Meet Jaime Mayfield
Immersion is not a rabbit hole. There is a wealth of treasures in this course.
I was a last-minute enrollee in Immersion 2024. I almost didn’t sign up because I am a lawyer, and didn’t think of myself as an artist. I didn’t know anything about surface pattern design, Illustrator, or Bonnie Christine. But I kept feeling this nudge toward Bonnie and her Immersion course even though it didn’t make any sense to me. I was working full-time as a legal aid attorney and was just starting to explore ways to manage anxiety when I learned about Immersion.
After enrolling, I listened to the lessons and practiced the exercises before and after work and on the weekends. I found the content to be so engaging, so interesting, and so different from my day job. This was deeply appealing and gratifying.
I quickly realized that though the idea of designing in patterns and seeing my designs on products was exciting, I did not know how to draw or paint anything! I did what Bonnie advised and drew at least one thing a day. I even started an Instagram account and began sharing some of my art.
After the course, I began exploring different art media and color combinations. I have learned so much about art, techniques, color theory and what I like and do not like. I have drawn or painted something several times a week, oftentimes every day. I have filled several sketchbooks with art. The course unlocked my creativity, and it opened my eyes to the various ways I had been creative in my life from a young age, but that I had neglected in recent years. I now have a permanent creative space in my home that did not exist prior to Immersion.
Immersion was the catalyst for building a creative practice that has been freeing and life-giving. It also resulted in me being better able to manage my anxiety. I am still a legal aid attorney. That has not changed. But my breathing is easier. My pace is slower. My demeanor is calmer. I think Immersion led me down a path that ultimately made me a calmer, less-stressed, and more hopeful attorney and human.
