How it all began…
Hand Drawn Creative was originally a venture born of necessity. In 2008, I'd lost my job as Graphic Designer and couldn't find design work anywhere in Northern Ireland (I was even declined a job interview for designing labels for a cheese company!) My wife & I were expecting our firstborn and I was on the cusp of losing my meagre unemployment benefit. To put it bluntly, we were screwed.
Then I opened an Etsy account, printed a few of my illustrations and contacted a few relevant bloggers. Suddenly I watched in amazement as the sales started to come in. It was a real boost in confidence, and was the kick in the butt I needed to get up and start my own company.
I haven't looked back – 2 weeks after opening my Etsy Store, I got a call from TIME Inc. with offers of Illustration work and things have just kept rolling from there. 12 years in and Hand Drawn Creative remains a small, soulful creative company.
I receive regular messages of praise and support from my customers and clients and I'll be doing this for many years to come. Sure, I'm no millionaire, but I get to work at home and watch my young family grow and do what I love for a living. It's a good way to work and a great way to live!
