We recently connected with Carina Gardner and have shared our conversation below.

Carina, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?

Seventeen years ago, I took a leap that would change my life—I started my own design business. At the time, I’d just completed my doctorate at the University of Minnesota, feeling accomplished but uncertain of what was next. The first year was rough: I made only $300 on my own website. Like so many creatives, I faced the reality that passion and talent alone weren’t enough to find success. But I didn’t want to give up. I knew the products were right; I just hadn’t found the audience.

Realizing this, I pivoted. I applied to another online shop with a larger audience, and when I got in, everything changed. Suddenly, I was making money—a lot of it. I learned that success often comes not just from the product but from finding the right platform and the right audience. This insight became the foundation of my career. I became determined to understand the art of distribution, expanding my work across platforms, products, and manufacturers.

Three and a half years ago, I created a program called Design Suite, aiming to help other designers transform their creative skills into a sustainable business. Design Suite offered something entirely new: it taught designers to think like business owners, to make strategic plans, and to view their work through the lens of opportunity and growth.

The success of Design Suite inspired me to reach even further. In May 2024, I opened the University of Arts & Design, where we now offer a Design Certificate, a Master of Arts in Design Business, and a Master of Fine Arts.

Through each success and setback, I’ve learned that failure can be a powerful guide, showing you where to focus, shift, or try again. Success, I’ve found, often follows those who learn from their failures and continue down the path that aligns with their unique strengths. For creatives, it’s rarely a straight line to success, but rather a series of course corrections—and each one brings you closer.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I hold a Master of Arts and Doctorate in Design Communication from the University of Minnesota, with a professional background spanning seventeen years as a Creative Director and business owner in the design industry. Throughout my career, I have remained dedicated to staying at the forefront of emerging software and technologies, while honing a specialization in helping designers achieve profitability through online platforms—a critical skill that marked the start of my own journey.

In the art and design landscape, many courses emphasize technical skills and software mastery, but few address the vital business skills needed to succeed, such as strategic thinking and frameworks for selling art effectively. After over a decade of running successful design businesses, this unique intersection of creative expertise and business acumen became my focus.

Driven by this vision, I launched Design Suite, a comprehensive year-long program equipping designers with the tools and strategies to build profitable businesses around their creative work. Additionally, I founded the University of Arts & Design, which offers a Design Certificate, Master of Arts in Design Business, and Master of Fine Arts—programs designed to empower creatives with the business skills necessary to thrive in today’s dynamic art and design markets.

My journey has led me to collaborate with fabric companies, scrapbooking manufacturers, and die-cut businesses, among others. The Carina Gardner brand has appeared on sewing patterns worldwide and extends to dishware, jewelry, prints, clocks, and holiday products. My children’s brand, Mini Lou, has reached a wide audience with products sold at Nordstrom, Peek Clothing, and in over 500 independent retailers and museums across the U.S.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

I’m a boots-on-the-ground person who built my business from scratch, starting with very little capital. I had a computer, a website hosting plan, and digital products, which allowed me to avoid inventory costs. Determined to make it work, I even learned HTML so I could manage my own site.

As my businesses grew, I could finally invest in things that seemed like a distant dream in the early days: hiring a team, purchasing new software, and attending industry conferences. But I still believe that using what you already have at hand is one of the smartest moves a scrappy entrepreneur can make. My doctorate gave me a skill set that was invaluable, and I already had a computer and software from my studies. I also had the advantage of youth—and, in a way, ignorance. Sometimes, not knowing just how challenging something will be is a blessing. I dove in, unaware of the uphill battle I’d face, but that allowed me to move forward without hesitation.

To support myself as I started my endeavor, I taught at the University of Minnesota and took on freelance jobs. Those extra commitments not only helped keep me afloat but also kept me connected to the industry while I built my companies, one determined step at a time.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

In the beginning, my goal was simply to be a profitable business that allowed me the flexibility and freedom to stay home with my children. I was very fortunate to be able to make this happen as I tested the market and learned strategies that made my businesses successful.

When I started my educational companies, I shifted my mission to help other designers and creatives to turn their passions into thriving businesses as I had done. I knew how powerful the right tools, strategies, and community could be to creatives.
Over the years, I’ve been driven to share that knowledge with others—first through Design Suite, a program that teaches designers how to think like business owners, and now through the University of Arts & Design, where we offer programs focused on design business and career development.

At its core, my mission is to fill a gap I saw early on: the need for creatives to understand not only how to make beautiful work but also how to sell it and grow a sustainable business. By teaching practical business skills and offering a strong support network, I hope to help creatives avoid the struggles I experienced and give them the confidence to achieve success on their own terms.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.carinagardner.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carinagardner
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carina.gardner.designs
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carinagardner/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/carinagardner
• Other: University of Arts & Design: www.uad.education

Image Credits

none.