design2repeat

[design2repeat]

Art Licensing Market Research: What We've Learned Along the Way

Hey Tumblr fam! We've been diving deep into the art licensing world lately, and whew... it's been quite the journey! 😅 We're sharing our latest blog post about what we've discovered through our own market research adventures.

We're definitely not experts—just fellow artists trying to figure this stuff out alongside you all. From stalking our dream clients' Instagram at midnight to becoming BFFs with our local library's business resource center (free market reports FTW!), we've picked up some strategies that are actually working for us.

The struggle to stand out in this space is REAL, especially when you're an indie artist without fancy corporate budgets. But we've found some pretty cool workarounds and wanted to share them with our community.

Come join us on this ongoing adventure! We'd love to hear what's working for you in the art licensing world too. After all, we're all just figuring this out together, right? 💕

Check out our full post https://design2repeat.com/art-licensing-market-research-our-findings for all the juicy details on market structures, emerging trends, and how we're applying what we've learned!

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We've Been Documenting Our Pattern Design Process All Wrong (And How We're Fixing It)

Hey fellow pattern people! 💕

So we just had one of those "why didn't we start this sooner?!" moments in our studio last week. After losing track of how we created that one perfect botanical motif (you know, the one everyone keeps asking about), we finally got serious about documenting our design process.

We're definitely not experts at this—just fellow artists figuring things out alongside you—but we thought we'd share what we've been learning about documentation because OH MY GOODNESS it's making such a difference!

What we've been trying:

Setting up our phones on cheap tripods to record time-lapses (not perfect lighting but who cares!)

Taking screenshots whenever we make a major design decision (future us says thank you)

Creating super simple project templates that don't feel overwhelming

Actually writing down our color codes instead of just... hoping we'll remember them? (lol why did we do this to ourselves)

The whole social media growth thing as artists can be SO draining sometimes. We're constantly creating new content, but then struggling to remember how we actually made the things people love most! It's like this weird cycle where the pressure to post makes us skip the documentation that would actually make posting easier?

We're finding that having even basic documentation is giving us SO much more to share. Those process videos? People are actually more into them than our finished work sometimes! Who knew our messy middle would be the content gold mine we needed?

This isn't about having a perfect system—none of us have time for that. It's about building tiny documentation habits that save future-us from wanting to throw our tablets out the window when a client asks "can you just tweak that pattern from last season?"

If you've found cool ways to track your design process that don't feel like extra work, please share! We're all figuring this out together, and honestly, it's way more fun that way.

Join us on this documentation journey? We promise it's less boring than it sounds! 😂

[design2repeat]

Confession Time: Our Art Wasn't Selling (It Was Our Descriptions!)

Hey creative friends! We need to talk about something that's been bothering us for ages - why was our gorgeous art just sitting there collecting digital dust while other artists were making sales?

After months of frustration, we finally figured it out. It wasn't our art. It was our product descriptions. 😱

We've been on this wild journey experimenting with different ways to write about our work, and honestly? The difference between our "before" and "after" descriptions is embarrassing. Like, really embarrassing.

Take this actual description we used to use:

Cherry Cocktail Print. A colorful print featuring cocktail glasses with cherries. Available in multiple sizes from 10″ x 10″ to 24″ x 24″. Made with good quality paper. Great for kitchen or bar decoration.

crickets

And what we've learned to write now:

Cherry Spritz Cocktail Bar Decor – Fresh Summer Aperitif with Cherries and Rosemary Wall Art Indulge in the refreshing charm of this Cherry Spritz Cocktail Bar Decor, inspired by the vibrant energy of summer cocktails. Featuring elegant spritz glasses filled with cherry-hued drinks, fresh cherries, rosemary sprigs, vibrant green background, this design brings a playful yet sophisticated touch to any room.

The results? Sales went up by 83%. We're not marketing experts or anything - we're just fellow artists who've been stumbling through this learning process alongside all of you.

We've documented everything we've learned along the way about writing descriptions that actually SELL art. The before-and-afters. The mistakes we keep making (because let's be real, we're still figuring this out too!). The tiny changes that made big differences.

If you're feeling stuck or frustrated like we were, maybe our findings can help you too? We'd love to have you join us on this journey of figuring out how to actually make a living from our art.

Check out our full guide here: https://design2repeat.com/art-product-description-guide-boost-sales-seo

And please share your own description tips in the notes! We're all learning together ❤️

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[design2repeat]

We're Sharing Our Checklist!

Okay friends, let's have a moment of honesty here—balancing actual art-making with content creation has been kicking our collective butts for AGES. 😩

We've been right there in the trenches with you: staying up late trying to photograph work in terrible lighting, forgetting to document our process until it's too late, and then panicking when we have nothing to post for weeks. It's been a JOURNEY.

After much trial and error (and honestly, some tears), we've finally put together a workflow that doesn't make us want to throw our phones into the sea. We're still learning and adjusting as we go, but this simple checklist has been an absolute game-changer for us.

What we've learned:

Capturing content while creating is WAY easier than trying to stage things later

Setting up just 2 batch days a month saves our sanity

Having content pillars means never staring at a blank screen wondering what to post

We can turn one piece of art into multiple posts without feeling repetitive

The best part? This system takes just 40 minutes a day (and most days even less).

We're sharing our exact workflow checklist—not because we're experts, but because we're all figuring this out together. If you're also an artist struggling to maintain a consistent content presence while, you know, actually making art, come join us on this messy but rewarding journey!

[Link to full checklist]

Who else feels like they're constantly choosing between creating art OR posting about it? Let's chat in the notes! ⬇️

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[design2repeat]

Finding Your Art Style: Our Messy, Beautiful Journey

Hey Tumblr fam! We've been on this wild ride of trying to find "our style" and thought we'd share some raw notes from the journey. Remember when we used to think we could force a style to happen overnight? Yeah... we learned that one the hard way! 😅

The past year has been filled with sketchbooks, happy accidents, and moments of both "this is terrible" and "wait, I might be onto something here!" We've discovered that style isn't something you chase—it's something that emerges when you're busy making things that excite you.

One of the biggest game-changers? Our 100 drawings challenge. Those first few sketches were so predictable, but by day 25, we started seeing patterns we never consciously created. There's something magical about creating without overthinking.

We've compiled everything we've learned (so far!) in our latest blog post—from building mood boards that actually help to embracing the "mistakes" that eventually became our signature elements. Because we're all figuring this out together, right?

What about you? What unexpected elements have become part of your creative DNA? Drop your experiences below—we'd love to see where you are in your journey!

Remember: We're not experts—just fellow artists documenting our process. The style journey never really ends, and that's kind of the beautiful part.

[design2repeat]

Our Pattern Design Journey: From Creating Pretty Things to Building a Real Business

Hey pattern design friends! We've been on this creative roller coaster for a while now, and let's be honest - making beautiful patterns is the easy part. Turning them into actual income? That's where we've all been stumbling.

After months of trial and error (and yes, a few tearful moments staring at our empty bank accounts despite folders full of gorgeous designs), we've finally started mapping out what a sustainable pattern design business actually looks like.

We're not experts - we're still figuring this out alongside you! But we wanted to share what's been working for us as we transition from "hobby pattern makers" to "professional design entrepreneurs":

How we assessed our current position (the good, bad, and the ugly)

The SMART goals framework we adapted specifically for pattern designers

Our strategy for building cohesive collections that actually sell

The industry calendar that keeps us from missing key opportunities

How we're balancing pattern design with our day jobs

The biggest revelation? Pattern design business planning doesn't have to kill creativity - it actually gives you more freedom to create what you love sustainably!

If you're somewhere on this same journey, come join us as we navigate the business side of pattern design together. We're sharing all our findings, templates, and lessons learned (including the embarrassing ones) here: https://design2repeat.com/pattern-design-business-goals

What's been your biggest struggle in turning pattern design into a business? Drop us a note - we're all figuring this out together! 💜

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Follow us and visit https://design2repeat.com/finding-your-art-style-my-progress-report

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Visit https://design2repeat.com/pattern-design-business-goals for detailed information.

[design2repeat]

Visit https://design2repeat.com/pattern-design-business-goals for detailed info!

[design2repeat]

Pattern Design Software Guide 2025: What We've Learned Along the Way

Hey Tumblr fam! We've been on quite the journey for some time now on this whole pattern design software thing, and honestly? It's been a rollercoaster. 😅

We started where many of you probably are—completely overwhelmed by all the options and not wanting to spend a fortune on software we barely understand how to use. After many late nights, tutorial rabbit holes, and a few "why isn't this working?!" moments, we've compiled everything we've learned about beginner-friendly pattern design tools.

What we discovered might surprise you:

You DON'T need to spend $20+ monthly on Adobe right away

Some free options are genuinely useful (while others are just frustrating)

iPad + Procreate ($14.99) is seriously powerful for beginners

Most of us only need 3 core functions to start creating professional-looking patterns

Our new guide breaks down everything from budget software options to the essential hardware specs (because we definitely learned the hard way that 8GB RAM isn't enough 😩).

We've also created a 30-day learning roadmap based on our own stumbling journey—because we're still figuring this out too! Would have saved us MONTHS if we'd had this when starting.

The pattern design community has been so supportive as we've learned, and we want to pay that forward. Check out our complete guide for beginners, and let's continue growing together!

[design2repeat]

The Messy Truth About Our Artist Website Analytics Journey

Hey creative friends! We've been on quite the adventure trying to understand our website stats these past few months. You know that feeling when you log into Google Analytics and it looks like hieroglyphics? 😵 Yeah, us too.

After countless late nights and way too much coffee, we've finally started making sense of which metrics actually MATTER for artists (spoiler: they're not the same as for e-commerce sites selling socks).

We gathered everything we've learned into our latest guide, including this color-coded dashboard that's helping us track the 5 essential metrics we wish we'd known about from the start:

The biggest surprise? Finding out that Pinterest was sending us serious art enthusiasts while we were pouring all our energy into Instagram. Oops! And discovering that visitors spend WAY more time looking at our landscape series than our portraits (guess which one we're focusing on now?).

If you're struggling with making sense of your website performance or just want to understand which pieces in your portfolio are actually connecting with people, we'd love to have you join us!

What surprising insights have you discovered about your own art website? Drop us a note - we're all in this creative hustle together! 💙

Link to full guide:

[design2repeat]

Hey Tumblr fam! We've been on this wild design ride trying to figure out why some of our patterns just work while others feel... off? You know that feeling, right?

After months of trial and error (and honestly, some embarrassing design fails we'd rather not talk about 😅), we've discovered it's all about PATTERN SCALE principles!

We used to think the pros just had some magical design sense we'd never understand. Turns out, there's actual science behind it all—like the Golden Ratio thing isn't just fancy design talk! When we started applying it, our engagement jumped by 37%! Can you believe that?

Some things we've learned along the way:

That squint test actually works! (Blur your vision and see if your pattern still makes sense)

Not everything needs to be perfectly symmetrical (asymmetrical balance creates SO much more interest!)

Negative space isn't just empty—it's actually doing important work

Having too many competing elements = visual chaos (we learned this the hard way)

We're still figuring it all out too, but we wanted to share our journey so far. Check out our full post where we get into all the details about how we're learning to balance pattern scale, create visual harmony, and design with more intention.

What design principles have you been struggling with? Let's learn together!

[design2repeat]

Artist Social Media Planning: The REAL Journey

Hey Tumblr fam! We wanted to pop in and share some real talk about our social media journey as artists. Remember when we started our creative business last September with absolutely ZERO followers and a whole lot of anxiety about what to post? Yeah, we're still figuring it out, but we've come a long way!

Today we're at 113 Instagram followers, 75 on Facebook, 20 on Pinterest, and 26 on Cara.... and let me see, ah here on Tumblr 4, yes! Not exactly breaking the internet, but you know what? These are REAL people who chose to follow our messy, authentic art journey, and that feels pretty special.

Here's what we've learned so far:

Our Content Mix That's Actually Working:

40% behind-the-scenes (the casual process videos are winning BIG TIME)

30% finished artwork

20% educational content

10% promotion (gotta pay those bills somehow!)

The funny thing? Our super polished, trying-to-look-professional posts? Complete flops. Turns out people prefer seeing us just being... us. Who would've thought?!

Platform Surprises: Pinterest has been our dark horse! With only 20 followers, it's driving more traffic to our site than platforms where we have 5x the audience. Social media is WEIRD, y'all.

Our Not-So-Fancy Planning System: After trying a bunch of paid tools, we've settled on the free versions of Google Calendar and Notion. We batch create content every two weeks (usually Sundays when the lighting is good), and aim for 3 Instagram posts, 2 Pinterest pins, and 2 Facebook updates weekly. Some weeks we nail it, other weeks... well, life happens!

We're still learning, still growing, and definitely still making plenty of mistakes along the way. But isn't that what this creative journey is all about? We'd love for you to join us as we figure this out together!

Just posted our full "Artist Social Media Planning: Content Calendar Guide" on the blog if you want to see all our findings, flops, and small wins.

What's your biggest social media struggle as an artist? Drop it below - maybe we can figure it out together!