12 years ago, when I was studying multimedia design, one of my favourite teachers, Lise, introduced us to print on T-Shirts. We all got to create a design, that she, later on, printed on special paper and we ironed it on our T-Shirts. I was hooked! I had so many ideas and loved this new way of expressing my creativity. You can wear your (he)art on your sleeve, literally :)
Since then, it has been constant thing in my life. I even did screen printing for a while, a lot of it. But eventually it was harder and harder getting the right supplies. I came back to print and ironing.
I can for sure say, that most of my friends, family and neighbours, have at least something made by me. In recent years, I did a lot of tote bags. Every dog, that got adopted through me, got a tote bag, with their photo on it, to carry all of their belongings to their new home.
It took me over a decade, to get to this - trying to have my own, actual shop. I have Printfull to be thankful for that.
There has been many services of print on demand, but this was the only one that I felt good about. I discovered them few years ago, I got excited! But then, I was stuck on creativity part. Nothing seemed good enough. I did not think I'll get through that blockage.
As with everything in my life, dogs are my inspiration and my guide. Eventually, instead of worrying about all the amazing artist painting fabulous paintings and not feeling like anything I would do, would ever be good enough, I decided to focus on what I WANT and what are my means for that. I am a photographer. So, I started turning my photos into art.
I mentioned it on my social media, that I have recently, at the age of 34, been diagnosed with ADHD. It is common for women, not to be diagnosed until late adulthood. What it feels like living with ADHD? Well, short version - it feels like you are on a scooter, where you have to push yourself very hard to move a little bit until you have to do that again. At the same time, your hands are tide up behind your back, your head is a browser with 100 000 windows open at the same time. Everything is increasingly speeding up in your head, while your body gets overwhelmed and shuts down. Your energy levels are limited. And above all - patience is not your virtue. Something either has to happen now or - never.
I am telling all of this, because, I always have million ideas for business and activities, but each of them take time, effort and patience. Non of which is in my disposal. But this....This I have consistently worked on, for over a decade. This shop, this blog, is not an overnight thing, it is testing my patience to extreme levels, but - I am working on it. I am learning, to work on something, consistently. Slowly if needed, but consistently. And I am DAMN PROUD of myself about it.
Not so long ago, there was a video on TikTok, that every idiot with an internet can start a T-Shirt business. And it's true! What's also true, for an idiot who just wants a business, it is sooooo much easier, than for an artist, with ADHD, imposter syndrome and an extreme rejection sensitivity.
Creating wearable art is not new for me. Creating it for the world to see and judge - is. I am sharing peace of me with you and it is scary. But I am scared of a lot of things in my life, still - I push trough and try. I have to.
This might turn out to be just another expensive hobby of mine, with no prospects of something more. But, at this current moment, it is something I love, something I am proud of and hopefully - it will become something others love too. All in all, I will have a lot of apparel with my girls on it and that's never a bad thing :)
I am offering organic, environment friendly, high quality products, that I myself try out first. Every single one of them. Being a dog mom and a photohrapher, all of my clothes become "work clothes". Living with 5 active dogs, clothes get their faire share of tests to go through. I, myself, am very happy with the products I offer. I hope, the experience of others will be the same.