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Setting My 2025 Creative Goals
At the beginning of 2025, I decided to set clear creative goals for myself. I was a little over six months post-Immersion and feeling both confident and a bit directionless. My main goal during Immersion had been to build and launch my website before the end of 2024, and I’d done it! But once it was live, I realized I was struggling to create new work that felt worthy of sharing there.
So, I set a goal for 2025: to create one full pattern collection per quarter for the first three quarters. My hope was this would give me a complete portfolio to pitch in Q4.
Here we are in the final quarter of 2025, and I’m thrilled to say I’ve met that goal. In Q1, I completed my Curious & Clever collection , a milestone that represented months of focus and growth. Then suddenly, as Q2 rolled in, I found myself creatively adrift again.
When Inspiration Fades
After finishing the Curious & Clever collection, I wasn’t sure what to make next. I wanted my next collection to be meaningful and aligned with my long-term goals, but I didn’t know what those goals were.
So I turned inward, into research, learning, and reflection. I dove into books, videos, and time-management strategies, hoping to rediscover my direction. One theme kept surfacing: you need to have an industry or company in mind prior to designing.
I understood the idea, but applying it felt tricky. How do you choose a brand before you’ve found your own voice? That question lingered… until a serendipitous email arrived.
A Week That Changed Everything
In August, I opened an email from Bonnie Christine announcing Pattern Week. It was a chance to experience a guided design brief with the legend herself. It was a $10 week-long challenge, with available prizes and I signed up immediately.
That week changed everything for me. Bonnie created a faux brand called Heritage House and walked us through a full design brief for a wallpaper company. The theme was Heritage Cottage core: rich with nostalgic florals and vintage warmth.
To participate, I had to create a pattern, something I hadn’t done since March. But I jumped in anyway. The creative spark reignited instantly. It reminded me of why I fell in love with surface design in the first place: the joy of storytelling through pattern.
During that same week, Bonnie introduced us to her Pattern+ (previously Flourish) community. A group of Immersion alumni who receive monthly design briefs and ongoing mentorship. I had chosen not to join Flourish after Immersion for financial reasons, but this felt like the right next step. The guided briefs and built-in accountability were exactly what I needed.
By the end of Pattern Week, I was all in. I joined Pattern+ and promised myself I would design consistently again. Less focused on perfection and more on participating and getting my name out there.
Designing for Real Brands
Little Cocalico: Forest Cottage
In August, I entered my first official Pattern+ brief for the brand Little Cocalico. Their brand aesthetic immediately resonated with me: cozy, timeless, and nostalgic. The brief challenged us to create a collection that would fit seamlessly into their world of soft color palettes and storybook charm.
My collection, Forest Cottage, grew out of my love for the quiet beauty of the woods. I was inspired by moss-covered stones, sun-dappled leaves, and the calm of being surrounded by nature.
I imagined myself walking down a shaded forest path, lined with pine needles. At the end of the path was a stone cottage, and I stepped inside. Then I asked the question. What kind of wallpaper does it have, and the Forest Cottage Collection was born.
Through that process, I learned the importance of designing for a brand’s voice while staying true to my own style. It pushed me to think about scale, usability, and creating in a size relevant to the final product.
Figo Fabrics: Gather in the Valley
In September, I took on my second brief. This time for Figo Fabrics, a company known for bold, modern designs that still feel approachable. The theme: Farmstead, allowed me to draw inspiration from home. I looked to the orchards and small farms of Wenatchee Valley.
My collection, Gather in the Valley, became a visual love letter to where I live. Each motif was drawn with nostalgia and care, celebrating harvest time, orchard wildlife, and the resilience of rural communities.
Working on this brief taught me how to merge storytelling with practicality, creating designs that are both rich in meaning and ready for quilting or fabric applications.
Looking Back at 2025
As I step into Q4, I can honestly say this year has been one of the most transformative in my creative journey. What started as a goal to build a portfolio turned into a deeper understanding of myself as a designer.
Through these briefs, I found direction by designing with purpose and partnership in mind. As well as consistency, creating regularly within structured deadlines. And most important, community through connecting with other designers walking the same path.
By the end of September, I had three full collections — Curious & Clever, Forest Cottage, and Gather in the Valley. Each representing a chapter of growth, confidence, and clarity. I spent most of October reworking my portfolio page in order to share these collections as well as future one. Make sure you check it out: My Portfolio.
What’s Next
As I enter the final stretch of 2025, I’m focused on expanding my portfolio through new design briefs and preparing for future opportunities with intention. Participating in these briefs has given me structure and direction while reminding me that inspiration rarely appears on its own. It grows from taking action and showing up for the work.
If you’re a designer who feels unsure of your next step, I can’t recommend creative briefs enough. They offer clarity, accountability, and a reason to keep creating. Sometimes, that’s all it takes to move forward.
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