’t have time to scroll through Twitter? Check out the #virtuAAL2020 directory to quickly find what you’re in the mood to shop for.
Many thanks to the organizer of this event, Becca Farrow! Be sure to check out her work, and give her a shoutout if you enjoy the event.
To learn more about what I’m selling, check out my #virtuAAL2020 introduction post at BumbleBess.com or follow me on Twitter for regular updates!
I have a habit of turning hobbies into side hustles, so it’s not surprising that many of the designs I create for BumbleBess.com features my hand lettering.
October’s Merch of the Month pick is in honor of our favorite autumn-adoring heroine, Anne Shirley! This was the first product I added to the shop using this style of varied lettering. It’s a fun and free-spirited reminder to embrace the things that make us unique, because those are the traits that help us connect with others.
Shop for more literary merchandise at BumbleBess.com!
Elza Kinde 