It’s a difficult question to answer. My initial response is to say no, not yet, but I’m working on it. And then I take a second and realize that where I am today feels incredible when I think about where I was a year or two ago. October 2020 Alicia had her arm in an immobilizing sling strapped to her body with a newly broken shoulder. She was painting watercolor botanicals with her left hand just to pass the time between naps and taking the next dose of meds.

October 2020 Alicia would absolutely consider October 2022 Alicia – with her very small design business and first fabric collection under her belt – a success.

I think success doesn’t have to mean you’ve reached THE top of whatever imaginary mountain you’ve created. To me it’s simpler than that: it means that you’ve set goals in the past and you’re working toward them, achieving small baby goals along the way toward the bigger ones. That’s it.

My point is that while it’s easy for me to dismiss the progress I’ve made and think about how I’m making less money during this time of transition (from full-time professional photographer to artist and designer), other people see me as a success story.

It doesn’t mean that I’m where I want to be in this industry, nor does it mean I’ve achieved all of the goals I set in the last year. But it does mean that I’ve been working hard at those baby steps along the way to the big goals, hitting each of them one at a time. The tiny milestones add up over time, and when I stop to look back to where I was two years ago – using my non-dominant hand to paint watercolors pretty badly – I have to acknowledge that I’ve been successful through that passage of time.

Immersion Live 2022

All that said, here I am emailing you to tell you that Bonnie Christine – my biggest surface pattern design mentor – reached out to ask me to be a part of her program Immersion Live as a success story. WHAT?! Me?! Sure enough, my dorky face is posted alongside of some of the biggest names in surface design; artists whose work I have followed far before I got into this industry.

Immersion Live is an annual virtual conference for creative entrepreneurs. This year’s theme is The Path to Success and will feature loads of speakers and lessons on how you can create and implement your own path to success.

The key is knowing that it won’t look identical to anyone else’s path. And it’s also helpful to note that my own personal path to success thus far hasn’t been linear; it’s sort of a tangle of knots and loops and ups and downs. Immersion Live is going to be a weekend conference (don’t worry, if you have plans you can watch everything on replay!) set up to help you make sense of your goals to create a path toward your own success.I’d love for you to join me and so many other artists for this year’s Immersion Live! I can’t begin to explain how much I’ve gotten over Bonnie’s programs in the last year, including the full Immersion course for surface pattern designers. I’ll be watching and learning alongside everyone else, and I’d love for you to join me!

When is Immersion Live?

October 20-22nd, 2022. Registration closes Wednesday, October 19th.

Do I have to watch live?

Nope! Replays will be available if you’ve already got plans or decide to pop out and enjoy the autumn weather for a bit. You won’t have to miss anything!

Is Immersion Live only for surface pattern designers?

Not necessarily! While the speakers are mostly surface pattern designers, the lessons will apply to anyone with (or hoping to start) a creative business. I do design surface patterns, but everything I learn at Immersion Live will carry over to the other aspects of running my business as well.

How much does it cost?

A one-time payment of $349 or 3 monthly payments of $115. The full Immersion course cost me several times this price and from the first lesson I knew I’d spent my money well (which was a relief!) – Bonnie’s team is amazingly informative and are more than willing to answer any questions you have about whether or not Immersion Live is for you – which is what I did! Just reach out to team@bonniechristine.com with any questions.

Ready to join me or just want to learn a little more? Click here for all of the information and details on each speaker + their sessions!