We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jenn Yu a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Jenn, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you take us back in time to the first dollar you earned as a creative – how did it happen? What’s the story?

It certainly feels magical when people who do not know you personally and willing to spend their hard-earned money to purchase products designed and created by your own two hands. I always thought I only wanted to do Print-On-Demand, not until recently I had my first in-person local market fair where I sold my handmade stickers, washi tapes, greeting cards and towels. It definitely feels more connected seeing my customers face to face, retrieving their chosen items from my inventory, and hand delivering to their smiling faces. Every soul touched in that market was definitely magical and memorable!

Jenn, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Hi there, I’m Jenn Yu. I am a pattern designer & illustrator, a mom of 2 beautiful kiddos and a wife to my supportive hubby.

After finishing school in Canada, I worked as an engineer in corporate for just over 13 years. I always knew I wanted to do something art or beauty related but I never knew what it could be until I learnt what I can do with an iPad and apple pencil. WIth lots of YouTube and Skillshare classes, I self-learned how to use Procreate, Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. After joining Immersion, I felt that I am ready and therefore I quit my corporate job in 2022 and switched completely to pursue surface pattern design.

I founded my brand The Intended Space in 2023. Since then I have been working on surface pattern collections, targeting mainly children. My kids and family are my inspiration. My work aims to provide a calming effect and is usually with muted colour tones. Producing arts and products that can put a smile on peoples’ faces is my goal, and I am consistently testing this out on my kids :) I am an active Spoonflower seller and recently I have started selling my own greeting cards, stickers, washi tapes, and towels. The most fulfilling moments of this creative journey is definitely when you see people willing to spend their hard-earned money on your designs. No matter how big and small it is, I am very grateful and it tells me that this is what I am meant to do :)

You may find my latest work on my Instagram account where I post several times a week and my website is theintendedspace.com.  I am always open for collaborations and art licensing opportunities.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Before having children, oftentimes we make priority arbitrarily on how we want to spend our time. Even though my previous corporate full time job was not my dream job, I could manage my time and spent most of the after work hours working on and exploring other interests. After having my first baby, I found that time and location freedom are the most important things that I want in life.  They are fundamental for striking a balance between the time I get to spend with my family and to work on what really interests me. After I had my second baby, I felt like it was time to try something that I had been wanting to try – surface pattern design, and being self-employed might be the best way for me to navigate my new job and role as both a designer and a mother.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist and creative is that I get to design what I want to see and realize them in real life. Many times my kids will come to me and say they want something as stickers or as pillow cases, it is very fulfilling to plan and design with their magical contributions. They are part of my design team and my little art directors for my brand. Being able to let the kids see me work hard on my business and pursue my dream definitely impacts them on how they perceive my lifelong journey as a female entrepreneur, a creative, and a mother.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://theintendedspace.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theintendedspace/
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/theintendedspace
• Other: 
      Spoonflower shop: https://www.spoonflower.com/profiles/theintendedspace
      Thortful shop: https://www.thortful.com/creator/theintendedspace