We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Shannon Kirsten. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Shannon below.
Shannon, appreciate you joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
One of the most meaningful projects I have had the opportunity to work on was designing several collections for Anthropologie. I designed multiple stationery and kitchen products over the years with them. I have always loved the vibe of the store and admired how they bring on independent artists to create collections with them. I was able to stay true to my style and have creative input which I really appreciated. I also worked at one of their stores while I was in college in Palm Beach so it was a full circle moment being asked to create with them!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I always knew I wanted to do something creative. I grew up with an artist mom and we were always doing projects. Fast forward to college and I decided to initially pursue fashion design. During that time I really fell in love with the illustration side of things, drawing of course, but also learning how to put illustrations into repeat patterns with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. This was really my first introduction to design software. I loved making patterns and started to explore textile design. I got my first freelance job for Bealls Department Stores doing just that while also opening my Etsy shop (back in 2009!) to post some of my art and greeting cards that I would create just for fun. A few friends were getting married around that time and I made their wedding invitations. I ended up adding some templates to my Etsy shop and from there I began getting a substantial amount of requests for custom wedding invitations. A few weddings I worked on were featured on Vogue, Harpers Baazar, Brides Magazine, etc then things really began to grow from there. I focused on wedding work for a few years – I never planned to do this but it happened naturally and it allowed me to work from home, for myself, which was always the goal. At one point, a few years in, I began to get a little burnt out by the hustle of weddings. I loved my clients but I wanted something more with my own personal art. I started carving out time to design more stationery for my Etsy shop. Stationery was always my first love, going back to making handmade cards with my mom at a very young age. I learned about Proof to Product and took their online course that covered all things trade shows. I decided I was ready to take my stationery to the next level and I signed up to exhibit at The National Stationery show in NYC in 2016 (now it is NYNOW). It was the most nerve-racking thing I’ve ever done! At that time, my first collaboration with Anthropologie and Hallmark had just come out so that helped give me a lot of confidence in what I could create. I was so nervous to exhibit but this was also a very proud moment of like “We did it! We’re here in NYC with my line!” After that, wholesale orders were steadily coming in and I was getting to work on more art licensing deals with larger companies – something that I also truly love and still focus on to this day. There’s something very exciting about seeing your art on a variety of products, things that I couldn’t produce on my own.
These days, I am still very much focusing on my stationery line that I have expanded beyond greeting cards to also include notepads, gift tags, wrapping paper, stickers and more. The goal has always been to create charming, whimsical stationery that puts a smile on the face of the sender and receiver. I am forever inspired by all things nature and travel, animals, florals, vintage textiles, bright colors… and I love holidays, I am always working to create seasonal stationery collections to add to my shop and wholesale catalog. I also take on a select number of wedding clients and more recently I have been focusing on collections of original paintings. I have always hand painted all of my illustrations and the lettering you see on my stationery/invitations is always my own hand writing! I know there are faster design methods these days, but there is something so special about hand painting each and every little illustration and word that goes into my collection. I love the handmade aspect. I feel very fortunate to create with my hands and be able to do what I truly love every day.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
Aside from shopping small when possible, I think artists and creatives are best supported when friends and followers help to share their work. Since the algorithm on Instagram has changed account growth for a lot of people, I think it’s important to like and share when possible. If you follow an artist and you love something they post, absolutely comment and/or share it to your stories. You may feel shy about it, but I bet more often than not you are putting a smile on that creatives face! I personally always feel supported by my friends/followers when I see they have shared my post, a link to my shop or tag me in something they ordered from me. Sharing in that way, is a kind and FREE thing you can do to help spread the word. Then when it comes time to make a purchase, I believe a little forward planning goes a long way. Since a lot of us small business are online, we need more time to ship than huge companies like Amazon. So I think pre-planning gifts for birthdays, holidays, etc from small businesses, helps avoid having to Prime something at the last minute. Keeping a little list of your favorite small businesses or creating an instagram collection where you save posts, can help you pull up your favorites when you’re shopping.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
Art is an escape for a lot of people and I find it very rewarding to know that I can contribute a bit of beauty to someones everyday. Whether that is through a treasured painting on their wall, a little card that makes them smile or just a pretty colorful post that they’ve come across on my page. It is also personally very rewarding to be able to do what I love everyday. I feel fulfilled creating and by having a job that doesn’t feel like work at all.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.shannonkirstenstudio.com
- Instagram: @shannonkirsten
- Facebook: Facebook.com/shannonkirstenillustration
- Twitter: @shannonkirsten
- Other: TikTok – @shannonkirsten
Image Credits
headshot – @everencephotography