I have big feelings about Make it in Design closing and this might sound dramatic but MIID closing feels like The Beatles breaking up—tough to accept, but their impact will never fade!
When I signed up for MIID in December 2014 I literally cried tears of relief and excitement—my dream of becoming a surface pattern designer was finally happening. The program was three modules over six weeks in 2015, and I had zero clue what I was doing. I barely knew how to check email (honestly, it stressed me out) and could only edit photos for my tiny blog. Learning Illustrator to create repeats felt like sledgehammer rocks. Clipping masks almost broke me, but I was determined.
On top of that, I hadn’t drawn in years—unless you count doodling on napkins.So, for my first repeat, I cut out paper flowers, and when it worked, I literally giggled and I was hooked! It’s framed and proudly hangs in my studio.
In 2017, during MIID’s Ultimate Portfolio Builder, I designed my roller-skate print * GAMECHANGER*. It revealed my signature style and became my my first licensed fabric collection with Paintbrush Studio Fabrics.
Looking back, it’s been a wild and thrilling ride from the moment I registered in MIID to now. Learning of their closing felt like a punch in the gut. Since they were the OG’s of surface pattern design programs, I assumed they’d always be there.
I’m forever grateful to the legends who made it happen. They flipped my world upside down—and I will always love them for that!