When I first moved from the certainty and structure of corporate life into the creative world I underestimated just how disorienting that shift would feel. I was used to clear processes, defined outcomes, and knowing what success looked like and suddenly none of that existed in quite the same way. Instead, there were trends to keep up with, styles to explore, and an unspoken sense that I should be designing very specific things at very specific times.  The structure and process that had been essential to success before was actually proving rather crippling in this new creative environment.

Emotional connection has always sat at the heart of me as a human, long before I recognised that or consciously understood why.

As a result I don’t approach design as a purely visual exercise, I respond to colour, shape, and visual rhythm emotionally, instinctively, and often intuitively. Certain palettes hold memories and emotions, certain motifs carry feeling and connection, and certain patterns only feel complete when they are resonating on a deeper level.  I’ve had a harder time connection to designs that feel fleeting or only relevant in a moment or a trend.

The start of a new year always carries a strange pressure. New planners, new goals, new promises to ourselves — all wrapped up in the idea that we should suddenly know exactly what we’re doing.

But as a surface pattern designer, I’ve learned that my best creative years don’t begin with urgency. They begin with curiosity. With space. With listening.

Planning my creative year isn’t about locking everything down. It’s about creating a framework that allows ideas to move, shift, and grow.