As a mom, a blogger, and a hand-lettering artist, Dawn Nicole takes a stylish yet functional approach to her craft space organization. Her love for hand-lettering and design has helped her create a beautiful craft room that adds a vibrant atmosphere to her home. Here’s a closer look at how Dawn’s DreamBox setup has inspired her to create a space that best expresses her!
So, you’re a hand-lettering artist, and you do a good amount of calligraphy and watercolor as well. Can you tell us how you discovered these crafts and how your talents have grown since then?
So, I graduated college with an English Degree and worked in the Hospitality field in Charleston, SC. I loved my job and eventually was promoted to HR Manager, so I went to graduate school to obtain my MBA in HR Management.
Not long after that, I met a cute Air Force guy outside a bar in downtown Charleston, which changed my life trajectory. His friends had dared him to hit on the next girl to walk by. That girl was me, and, looking back, I think he got a lot more than he bargained for, LOL!
Long story short, we got married a bit over a year later and had three babies in a short time. We move every 1-4 years, so continuing my career in HR just wasn’t feasible. I started craft blogging to stay busy, and it just kind of evolved into what it is today. I'm an accidental entrepreneur!
Blogging involves a lot of graphic design work, so I decided to go back to school once again for an Advanced Certificate in Graphic Design. While they didn’t teach hand-lettering there, my professors would tell me I had a knack for typography. Thus began my love of the art of hand-lettering and calligraphy. That was nearly ten years ago, and I’ve loved it ever since!
How did you first hear about Create Room?
We were stationed overseas in Germany, and the Workbox 2.0 (and older model of the DreamBox) kept popping up on my social media. Like so many others, I was swooning over its design and functionality.
By that time, I had been blogging and creating as a full-time business for several years, so when I showed it to my husband, he said, “Go for it!”. So I bought it from the European division of Create Room.
What were your biggest barriers to craft organization before, and what was your old craft space like?
We have lived in nine (soon-to-be 10) different houses during our life as a military family, so it’s varied dramatically with each home. My creative space was initially our kitchen table, and then I had a mish-mash of random pieces. My collection of craft supplies and markers kept growing as my business did, so I had boxes and bins of stuff all over the place. The DreamBox is such a functional statement piece in my home office now! I can’t imagine going back to a time without it. Sitting at it to create, whether for work or fun, brings me such joy!
What does your craft organization look like now? And what sort of advice do you have for other crafters like you who are striving to get organized?
Now my creative space looks like something out of the pages of a magazine, thanks in no small part to the combo of my Create Room DreamBox, DreamCart, and Cubby. I know I keep saying this, but I’m continually surprised by how well thought out and functional each piece is.
I think organizing is a three-step process: purge things you never or rarely use, group like items, and corral them in a pretty organizational piece.
To see more of Nicole's new Cubby, check out her video below:
We absolutely love the look of your DreamBox! What can you tell us about the layout you chose, and how do you feel it best expresses you?
Thank you so much! I work best in an organized environment, but I also like to see all my creative goodies to best use them. That’s where the DreamBox especially shines for me.
I chose the classic white DreamBox with the 40-tote package to keep myself from hoarding too many craft supplies again. I opted to personalize mine to fit my overall home decor with cute baskets, and I re-purposed my original DreamBox clear totes to organize my fridge and pantry.
As fabulous as functionality is, my creative brain also wants everything to look aesthetically pleasing!
What sort of advice do you have for those who are looking to begin hand-lettering like you?
Be okay with being bad at it at first and commit to practicing often. Adopt the mantra "Practice makes progress." No one starts out doing fabulous lettering or calligraphy. It can be challenging to learn, but it’s so much fun! Even after ten years, I get excited to wake up each day and letter something new.
For any beginners out there seeking advice on hand-lettering, go check out Dawn's online blog and shop for helpful resources!
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