Dot Oddity 1 year today!
To be very precise, this is the day where Dot Oddity’s domain name was registered, one year ago. That was such a special day for me. I had been searching names for my dream project for about ten months (at least!), knowing that it had to be a special one to make the different parts of my vision come together. Those of you who have named a company, a store, or freelance business of any kind, know how much there is in a name (not even mentioning naming your kids)! It has to communicate the soul of your vision as well as giving it a frame with the right attitude. Actually using your own name is perfectly fine, and I envy those who do this, but then you can’t have one of the most common name combinations in your country! To claim a domain, an email address or a business name will prove to be impossible. So you need something else. Something different. Not already existing. With a domain name that is not already taken. I swear, it can take a year (or more!) to find one!!
But finally I did and once I saw it online first time, this very day one year ago, I realized that this might not just be one of those fluffy dreams you keep dreaming without really believing in them (like winning the Nobel prize or something else that MIGHT happen, but even IF your first novel would be the sensation of the century there’s still some miles left to go…) This was suddenly very real and even if I could see the miles in front of me I knew that it would not be an impossible journey.
To be honest I didn’t plan to start a blog at all, I just wanted an online portfolio for my recent work as I had begun to make illustrations and surface patterns, connecting again with my passion for drawing and painting. But starting a creative business after many, many, MANY years of working in completely different fields, there were so many thoughts regarding my new commitment that I needed to sort them out to get grounded in the new way of living that I wanted to create for myself. Everything was completely new regarding putting my work out there, I had no idea of blogging or social media, I didn’t have a clue how to build a website or get it up and running online. I felt overwhelmed seeing all the fantastic art created by awesome illustrators and designers and began to doubt my ability to ever do something as clever or beautiful…
So I started the Dot Oddity blog to share my rocky road with you, convinced that sometimes you would face the same struggles as I do. But I also decided to share all the things I found irresistibly gorgeous and inspiring introducing amazing artists from the past and the present, that you might have seen if you’ve been following along. Please, check out my series about Scandinavian Pattern Pioneers or Beauty will save the world – artists I admire for more goodness!
Now, I’m not really sure what Dot Oddity will look like her second year, maybe she needs to grow in another direction than I expected. I’ve decided not to be loyal to a certain format but allow her to grow into which ever shape that comes naturally. Isn’t that the freedom we want to give anyone we love and care for?
Last but not least, this project would be nothing without you reading this right now! I want to thank everyone who share this little space on the web with me and those of you who signed up for my newsletter. It means the world to me!!! THANK YOU!
