I’m a self taught designer, and I’m telling you MY story and how you can learn to design printables in Adobe Illustrator!
Anyone else been stuck at a soulless job? It doesn’t have to be the same type of job for everyone…for instance, some people love math, but for me? Sucks the soul right outta me. I’m glad people are different because we all need diversity in our lives…but the real point of my rambling is that I found a job by feeds my soul, and it all started when I learned to Design Printables in Adobe Illustrator.
Learn to Design Printables in Adobe Illustrator
We all start somewhere, and if you’re thinking of designing printables for your blog or digital shop, The Printable Design for Beginners Course is PERFECT for you.
Let’s back up a little, shall we? When I was really young, my teachers and family noticed that I had a talent for drawing and painting. This came as a complete surprise to my athletic, outdoorsy parents. If I didn’t look like a perfect mix of my two parents, we all would wonder if I was switched at birth.
And luckily for me, my parents supported my artistic ambitions even when I didn’t have confidence in myself. I specifically remember my dad telling me when I was around 15 years old that I should be a graphic designer. But….
…College applications rolled around, and you know what I didn’t do? Apply for art programs.
I wish it was because I didn’t have the desire to. That would be one thing…but the reason I didn’t apply was because I DIDN’T THINK I WAS GOOD ENOUGH.
I’m not quite all the way through my story yet, but I want you to read that one more time. I didn’t think I was good enough to be a graphic designer.
It didn’t matter how many people told me I was talented. It didn’t matter that I was commissioned by my high school art teacher out of all the students at my high school to commission a painting.
I didn’t think I was good enough to be a designer.
Let me stop right here and tell you…if you’re having self doubts about being a designer, STAAHHHP IT. I just want to tell you right now that you are enough.
You are good enough and you have a perspective that no one else has. There will never be too many printables, I can tell you that right now!
Finding my Passion with Designing in Adobe Illustrator
So what happened next? I went through a series of majors – including music, elementary ed, and nothing for a semester…because at that point I just wanted school to be over. Yeah, I chose the major that would get me out of there ASAP.
I ended up majoring in Audiology and Speech Language Pathology and that’s how I ended up with my soulless job after school. But near the end, it wasn’t so soulless, because that’s when I discovered Adobe Illustrator.
I helped design our company handbook, and LET ME TELL YOU…Illustrator has a bit of a learning curve.
But I was determined, and anyone who knows me knows that I will not stop when I’m determined.
See, with age you get a little bit more confidence because you’re kind of like…screw it…I DO WHAT I WANT.
You know, within reason 😉
What Do I Do Now?
I was doing okay in 2008 at my soulless job when I got hit with two bombshells.
Bombshell ONE: I was laid off during the recession. If we didn’t have to pay for another semester of my husband’s school, I would have been pretty okay with that…but then…
And Bombshell TWO: I was pregnant.
Who is going to hire a pregnant woman who is moving in two months? And in the middle of a recession??
No one. No one will. At least not in 2008, anyway. Things have changed in favor of women a little more, thankfully.
It’s funny how life points you in a direction where you’re forced to be uncomfortable. Sometimes you need to be shoved out of the comfort zone…and I definitely was at that point in my life.
I had a lot of time on my hands, and when I wasn’t lying nauseous on the couch, I was designing in Adobe Illustrator. I opened up an Etsy shop in 2008, sold my first logo for $5, and 11 years later, I realized I was probably good enough to get that design degree.
DIY your way to designing Printables
But I wouldn’t change it, because I’m a DIYer at heart, and I know how other DIYers think.
You want to learn by doing. You don’t want to be told.
You need guidance and you don’t want to be boxed in.
Friend, we think the same way. Which is why I developed my Printable Design for Beginners Course for you. You can do this, and I’ll help you learn how to design printables in Adobe Illustrator.
You don’t have to learn exclusively by trial and error like I did.
You can learn by example and use your own creative genius to add digital and printable files to your blog and shop. And YOU KNOW I have some resources for staring your own Shopify store too, right? Of course, I do.
I went from thinking I wasn’t good enough to creating printables for brands like Coca-Cola and Disney. I’ve worked with Martha Stewart, Cricut, and Tombow…and you know what? I’m enough…and so are you.
So, what will you learn in the Printable Design for Beginners Course?
- Over 30 videos that will take you through all the basics of Adobe Illustrator.
- A workbook that allows you to work RIGHT IN ILLUSTRATOR.
- To create Amazing WORD ART using the font tools.
- How to create, combine and work with SHAPES using multiple tools.
- To design CUSTOM CLIP ART using Illustrator’s drawing tools.
- How to create SEAMLESS PATTERNS for adorable and eye catching backgrounds for your printables.
- How to design Invitations, Cupcake Toppers and wrappers, Gift Tags, Treat Bag toppers AND banners using some PRINTABLE CRUSH TEMPLATES.
- PLUS how to save those printables and UPLOAD THEM TO YOUR SITE
ENROLL NOW
Looking for more Printable Design Resources? Check out these posts:
- Printable Design for Beginners Course – we’ve already gone over this, but if you currently aren’t using Illustrator for designing printables, or if you have illustrator but want to get to know it a little (okay, A LOT) better, this course will be perfect for you!
- 3 Ways to Make Money Selling Printables – there’s more than one way to skin a cat…that’s a gross analogy, but basically, you can use your printable design skills for numerous purposes!
- How to Sell Printables on Shopify – And one of those ways is to sell them in a shop…I heart Shopify so much (go see why!)
- How to Get Bright White Photos and Other Photography Tips – You’re going to need some awesome photos of those printables once your done. Check out my photography tips for getting bright and cheery photos.
- How to use Mock up Photos to Promote Printables – Sometimes mock ups are easier than pictures…plus they look great!
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