ash cascade’s free mindset guide
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT
I chat with Ash Cascade about being a working mum, her process & sharing her work with the world. Ash also shares with you her free mindset guide. Whether you make art professionally or as a hobby, this guide is for you!
Let me introduce..
ASH CASCADE
Ash Cascade is an artist whose bohemian/retro style evokes a polished yet gritty sense of place. Ash draws infinitely upon the adventures she takes with her husband and their two fierce little girls in the Pacific Northwest.
Ash’s designs translate beautifully across many industries with her most passionate being outdoor gear, clothing, stationery, dinnerware, wallpaper, gift wrap, home goods and fabric. She recently collaborated with Cotton + Steel Fabrics to launch her debut fabric collection, Camp Creek, which is currently being sold around the globe.
Interview with Ash
“We must create our own
beauty in this one precious lifetime.”
tip for being a working mum & juggling family & your passion?
This business was born out of my necessity to be a flexible parent to my girls. I need the space to be there for my family and also be able to make an income that can substantially contribute to our wellbeing. I am using the valuable time when my kids are in school or asleep to progress my creative career. All of this feels more like a passion project than a job, which means I'm finally doing something right.
How did you discover pattern design as a career?
I was introduced to pattern design as a career at a time when I was looking for a way to reenter the workforce after being a stay at home mom for several years. I stumbled into Bonnie Christine's online course in 2020. It's called Surface Design Immersion and it teaches you how to create a career from your art through licensing. I instantly knew it was the right path for me. I'm now on her support team for the course and I love guiding artists in their quest to unleash their own creative career.
What’s your favourite thing to draw?
I love drawing natural elements that have an edge to them. In nature, at least where I live, flowers are not always delicate, they have to live at high elevations so there are more gritty elements that I like to draw into my artwork.
Top tip for being brave and sharing your work with the world?
I have become incredibly aware in the last 2 years that I have absolutely zero to lose by sharing my work and everything to lose by keeping it hidden. Many of my licensing jobs have come by art directors finding my work on instagram. If I had never shared, I would not have found the successes that I have. I share from a place of constant learning and a place of exploration and it seems less scary.
What’s your process for pattern making?
I'm pretty old school about how I create work. I draw everything by hand with pen, pencil or paint brush. Then I bring it into illustrator on my computer to color and compose the patterns. I love batch working and drawing a ton of motifs first then diving into illustrator with all my drawings to play with.
“SO many talented people get stuck in a whirlpool of self-doubt and it can be paralyzing.
WHAT MADE YOU MAKE YOUR MINDSET GUIDE?
I’ve gotten so many emails and instagram messages lately filled with people vulnerably confiding in me. They tell me all of their art industry insecurities. This hits close to my heart because I also have struggled in the past with these limiting beliefs.
The single most important thing to overcome while on your artistic journey is your own pessimistic mindset. We tell ourselves lies based on years and years of conditioning that comes from our teachers, our family and even our best friends. Let’s work to dispel these myths so that we can live our best creative lives, free of imposter syndrome and fear.
I truly believe that every single artist can be successful and find their place in the industry. There is an audience for all of us.
“If I can help just a few artists overcome this doubt, I will feel an incredible sense of accomplishment.”
Click below to grab Ash’s Free mindset guide
Whether you make art professionally or as a hobby, this guide is for you!
“If you make art, then, you are an artist!”
click the button below to check ASH OUT ON Instagram
Comment below if you found this helpful or if you have any more tips on these topics to help other creatives on their journey.
If there are any topics you would love for me to talk about let me know below & I will endeavour to add these to my Blog.
