Another fabulous business for you to read about this month - is the beautiful work by Rachel Mahon who creates gorgeous botanical prints, cards, and more.
Tell us a bit about your business - what do you do?
I design and sell botanically inspired art prints, cards, and homewares. After I graduated from my Illustration degree I started working with an agent who would sell my designs for licensing for gift bags, greeting cards, and wrapping paper. I drew a lot of Christmas trees and Santas for 15 years. In 2019 my husband (who had spent the previous 2 years designing and transforming our garden) signed us up to take part in our local Open Gardens. There was an option to have a stall so he suggested I sell some prints and cards. I’d always talked about doing my own thing and that was the push I needed to actually do it and start designing for myself. I started an Instagram, opened an Etsy shop, and had a great response at the event so I just carried on…
What is your typical work day like and where do you do your design work?
No two days are the same but it’s usually a variety of packing orders, ordering stock, prepping stock, getting stock ready for a market, working on new designs, remembering to throw an Instagram post together, and then finishes with a trip to the Post Office on the way to get my boys from school. I’m really lucky to have a lovely garden studio to do this all from.
How do you create your designs and illustrations - do you have a favourite tool?
I use a mix of Procreate on my ancient iPad for sketching out shapes and ideas and Illustrator on my Mac to put everything all together and finalise my designs. My favourite tool is ‘cmd + z’ (the undo shortcut)
What’s the best thing about being a creative business owner?
Ahhhh everything….managing my own time, the flexibility to be there for the school runs, doing design work I want to do that makes my eyes and heart feel happy, and not having a boss. I love the creative community I’m part of, online and also in my local area. I’ve made so many lovely friends doing what I do.
What’s the best piece of business advice you’ve been given?
“No one cares what paper you use”
(I don’t actually believe this but the gist is to not overthink every little thing)
What advice would you give other creative businesses starting out?
Try not to feel the pressure to do all the things and all the products at once. Start simple and focus on the work that feels right and most true to you and build your style and brand on that.
Do you have any exciting plans for your business in the future?
Just more of the same really. I’d like to do more markets further afield and grow the wholesale side of my business.
Where can people find out more about you?
You can find me on
Instagram instagram.com/rachelmahonprint
Facebook Facebook.com/rachelmahonprint
Etsy etsy.com/uk/shop/RachelMahonPrint
Faire rachelmahonprint.faire.com
Or my website rachelmahonprint.co.uk
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