Originally from old blighty, Colleen Pugh now calls New Zealand home. Dunedin, to be exact, where she's just moved in to a new studio space. It looks cool... I'm jealous. And I'm also jealous of her clever designs and hand-drawn type, all coming together under products for her popular Dear Colleen brand.
Want to read the interview? Jump!
For those not familiar with you and your work, can you please fill us on what you do...
Mostly a peddler of tea towels. I’m a pretty solid graphic designer with a passion for hand-illustrated type and a skill for word play, which I have used to create homeware and lo-fi art under the label ‘Dear Colleen’. I design for myself and have been lucky enough to sell to a wide range of different kinds of folks all over the world.
Tell us the story of how you came to be a career artist/designer?
I’ve only really ever been good at art. I took the usual route and did a degree in design and, well I liked art school so much I stayed on and did my masters. I then worked in industry as a graphic designer for a number of years. I started running an online shop at the same time as well as working freelance. Around a year after opening I was finding the work load too much to manage so I quit my day job.
What have been your biggest challenges or frustrations?
My biggest challenge is keeping motivated without a boss breathing down my neck. I can pretty much do what ever I like with my time, which is amazing but sometime it’s hard to choose to do work. My biggest frustration now as a designer / business owner is copyright infringement. Last year I lost so much time trying to stop people from producing bootlegs of my designs. Consequentially I get really upset when I see others ripping off small independent sellers. I have witnessed some unbelievable behaviour of late of people setting up fake brands which produce really obvious rip-offs of really lovely work. This has the unfortunate effect of undermining the greatness of the original designer and potentially ruining their livelihood.
What’s the biggest lesson you've learnt and how has it shaped your career?
I have no idea how to answer this question. I pretty much do what I love and just hope for the best. My ‘career’ has no shape or if it has a shape it is something like a messy blobby octagon.
What advice would you give to other independent designers trying to make it?
Be original, work hard and find your own style or viewpoint and have a plan b because it as much about luck and timing as talent.
OK…what has been the best experience of your career so far, and why?
I don’t know about an experience, but anyway today it was sunny and I took the day off to hang out with a friend who is visiting because I could. Knowing the rest of the world is working but I’m free to work when I want is pretty sweet.
Where do you go or what do you do to get inspiration flowing?
I usually find I do my best thinking when I’m talking so I guess I’d go find my boyfriend or phone a friend and bend their ear until I figure out whatever I’m trying to figure out.
Tell us about a designer we should know about...
Alan Fletcher, because he’s the best.
What is your dream for your career – where would you like to take it?
I don’t really think in those terms. I really don’t see what I’m doing now as being a career it’s much more of a way of life which sounds wanky but is true. I hope I will be able to keep doing the work I love doing.
Design for Sprout, available here.
Illustrations for Birds of Aotearoa tea towel for Dishy, available here.
What are you working on at the moment?
I’ve just finished drawing some wall art in my studio. I’m not 100% sure where this design came from as it’s quite different from my usual work. I think deep down I wanted to make something territorial. It acts as a wall divider within a shared space.
Show and Tell time. Give us a little peek into your creative space...
I’m actually still moving in so it’s still a bit of a mess. I’m in a shared space, which is cool as I get to work a long side some really interesting creatives. This is the biggest studio I have ever had and it’s already changing the way I’m working and have started drawing on a much bigger scale, which really seems to suit my style. This year is all about creating new working and pushing my style and ideas further.
Cute promo items that Colleen includes for free in some of her packages
To buy yourself some Dear Colleen stuff, visit her Etsy store. Linky link.
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