Welcome back to my blog today I have another creator introduction/interview. Emma is a digital artist and entrepreneur from Australia. Emma has grown so much and is

Tell me about yourself: Name, Age, what you do About your business EditedByEmma and just the story of how you got started both of those and how you got to where you are today.

EditedbyEmma

How did you come up with the name for EditedbyEmma?

I honestly picked the name before I started my business just spontaneously and didn’t put much thought into it. My username used to be pastel graphics, a business I was trying to start like this one but more wanting to sell physical products however didn’t work out. People close to me told me I was too young. When I picked the name Edited By Emma I knew I would do some type of editing so it was within the name and made sense to me and everyone else which I think is important.

What do you sell and How did the idea for your business come about?

I do commission based projects, so things like vector illustrations, line art illustrations, posters to promote brands. I’ve also done my first album cover art design for one of my online friends who’s a talented singer @ali_lamb_ , as for video I can do YouTube Intro animations and outros or end cards but I unfortunately haven’t done many of these projects but I hope to do more soon!

What makes your business different from others?

Well, every business is different but I haven’t really figured out yet why my business is different from the rest but I think it comes down to the work I’m doing and how young I am that sets me apart.

How do you build a successful customer base?

Instagram has worked wonders for me! But also there’s so many highs and lows with being self employed and it’s hard sometimes to stay motivated when you’re chasing numbers of people commissioning you. Instead, I try to focus on the illustrations and just try to focus on is the work good enough?  As subjective as it is, getting inside your customers mind is 100% a good move.

What has been your most satisfying moment in starting EditedbyEmma ?

It would have to be when I did a portrait vector illustration of a lady and her best friend for her birthday and it absolutely made me proud of myself when they sent me a photo of the illustration frames and her best friend holding whilst she had covid 19. It was a special moment seeing someone hold my work and it not be me ahah!

How do you market your business?

Social media marketing is probably my strongest. I’m honestly not the person to talk to about marketing because I am not well immersed with different marketing strategies but I just use social media and word of mouth for now and it’s gotten me to here so I guess something worked aha!

If you had the chance to start your business over again, what would you do differently?

I would try to believe in myself a bit more. I feel like I had many people hint that they weren’t confident in this idea but I did it anyway but I wish I had more confidence to put myself out there because I do tend to feel sometimes embarrassed and ashamed that I trace client photos on my phone to do what I do but then again it is really cool that I get the freedom!

Why did you decide to make digital products instead of physical products?

When I first started I didn’t realize it could be a business until I got people asking for a drawing in exchange for money. I wanted to make physical prints but people closest to me said not yet so I’ve stayed with digital for now but hope to expand in the future!

What types of digital products have you created? Do you only do logos? Or are there other projects you work on?

As I mentioned earlier, I have worked on many projects! I have not worked on a logo unless you count the album cover art but I wouldn’t. Making logos isn’t just photoshop and illustrator you can make logos that are illustrations which I think I most often forget so you could definitely turn a drawing I’ve done into a logo if you wanted to.

How did you figure out pricing?

When I got my first order from a small business selling candles asking for three illustrations, I was nearly not going to accept payment and just do it for free but I thought this would be a good opportunity to spread my wings a little bit so I started off charging $10 per illustration per person because that’s how I charged for multiple people in one portrait. Overtime I’ve bumped it up to $25 because I have had a lot of practice but it is a really subjective thing to price but I’d say do some research, research the average hourly rate for your age in your state and country and calculate your paid business expenses that go into making one quantity of your thing. With services that might be harder, a lot of say graphic designers have packages so that there’s no hourly rate because for some projects it’s not an accurate enough measurement of price.

Design

How is making digital products different from physical products?

Digital is digital, can be sent to anyone and can be edited within apps quickly and easier to share sometimes. Also serves the customer base of people online depending on your audience.

Physical products typically take more time to make depending what you sell and also requires thinking about shipping which  can be tricky.

What qualities and skills should a great graphic designer have?

Thinking outside the box, open minded, good at communicating and not being selfish. When you’re working with a client these things are super important because it’s why we do what we do and how we do it. Graphic design is literally about pleasing the eye graphically so that customers would want to psychologically buy something or be more attracted to buying something than not. Psychology is used in graphic design because you have to get into the mind of the consumer and the brand and ask what they need, what they would want and do that. 

Walk us through your design process.

It’s different from project to project but the standard process for me is firstly when a client DM’s me on Instagram which is often how I get commissions, I’ll ask them for the photo they want me to illustrate and we will talk about price. I’ll ask if the client has a preferred date they would like it done by but most clients are pretty chill on that front because they understand how much time goes into the work. I then save the photo and put the photo into procreate on my phone which is the app I use to draw, and I just draw! Once there’s a price finalized I’ll use the Instagram invoicing tool in DM’s to invoice them and I’ll put my BSB number in the “notes” section so that they can easily pay me when I’m done with the project and they are happy!

How do you deal with creative blocks?

I try to take a break from drawing and then go on Pinterest or look on tiktok or Instagram for inspiration.

How do you handle negative feedback?

I never really get negative feedback but I can tell when someone doesn’t like the work when they don’t really respond to me when I send them the finished work. But you’ve just got to move on because every “bad” client or project leads to a major success.

What design programs do you use? Which ones are your favorite?

Procreate Pocket, SuperimposeX, Phonto, iMovie, cute cut pro which are all mobile apps! My favorite one that I use the most is procreate. Cute cut pro for video because it’s where you can add graphics to your videos where iMovie restricts you.

What’s your favorite project that you’ve worked on?

It’s too hard to choose!!

Becoming an Entrepreneur

What was your key driving force to become an entrepreneur?

It literally kind of just happened, I never pictured I’d technically be classed as an entrepreneur because I definitely believe the word has become overused. But I think without realizing it I was interested in this world of business at a young age. When I was younger I remember making my own currency, and selling random things around the house like pens and things to my parents ahahaha but I never thought of that as entrepreneurship! I thought that only stereotypical people in suits with briefcases could be entrepreneurs but I think that was a common thought. So I would say I didn’t have a driving force to become an entrepreneur because I wasn’t aware that I may be one because of that stereotype. 

Is there some sort of pattern or formula to becoming a successful entrepreneur?

I couldn’t tell you but as far as I’m aware it’s just about turning something that you love and are passionate about into a business by solving a problem or making a difference or helping people.

How do you define success?

What and how much someone has accomplished.

What key activities would you recommend graphic designers do to invest their time in?

Everyday 5 minute drawing books or something to keep ideas flowing everyday. These books I’ve never tried but I’d heard they’re cool! Buying within budget art or design subscription boxes maybe. One for pure designers is passion projects or experimenting with random company names and attempting to make logos for them. These kinds of things people have done on youtube. 

Who has been your greatest inspiration?

Probably Abi Connik on YouTube and Instagram, arguably also Garry Vee among other really cool people! I can’t pinpoint my greatest inspiration but that’s just to make a few.

Advice for people who want to start a small business specifically in digital design?

If you’re young you will have to overcome many hurdles, one being facing judgment alone so, find people who inspire you and find a tunnel where you can be yourself and share what you do best even if you don’t quite believe in it yet! Digital design is so cool, people want to see your passion so just go with your gut and listen to yourself and your targeted audience.

How has starting a business benefited you?

Drawing is really therapeutic for me so it’s cool I get to do this as my job whilst in school at the time of writing this.

General

Can you describe/outline your typical day?

Apart from waking up, having breakfast, drawing and scrolling on tiktok endlessly, nothing much to be honest. No day is the same but I tend to have many chill days as I’m on school holidays right now so I have way more time!

What motivates you?

Seeing others work in the industry and people’s advice and encouragement. Especially when I’m having an off day or one of those mental breakdown days, it’s comforting to know people I follow online believe in me.

How do you generate new ideas?

I look for inspiration on Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram and tiktok mostly.

Have you learned any new skills from your business? If so, what are they?

Communication skills and I’m still working on confidence but also just the skill of being self motivated to draw for edited by emma. Also, definitely a skill is to remember to pop your logo on as a watermark hidden somewhere in the artwork to show it’s mine. So so so important but I always forget to.

Goals & Future

What are your long-term business goals?

I definitely want to expand the business and launch prints of different sizes and even merchandise of some kind. I’m thinking I really want to start another brand and use my design thinking from this brand to help me create something really unique and special. 

What’s the best decision you’ve ever made that helped your business?

Making my business approachable for brands to reach out to on Instagram. My first ever business commission was from a small candle business in Australia and they asked me for 3 illustrations. That’s when I realized there could be something in this for me.

How can people order? Own website, Etsy or a order form (or explain)

Not sure when I’ll have a website up so for now anyone can go send me a message on Instagram or send me an email if you want to work with me and even for collabs. Until my website is live I can only unfortunately accept clients Australia based because I am under 18 so I take payments with my BSB number in which for privacy reasons I can only take payments from Australian clients. Can’t wait to get the website up!

Anything Else you would like to add?

https://www.instagram.com/p/CXe_-knhjmg/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Links

The majority of not everything I learnt was from the university of YouTube ahahha. I started editing 5 years ago unlisted YouTube videos so I’ve been editing for a while. The main reason why I chose to make this my job was because there was a demand, there was a passion and it’s therapeutic and satisfying for me to picture what a illustration will turn out like and then make the outcome happen. And I’m not perfect, I started off by outlining some of alisha Marie’s Instagram pictures and posting them on my fan page for her and they of course started off bad! But it took practice and practice and practice to get here. Anyways thank you for choosing me to interview! I’m really grateful 🙂