Meet Seiko Sisco
Before starting my journey with surface pattern design, I was a PhD-chemist turned stay-at-home-mom, with a fairly new handmade baby business side hustle that I was working on in the margins of my life. I decided to take the Immersion course because ever since I launched my handmade baby shop, I had a secret dream of one day designing my own fabric patterns.
Deep down I knew I was an artist, but I hadn’t touched my art supplies in over 15 years as I pursued my career in the sciences. I had to overcome my fears of “what if I don’t know how to draw anymore?” “What if I invest my time and money in something so new and fail?” “Do I even have the time to pursue something new right now?” I had never made a single pattern before let alone opened Adobe Illustrator so there was definitely fear of the unknown.
After taking Immersion, I immediately felt at home and felt so supported every step of the way. I think the best part of the Immersion Course for me was the community (the support team was incredible) and, specifically, my study group who held me accountable while giving me so much encouragement and support. Learning Illustrator for the first time wasn’t a walk in the park, but I cherished learning a new skill that has such a versatile use (though pattern making is still my favorite).
Since Immersion, I’ve been able to design my own fabric patterns and collections, open a Spoonflower shop, order my own fabrics from my Spoonflower shop for my handmade business, and launch multiple original designed collections in the form of baby shoes and gifts and sell them through my website as well as in-person artisan markets. I’ve also put together a simple website and portfolio and started dipping my toes into licensing my work. My big dream of licensing my fabric patterns came true last summer when I signed my first licensing contract with Hawthorne Supply Co.!
The Immersion Course has really transformed the trajectory of my life goals and dreams. For my personal life, it has done wonders. Saying yes to something I’ve had the longing to reconnect with for so long has made me trust my intuition more and brought more confidence in my decision making skills as a mom. Involving my kids (then 2 and 4) in my inspiration gathering, doodling, coloring, and pattern making has brought so much joy into our household.
Professionally, taking the Immersion course has helped me dream bigger and discover a passion I didn’t know existed. I went into the Immersion course wanting to reconnect with my artistic side and learn how to design fabric patterns for my handmade baby business. The Immersion course has helped me do that and so much more. The first fabric collection I ever made (in Immersion) helped me win the Spoonflower Small Business Grant for Waku Waku Baby, my handmade baby business. Within 6 months of taking Immersion I was able to launch my first original collection of baby shoes, bibs, and hair bows using my original fabric designs, for my baby shop and sell them at large handmade holiday markets in Pittsburgh, PA. The positive responses from my customers encouraged me to continue launching new original designs throughout 2023.
If you have a big dream, there is no time like now to go after it! Cheering you on :)
