A Look Back on the Year

It would be a year this month since I made the leap.

I left the comfort and stability of a full-time job to try and build something special in Draft Studios. At the time, I just had a vision: using art and technology to make something I could be proud of.  When I create art I always feel like it really isn’t doing anything. It’s just nice to look at, and sometimes that’s all it needs to do, but it just feel’s better when my work can actually help people. Once you’re out on your own, you really have no choice but to reach out and market yourself. I knew I wanted to help small businesses and artists build an online platform. But I had no idea just how much the people I’ve met would stretch me, shape me, and teach me.

When you’re building a website for someone you have to realize that its basically an online ad. So you gotta sit down with them and find out all the things that make them great and why they love doing the thing they’re doing. Things quickly get personal and we end up building a pretty close relationship throughout the project. My way of doing websites have been to start with the story and end with the product. A lot of my clients are really small businesses that have risked a lot to build out their idea. To not include that on their website, to me, is missing the value of that product altogether.

The thing with entrepreneurs is that they love helping other entrepreneurs. We trauma bond and then we find ways to collaborate. What helps is this new community, clients who took a chance on a new business, fellow creatives who cheered me on, friends who offered support when I needed it most. Draft Studios isn’t just about building websites. It’s about building trust. Helping people tell their stories. Creating digital spaces that feel real, honest, and human.

As for next year, I want to deepen my focus on artist lead businesses. I can relate to what they’re going through and the journey through a project with another creative yields really interesting results. As a designer it often takes an artist to know how to best represent an artist. Nailing a particular look and feel of someone’s personality is huge for them and I look forward to doing more of that.

If you’ve followed this journey, supported Draft Studios, or just reached out with a kind word, thank you. This first year has been an unpredictable and wild ride. And it’s only just beginning.