Trend Shopping at HomeGoods

Went to HomeGoods today for some inspiration and man, did I find some! Can't wait to get to designing! What's your favorite thing pictured here? Mine is the green lamp - so yummy!

last but not least. My daughter wanted me to snap a pic of her with Dr. Suess =)

Homegoods Storage Boxes

Storage Boxes found at Homegoods, originally uploaded by ecdesignz.

Trend Research

Storage Boxes found at Homegoods, originally uploaded by ecdesignz.

Love the fabric on these storage boxes I found at Homegoods.

The creative mind and feeling blue

I was feeling Blue when I made this in college - when I felt the most depressed

I just read a post on one of my favorite blogs - Scoutie Girl - and Tara wrote a wonderful, brave post about being stuck, feeling fear, and not giving into depression. It was quite a relief to read through her post to know that I am not the only creative person out there that struggles with this.
I can't tell you the exact age I was when I began to feel depressed or even feel the debilitating fear and anxiety that sometimes keeps me from getting out of bed and feeding my kids. Yes. Somedays are THAT bad. I do what I have to do to survive and keep my kids alive and well but that is the minimum. On 'those' days my kids know I am not 'fun mommy'. I am a person they don't recognize; a person that cries when she spills the milk for their cereal and a person that just can't handle all the toys on the floor. 


And when I pull through that terribly dark time and I start to see the light and feel a smile touch my lips again, the guilt sets in. The horrible, eats away at my insides, guilt. Guilt for not being 'perfect' all the time. For feeling that way. How can I? How can I feel SAD when I have so much to be happy about? I have a dream job, a roof over my head, 2 beautiful kids, a gorgeous husband, wonderful friends and a supportive family. 'WHAT is WRONG with me?', I say to myself. 'SNAP out of it!' Then I go through a frenzy of creative activity. AFTER an episode is when I usually feel the most creative, of course. All that brooding and sulking and thinking is good for something at least. And the THINKING! I can't seem to turn it off!! I think about things I need to buy, things that I need to do, stuff going on in the world that then sets me off into worry mode. What is the future going to be like for my kids? What if I die tomorrow? What if there is another terrorist attack in NYC? And on and on and on it goes and where it stops, nobody knows. Not even me. But I'm glad when it does. Because when it finally does I can breathe easy and actually SLEEP. But my sleep is fitful. All my thoughts turn into horrible dreams. My fear become reality in my head until I wake up in a panic, realizing that it was just a DREAM.


Then I get the feeling that I must MAKE something - ANYTHING. I can feel the creative energy flowing through me out of my fingertips. And I have to let it out, just like you have to let out a sneeze. But then the kids interrupt my flow and I get angry. And I resent them being around and then I feel guilty for even THINKING about FEELING that! Crazy, isn't it? At least that's what I thought I was, for a long time. There was an article that Tara posted that explained it all - that made it all make sense. And for once in my life it dawned on me. I am NOT crazy. Even though I AM Puerto Rican and Dominican from the Bronx and there IS the element of CRAZY in my family. I am NOT. I am an ARTIST. A designer. An illustrator. A CREATIVE. All my struggles within myself are what make me who I am. If I didn't have them I might have nothing from which to create. I wouldn't have the base that I have. I feel so blessed to have the talent that I have - the means of expressing myself that I do. It's both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because of all the people I touch with what I make and the pride I feel, a curse because I am forced to look at everything so intently and deeply that it literally 'does my head in' - as the Brits like to say. 


Yes, I wish I could have my creativity without the side order of mania, depression, fear, and/or anxiety. But would I gladly give it up to be free of it all? 


Not for anything in the world.

A Gift From Me to You

Free Metal Texture, originally uploaded by ecdesignz.

Seeing as it's Mother's Day Weekend and I am feeling generous and actually got outside today to take photographs I thought I would give all my mom's (and non-mom's) a little gift. A collection of free downloadable textures to use as layers in your favorite photo editing software!
The catch? I want to see what you come up with! And I also would appreciate credit for the texture and a link back. That is all.


You can find these textures in my Texture Collection on Flickr.

Happy creating! xxoo

Surtex Ad in Royalties

Will you be attending Surtex this year or the National Stationery Show? Both are held at the Jacob Javits Center in NYC and it is THE place to be seen by artists and manufacturers and licensees. I have missed the show the last two years but I am happy to say I will be walking it this year with one difference - I will be represented by Pink Light Design at Booth #317 (at Surtex). Although I am no novice when it comes to the Stationery Show (I have been working in the industry for several years now and have even had designs nominated and chosen for a Louie Award) This is the first time my designs will be shown at Surtex and I am so over the moon! It has always been a dream of mine to present at Surtex at my own booth but I think Pink Light Design will do a heck of a job representing me and hopefully landing me some sweet deals. So I guess you can say my dreams are coming true! =)


And as if it couldn't get any better the ad below will be running in Royalties, Surtex Publication and Art Buyer and my ditsy pattern is featured in it! It's the pattern right under the Pink Light logo. So grateful this year for SO many connections that I have made and I am looking forward to all the work that lies ahead!

I've been featured in Print & Pattern!

Oh happy day! One of my favorite blogs out there - Print & Pattern - (only THE best blog for surface design inspiration) has featured two of my patterns (shown below) along with a nice write up about the artists that make up Pink Light Design! Check out the post when you have a chance! I'm so excited! =)