We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kerri McTigue. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kerri below.

Kerri, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I’ve always loved art. I was coloring and drawing ever since I can remember. However, one of the pivotal moments was the first time I saw The Little Mermaid when it came out in the theaters. I was mesmorized by all the beautiful imagery, especially all the gorgeous under water backgrounds. It was the first time I was old enough to realize that artists created all that beauty and that was what they did for a living! I wanted to create beautiful things too!

A few years later when Beauty and the Beast came out with the first computer animated scene in a movie (the ballroom scene), I was hooked. I knew I wanted to do art for a living!

Kerri, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’ve been a graphic designer for about 20 years. I love the problem solving aspect of being a designer. I work at a university, so everyday there is something different! I work with faculty, staff, and students at The Ohio State University College of Optometry and do print ads, publications, tee shirt designs, fundraising materials, billboards, interior graphics and more.

Although I love design, I really missed doing watercolor. So, when I started my stationery company I wanted it to be watercolor focused. All of my cards, prints, notepads, and ornaments start off with an original watercolor. I love how the final prints and cards look amazing and keep the watercolor feel. I call my business a vision-inspired stationery company because I try to incorporate my love of optometry into my cards. I do this by using glasses, having animals wearing glasses, eye charts, and color vision imagery.

I got the idea to start my business in 2015 after I had attended an American Academy of Optometry meeting in New Orleans. I do freelance graphic design for the Academy and I also .do some work durning the meeting for my college because we have alumni events there. I remember going through the exhibit hall and thinking it was really impressive, but noticing there were not any “fun” booths there. I thought it would be cool to create optometry-themed notecards and sell them there and asked the Academy if they would ever consider letting me have a booth. Well, the booths are way out of my price range, but we were able to do a bartering system and I could do a large design job for them in exchange for a booth and that is how it began!

I spent the next year working on paintings, figuring out what I wanted to sell. I include a set of envelope seals with every card set. It’s a little pricey, but I love them and I think the added touch sets them apart from other cards, so I’ve kept them!

I’m happy to report that the first year was a huge learning experience. I had no idea how to man a booth, how to talk to people, or answer questions about my business and my art. I was initially disappointed because I only sold 25% of what I brought with me, but learned how to better plan for future shows.

The next year I tried it again. I had worked some summer markets so I had more experience interacting with people and had a better idea of what my business was. So, when I worked my booth at Academy 2017 Chicago, I did a lot better in sales and overall cost savings with inventory.

I had. a booth at Academy in 2018 and 2019, each year doing better than the last. I was also working more markets during the summers and gaining more and more experience with people. By the time I did my 4th in 2019, I had doubled my sales from what they were at the first booth in 2016. that was exciting! Then, COVID hit.  I was not able to go back until this past fall.

I had been consistently growing my product line, started an Esty shop, and also started a shop through my website while setting up a booth at local markets most summers. I was excited to find that even though it had been a few years, my booth at Academy 2023 New Orleans was 25% more successful that the best one I had before the pandemic. It was  nice to see so many people again and have them be excited that I was back at the Exhibit Hall. It really felt like it came full circle from the city where I first got the idea to start a stationery business to be my most successful booth yet!

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Seeing the beauty in the everyday and the mundane. I love finding colors or shapes or textures in ordinary things that other people may overlook. I love sharing that.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Support local! Go to farmers markets/ makers markets! I feel lucky that there is a lot of support for artists where I live I Columbus, Ohio. People like to show up and support local artists because they truly love the art. We have a lot of summer markets that the community really shows up for and I am so thankful!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.indigoirisdesigns.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/indigoirisdesigns
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IndigoIrisDesigns

Image Credits
Vincent Nobel is the photographer for the main image (of me in my booth holding up my Dogs in Glasses Card Set). All other photos were taken by me or with my camera by friends.