Rachael Taylor is an award-winning art director, creative mentor, and print and pattern designer and now author. She is best known for her quirky style, daring use of colour, and unique innovation. She regularly takes on design commissions for various companies and has created prints and patterns for almost every part of the marketplace. She is a trademarked brand with a number of licensed products worldwide. 

Rachael is also a much-loved coach and creative mentor who is well-known for her friendly, honest, and motivational teaching style. As the co-founder of Make It In Design, she has developed a ground-breaking educational platform and taught more than 25,000 students across 100 countries. 

Rachael has been featured in many print and online publications including House Beautiful, Red, Mollie Makes and Homestyle, and on ITV, BBC and Channel 4. She is also a member of the UK government’s Anti-Copying in Design Sector Council, and a regular speaker at design industry events. 

This special interview is in celebration of Rachael's book, Power up your Creativity – available now! After so many conversations with our much-loved Make it in Design community, Rachael has developed a keen insight into what obstacles stand in the way of creative success for so many of us and has turned her guidance into a stunning book.

Episode includes:

·      Where Rachael’s passion for design and colour began

·      Discovering what resonates with you

·      Creativity is about taking risks, breaking rules and having fun

·      The value of teaching and passing on your experiences

·      Dealing with adversity and how to make it positive

·      How to deal with rejection when it happens

Alexander Wills is a digital textile printing expert. He is devoted to helping designers gain financial freedom, while doing what they love, through the Maake ecosystem. He works with 100’s of company’s daily from small brands to big names including Alexander McQueen, Dior, Burberry and BBC and his belief is ‘all designers should be treated with the same respect, no matter their status, as creativity is unique’.

After 15 years in textile printing, Alex and his wife Artemis were tired of seeing talented people left behind in their industry. 

Massive minimums and complicated ordering processes made it impossible to run a profitable small or medium-sized business. Outsourcing abroad only presented unsustainable practices and lengthy wait times.

It was time to shake up the textile industry. 

Fashion Formula (soon to be Maake) gives ordinary people the opportunity to bring their extraordinary visions to life. 

A simple, uncomplicated ordering process. Made in London, so no more long lead times. No more large orders needed, no more waste, and no more broken promises and giving your business an edge. 

Alex has had huge success since launching Fashion Formula which has expanded above and beyond the realms of fabric printing as they are just in the process of launching their brilliant NEW platform Maake.

Episode 7 includes:

• Surrounding yourself with creativity and combining science and arts
• Having the confidence to grow and develop your own business in align with your passions and beliefs
• Redefining and making it so much easier for designers to delve into the world of printing and manufacturing
• The importance of the customer experience
• Carving out time to research and continuing to develop what your business has to offer
• The importance of a good team and how to nurture them
• Creating opportunities for designers to thrive in the industry

Simion Hawtin-Smith is the Creative Director of Reloved Upholstery and Design in Manchester. He started Reloved Upholstery in 2014, and specialises in giving iconic chairs a new lease of life, using a combination of traditional and modern methods.

He is an upholsterer for the BBC One TV show, Money for Nothing, and has a monthly column in Reclaim magazine sharing the inspirations behind his work.

Simion is an incredibly diverse and multi-disciplined creative. 

He also works as an interior stylist and as a workshop host and loves nothing more than teaching and passing on his skills and love of all things upholstery.

At Make it in Design we are thrilled to have Simion on board featuring as an expert guest tutor in the “hands on” Make It In Design interior masterclassess: Surface Pattern Design + Cushion Making and Pattern Creation + Chair Upholstery.

Perhaps starting his creative career later than some as he changed up his path, but since the beginning Simion has completely owned his specialism all whilst diversifying his skill set and being a lovely, inspiring and generous person in the process. 

Episode 6 includes:

·      Giving yourself the time to explore what you are passionate about and then doing it

·      Growing your own business and brand and sharing your creative goal with others

·      Working with independent designers with an authentic narrative to their work 

·       Absorbing inspiration from other creatives and channelling this into your own work and creative development

·      Restoring and reinventing interior pieces whilst retaining their sentimental value

·      Passing on the joy of upholstery with others whilst connecting with them

Terry Runyan is a visual artist, illustrator, creative encourager and cat lover living in Kansas City with her adorable cats Rylee and Tucker who she credits for being huge inspirations to her work.

After working as an in-house illustrator for 30 years at Hallmark, Terry took the leap back in October 2016 to explore her own art and creative processes.

With an Instagram following of over 340K, Terry also creates video tutorials and lessons on watercolour, mixed media and collage.

Seeing creativity as a means to connect, communicate and share with others - Terry loves to encourage people to explore their creativity for the pure joy of it.

Most recently Terry has released a new book Painting Happiness - Creativity with Watercolours which is a simple and vibrant guide explaining the art of watercolour through mindfulness and providing inspiration, practical advice and step by step projects. Focusing on the creativity that is revealed in each new moment, overcoming perfectionism and freeing yourself from the inner critic, terry encourages us to explore, experiment and play.

Episode 5 includes:

·      Working as an in-house illustrator for over 30 years and knowing when  it’s time to change it up

·      Exploring mixed media and creating for the pure joy of it

·      How creativity is ever present and that there is no such thing as creative block

·       Making a pact with yourself – Creating on a daily basis

·      The creative process of writing a book

·      Exploring the ‘hate it’ phase and moving forward

Nerida Hansen, is an Australian pattern and fabric guru based in Victoria, Australia and first embarked on a career in textiles in 2008 with her own sporting label for men and women. Followed by a two-year stint as a junior buyer of licensed bedding for a major retailer. In this role she was introduced to manufacturers in South Korea and India and as a result unleashed her passion for licensing, design and fabrics. 
 
 It was during this time that she pitched her idea to support independent artists and designers to a big name store, but they were not interested. Believing in herself and her vision, Nerida left her job and started representing emerging artists. She turned her dream into a reality and launched her first collection of digitally printed fabrics back in 2017. Nerida Hansen Fabrics was born and it was a sell out!
 
That does not mean it was an overnight success. Slowly, Nerida has built her team of designers, some are longstanding whilst others are fresh and up and coming. 
 
Fast-forward to today where she is at her best in the textiles market and building a stand-alone business. Nerida continues to work closely with local and international illustrators and surface art designers to support, license and represent, whilst ensuring they are the right fit and look for her brand. 

At the age of 48, she was diagnosed with ADHD. Not allowing that to slow her down she is in the process of developing and preparing to launch a world first surface art-sourcing platform called Patternfield App revolutionising the way buyers and artists work with each other. It is the first platform to connect artists and designers with art buyers around the world.

Episode 4 includes:

·      Finding optimism and joy in nurturing creative talent

·      Knowing the market and selling your work to the right clients

·      Discovering your uniqueness 

·       Revolutionising the way buyers and artists connect

·      Defining a successful business when faced with adversity

·      Recognising your success metrics and balance between work and life.

Kieron Lewis, a freelance graphic designer from London, specialises in Branding, Editorial Design, Social Media Marketing and Graphic Design. Kieron is also an experienced public speaker having spoken at Adobe MAX as well as a host on the Adobe Live Series, Creative Pro and Create Leicester and at numerous universities and colleges where he shares his wealth of experience and knowledge.

Over the years, Kieron has successfully implemented several self-directed and client-based projects, ranging across digital and print. One of Kieron’s most recent projects was a collaboration with Harper Collins and Harper Inspire on Still Breathing: 100 Black Voices on Racism, 100 Ways to Change the Narrative in which from cover to interior, Kieron designed the entire 300 paged hardpack publication. This publication focuses on 100 Black Voices from across the British community. Everyone featured has voiced their lived experiences to help us set up a true conversation about racism in Britain. Those featured include Beverley Knight, David Lammy, Kwame Armah and Bishop Rose Hudson-Wilkin.

Episode 3 includes:

·      Speaking with your inner self and empowering your next move

·      Creating a routine that works for you and your creativity

·      Making every client your dream client

·      The power of social media for a freelance designer

·      Creative projects that spark sincere conversations

·      Being proactive and retaining your authentic voice

As Sales Director for Cinnamon Joe Studio,Paul spent around 8 years exhibiting at shows like PV in Paris, Heimtextil in Frankfurt, and Surtex in New York. Over the years he noticed a decline in numbers attending these big trade shows, but the yearly rising costs to exhibit. In May 2014 the feeling was there was definitely a need for change and that made up Paul’s mind to do something about it. However, being based in Northern Ireland, it was always going to be a challenge organising a new Surface Design Print show. Que finding the right venue and organising furniture, lighting, sound and wi-fi in a big city like New York. Paul said “None of us knew what to expect, would anyone turn up? But much to our surprise we had a busy three days and it felt like the time flew by, and Blue Print was born”.

Blue Print brings together a fantastic collection of studios and designers that are producing a print show by themselves for their clients. The boutique type feel of the show, and the fun friendly atmosphere has been maintained even though the number of Exhibitors has grown year by year. 

Episode 2 includes:

·       Recognising the need for change and how to get your plan moving

·       The world of trade shows - a walk-through of what to expect

·       Knowing when the time is right for you to make the investment to exhibit

·       The birth of the virtual show and it’s place in the future

·       How to be proactive and not pushy in getting your work in-front of Buyers and Art Directors

·       Finding your place in the design industry and the market for your work

Marianne Shillingford is the Creative Director at AkzoNobel Dulux and founder of the “Colour in Design Award”. Dulux is the UK’s leading paint brand, with a wealth of products and services designed to help consumers find the colours that they’ll love in their home. Dulux have most recently worked in collaboration with UK TV station, Channel 4 as partners for their DIY makeover show “Changing Rooms”! 

Describing her role as Creative Director of Dulux as a dream job which involves working closely with many creative disciplines from designers, architect’s photographers and videographers to new design talent, global colour experts, professional decorators, and the media. With over 30 years industry experience colour has been at the heart of everything Marianne does whether it be painting traditional fairground rides, running her own interior decorating company, Artistic Director of the National Design Academy or TV presenting.

Marianne has also channelled her vast experience and love of colour into the launch of “The Colour in Design Award” – creating a meaningful and lasting legacy. Marianne created this award to encourage a new generation of creative talent to discover their own colourful path in the world. The “Colour in Design Award” recognises and rewards new designers who are working with colour in inspiring and exceptional ways.  

Episode 1 includes:

• The importance of colour and it’s connection to emotion
• Learning skills to generate income but also to help nurture your creative self
• Recognising your strengths and how you can build these into a career you love
• Your creative curiosity and keeping hold of that passion throughout your creative career
• Sustainability, it’s significance and how we can play our part as creatives
• Championing the next generation and learning from them too

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Find out more at makeitindesign.com