Meet our Maker of the Month, the brilliant artist behind your cherished greeting cards, Lauren Sissons. Lauren's cards have captured our hearts, with a focus on celebrating humans of all backgrounds, experiences and abilities.
This creative dynamo has a story as vibrant as her artwork. Her journey is nothing short of inspiring, from the bustling streets of London, where she honed her skills in Graphic Design while navigating the high-speed world of fashion, to her current sunny spot as an Artist on the beautiful Sunshine Coast of Australia.
We recently had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with Lauren for an inside scoop on her artistry, what sets her creative gears spinning, the wisdom she's gleaned for budding artists, and, of course, what makes her heart race with excitement for the future of her small biz.
Grab your cuppa & get ready to dive right into Lauren's world. Trust us, you're in for an unforgettable journey!
Share a glimpse into your world! Can you share a little bit about you & a fun fact about yourself?
Hello :) My name is Lauren Sissons and I’m a Mum of two little ones based on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland.
I’m originally from the UK, moved here when I was 9 and then returned to London for 10 years after high school. Last year I made the journey back here with my partner and 2 year old, while 8 months pregnant - ready to see what life could hold back here closer to my parents and siblings.
How did you first discover your passion for illustration and card design? How did your business start?
I’ve always LOVED anything creative. When we moved here from London, I’d be inside doing collage, scrapbooking or illustrating little books instead of embracing the new outdoor lifestyle. After studying Graphic Design, I then went on to work for fashion brands such as Nike, Converse and more - but over the years illustration rarely came into the projects I worked on.
After having my daughter, we were stuck in the UK’s lockdowns for the first 18 months and I found myself struggling to adjust from the fast pace of working those 10+ hour days in central London.
I decided to invest in an iPad, telling my family that I wanted to play around with my forgotten passion of illustration and see what could possibly come from it. It was only after having our son here last year that I had the idea to print 6 of my illustrations onto greeting cards and thought I could try and sell them on Etsy…
Fast forward a year and my collection of 80+ greeting cards, washi tapes and art prints are now carried in over 100 lovely stockists Worldwide!
Is there a specific step in your creative process that you cherish the most?
My favourite part of the creative process is seeing a digital artwork become a physical piece.
When I was studying Graphic Design we were constantly told that print was a dying art and we’d be smarter to pursue careers in digital arts or web and app development.
It makes me happy to know that journaling, crafts and sending greeting cards in particular are just as popular as ever - people love tactile things and I don’t think that will ever change.
Do you have any particular artistic influences that have shaped your style?
I’ve always been so inspired by children’s books. There’s so much magic within picture-books, new and old. I love seeing my daughter’s excitement at all the different World’s you can be transported to when reading a story and being immersed in each illustrator’s unique style inspires me to create my own art.
What's your creative compass when picking themes and messages for your card collections? And, what vibes and messages do you aim to send to the lucky recipients of your cards?
I’ve always struggled to find greeting cards I love in stores, frustrated by typically very gender specific children’s cards and the enormous lack of diversity and representation. When coming up with themes, I try and focus on all of the different life events I would love to be able to walk into a shop and find the perfect card for.
I love creating colourful, diverse and thoughtfully designed cards, with the aim of each one sprinkling a little joy!
Can you walk us through a typical day or week in your life as an artist and business owner?
With a 3 year old and 1 year old at home everyday, there isn’t ever a “typical day” or even a routine.
I’ve always been a super organised person and have found this unpredictability a challenge… But I’ve found that making to-do lists at the start of each day and setting just a few tasks as absolute priorities has really helped for me to not feel so overwhelmed.
Packing up wholesale orders will always be the most important task, and then things like posting on social media and email admin can happen throughout the day. I’m really lucky to have the support of my husband and Mum, so I usually find myself doing bigger tasks like dreaming up new designs or focusing on my products that need assembling (card sets, gift tag sets) on weekends while the kids are out having fun and not nearby trying to give me a hand haha!
What has been the most rewarding aspect of running your business?
When I had those first 6 card designs printed, I had zero wholesale experience or knowledge of the greeting card industry. It has only been a year since I began this small business of mine, but to already have my creations stocked in over 100 lovely small businesses, boutiques, galleries, bookstores and more… I have to pause for a moment in stressful times and tell myself “You did this!”
My biggest pinch me moment has to have been going to the Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane with my kids and seeing my cards stocked in the beautiful gift store. GOMA is somewhere I visited on school trips and had dreams of being an artist one day, so it’s a truly proud moment.
Do you have any advice for aspiring artists or entrepreneurs?
One thing that held me back from pursuing my creative dreams for a long time was comparing myself to other artists and thinking that there was already so much out there that what I had to offer wasn’t unique enough. My advice would be believe in your art and don’t be disheartened if things take longer than you hoped, it really is a journey worth following!
What's your vision for the future of your card illustration business? Any exciting upcoming projects or plans?
I’m both nervous and excited to be showcasing Lauren Sissons Studio at my first trade show, Life Instyle in Sydney next year! This will be a huge investment into the future of my business and a great opportunity to show my product to existing and potential stockists in person. I’m also excited to branch into more stationery goods and fun children’s products like flash cards next year.
Thank you for choosing me to be Maker of the Month! Lauren x