Meet Nerize Raath

I’ve been a professional photographer for 15 years, and for the last few of them, I could feel a new season coming. You know that feeling when something is shifting, but you have no idea what it is yet? That was me. I knew I needed something creative, something exciting, something that lit me up again — and something that worked with my life as a mom of two wildly busy boys. My family comes first, so whatever this “new thing” was, it had to fit around school runs, snacks, chaos, and cuddles.

Then in 2024, I saw a post Bonnie shared on Instagram about the Immersion course, and I heard something inside me just say: THIS. THIS IS IT!!! :)

I clicked the link so fast and instantly knew I wanted to do the course. At that moment, it wasn’t possible yet, but I set a reminder in my calendar like it was a date with destiny. I joined both of Bonnie’s free workshops in January and February 2025, and the excitement just kept building. I knew Immersion was coming… I just had no idea how I was going to make it work financially. But I trusted.

Then, plot twist, my husband secretly bought the course for me (I mean, I have been talking about it for a YEAR, haha!) and surprised me with the confirmation email. (Shoutout to Bonnie’s payment plan for making dreams doable!) When I tell you I screamed, danced, jumped, twirled… I’m not kidding. That “WELCOME to Immersion” email felt like Christmas morning x 100.

And oh my goodness, I haven’t been that excited about anything work-related in years. The course was incredible. It’s PACKED with information and the attention to detail is insane in the best way. I came in knowing absolutely nothing about surface pattern design. I had never used Illustrator.

 At first, it was overwhelming, but Bonnie and her team? Angels. Literal angels. They answer everything, they cheer you on, and they make you feel like you belong from day one. No judgment—just love, encouragement, and “you’ve got this!”

I completed the course and genuinely loved every moment. I even did my exam, though I failed the second part by the tiniest hairline. Yes, it hurt, but honestly, I learned from it. And next time? Oh, I will be double-checking my uploading process like a MACHINE. 😂

I set three big goals for 2025:
• Finish Immersion
• Create an online presence (Choose a business name and start an Instagram page)
• Get comfortable in Illustrator

And I did all three! And the feeling when you create your first seamless pattern that actually works? MAGIC. Literal magic. It might sound small to some, but when you’re juggling motherhood, housework, cooking, and a husband who travels for work, those “small” wins feel HUGE. I embraced the chaos and committed to doing something, even a tiny doodle, every day.

Soon, my youngest will be going to school four days a week, and I am SO ready to pour more focused time into designing.

Now for 2026, I’m dreaming big:
• Submit my first pattern to one of Bonnie’s licensing opportunities
• Create my first full collection
• Build a (cute!) little website
• And learn more about licensing and how to approach it with confidence.

A new season really did arrive, and it’s brighter, more exciting, and more creative than I ever imagined.