Surface Design Immersion Course
The Immersion Course is a comprehensive 8-week online training program for anyone who wants to learn Adobe Illustrator, pattern design, and the business of how to become a licensing artist. The course is led by internationally renowned surface pattern designer, entrepreneur, and award-winning online educator, Bonnie Christine. I've had the privilege of being on the support team for Immersion for the last two years after completing it in 2021. If you’re brand new or established and ready to soar, this course will meet you where you’re at and help you accomplish your BIG goals.
Here's What You'll Learn:
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The incredibly comprehensive, 8 week course is broken up into 6 modules with lessons released at the beginning of each week. It may sound like a lot, but rest assured she’s broken it up into bite-sized pieces that build upon each other and are easy to follow.
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Orientation Week
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Module 1 - Intro to Illustrator
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Module 2 - Illustrator Advanced
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Implementation Week
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Module 3 - Repeating Patterns Pro
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Module 4 - Collection Creation
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Implementation Week
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Module 5 - Licensing Your Art
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Module 6 - Creative Entrepreneurship
From painting on the back of construction plans as a young girl, sewing my high school graduation dress, to eventually earning a Studio Arts degree, I have always loved being creative! After graduating from college and working at a design firm for a few years, I was looking for something that would allow me greater flexibility and creativity. My search led me to Skillshare and Bonnie Christine’s Surface Pattern Design courses. For two quiet years, I learned Adobe Illustrator basics, started creating my first patterns and opened up a Society 6 shop. I was so happy to have found something that seemingly combined all of my creative interests, and I knew I wanted to turn my passion for patterns into a business.
I joined Bonnie's Flourish membership in 2020 and learned about the upcoming 2021 Immersion course. I wanted to take the course, yet I worried I might not have enough time to go through it with all my family commitments. Being budget conscious, I also wondered if I could make back the money I spent on the course. (Not to jump ahead, but I was able to find the time and earn back my investment and more in less than a year). I ultimately decided to take Immersion in 2021, and I am so glad I did!
Once I started Immersion, I was blown away by the content quality and the sense of community generosity. The deep diving course covered everything I needed to know to master creating patterns in Adobe Illustrator, build a pitch-ready portfolio, and run a thriving creative business. I appreciated Bonnie's heartfelt and thorough teaching style and all of the helpful feedback I received from her team. The community was equally encouraging and inspiring. I left the course having completed my first pattern collection and feeling confident in my next steps.
With my newfound knowledge, I have expanded my business in ways I never thought were possible! Since completing Immersion, I have designed three pattern design collections, had my first brand photoshoot, built a portfolio, and launched my website. I began an IG account and worked with two clients who found me through social media. I opened a Spoonflower shop and continued to make sales through my Society 6 shop. Finally, I had the opportunity to support the Immersion 2022 course as a Guide and I'll be serving a gain this year. Immersion helped give me the skills and confidence to reach these goals, and I am forever grateful!
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6 Takeaways from my Interview with Bonnie:
Last year, I had the wonderful privilege of interviewing Bonnie Christine! I loved getting to know her on a more personal level and being able to ask her a few of the questions that I’ve been curious about. She’s just as authentic, knowledgeable, and kind in person as I imagined she would be and more! Here were a few of the main takeaways:
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Doing one thing a day to move you closer to your biggest goals will help you beat the overwhelm.
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Pay close attention to the things in your past that lit you up creatively. They can serve as clues to point you in the right direction.
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There’s something really magical and even soothing about seeing something in a repeating pattern.
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A career in surface pattern design can allow you time, flexibility, and location freedom.
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Learning Illustrator can open many doors for you in your creative career and give you the confidence to approach and work with any company.
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There is tremendous value in a supportive creative community.
My Immersion Story
8 Tips to get the most from your Immersion Experience:
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If you find time before the start of Immersion, you might consider drawing and thinking through what you might like to draw while in Immersion.
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Make sure to take advantage of the support team! The Experts will be in every lesson, willing and ready to help you with any technical issues or questions! The Guides (including myself) will be in the community to welcome you, answer general questions, offer encouragement, and provide feedback on your work.
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Bonnie releases a new course module and holds live q&a calls each week. If time allows, I recommend listening to these calls live, or as soon as the replay comes out. Bonnie always shares many practical tips in these calls, and I was thankful I kept up with them when I went through Immersion in 2021.
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Each student will receive a beautiful and detailed workbook to accompany the course. The workbook will be a great place to add notes as you work through each lesson.
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As you go through the earlier modules (which focus on Illustrator), I found it helpful to play the lesson on one screen (my iPad) while I worked in Illustrator on my computer. I found that spending time to practice each lesson, before moving onto the next one, helped me learn the content.
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Go into the course knowing that the first three modules will likely require the most time and energy. The load begins to ease towards the end as Bonnie covers the business aspects of pattern design. Learning new things is never easy, but it is worth your time and effort! We also have the best teacher in Bonnie! She is brilliant at breaking down more complex things into manageable, easy-to-understand steps, and she does a great job at anticipating questions in her content.
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Posting in the online community may feel intimidating, but if you put yourself out there, you won’t regret it! Bonnie brings together such a positive, inspiring, and supportive group of people! I also recommend adopting the mentality of: “be the friend you wish to have” in the community. I built meaningful friendships by reaching out to others and showing sincere interest in their lives and work.
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Focus on your own progress and stay encouraged! Towards the end of the course, as more students share their work, it can be easy to feel discouraged or be tempted to compare yourself to others. Just know that everyone comes into Immersion with different levels of experience, and regardless of where you are in your journey, if you stay consistent and put in the work, your designs will improve with time! Not only that, but everyone’s design taste is different and there is room in the world for everyone’s art!