Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Santello.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Amanda. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
A few years ago, I was walking by the desk of a coworker of mine at our quasi-corporate digital design company, and I realized that his cubicle was completely empty. Being in a creative field, this was unacceptable and I totally made fun of him for it – how can you call yourself a designer when your super corporate cubicle is the most boring one in the entire row?! Of course, I was only kidding, but he took my playful criticism to heart and brought in some art supplies the very next day.
This included an oversized sheet of paper, rows of dried watercolor daubs on a ripped poster board, and one small, wooden paint brush. He said that now when people walk by his cubicle, they can quickly paint something on the large sheet of paper and eventually his cubicle would be decorated by others’ artwork. How poetic, right?
One day, I was feeling especially ‘meh’ at work, with only 10 minutes to spare between client meetings. I stopped by this friend’s cubicle for a quick break, and decided I’d paint something punny to lighten my mood. While I rarely ever speak out loud in puns, I do love a good play on words. I decided to paint a duck’s feathery bottom sticking out of some water and wrote “Bottom’s Up” underneath in honor of the company happy hour coming up. Maybe my coworkers were only humoring me, but my puns quickly became a hit around our corner of the office. A few days later I decided I’d create an Instagram account to post whatever watercolor puns I could come up with, just for the hell of it.
What started out as a fun Instagram account soon turned into an Etsy shop to sell punny greeting cards and prints, which then transformed into a multi-faceted small business over the last 2 years. Now, I’m creating cards, prints and stationary for sale, painting custom pieces of artwork, and designing wedding invitations and day-of decor in watercolor.
When I first started, watercolor was a completely new medium for me. I’ve always considered myself an artist to some degree, but I never really took to watercolor during my art classes. Over the last few years, though, I think my style has evolved as the projects I take on continue to vary as well. I’ve experimented a lot with how to mix in the right amount of water to layer the colors, which is what can make the illustrations feel so organic. I think that’s what made me fall in love with watercolor as an art – mistakes are more than welcome and often preferred. Watercolor can be so forgiving, and the imperfections always end up being the most beautiful and interesting parts of the final piece.
I still work full time as a digital designer, and I love it for many other reasons. But this side business of mine is where I get to be completely creative and build connections with people who find joy through my artwork. My favorite moments come about when I post a new painting on Instagram, or when I’m selling at a local craft market, and I catch someone giggling at my pun or tagging a friend in my post. While this craft has become a business, my only intention is to create fun, lighthearted pieces of art that connect with other people who want to be a part of it. So far, Designs AS You Wish has turned into exactly that type of outlet, and somehow it continues to get better and better.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Yes and no! It’s been smooth in the sense that a hobby of mine has gradually turned into this growing business that I never thought would’ve been possible. Anytime I question myself or am faced with an overwhelming challenge, I try to remember that. It’s definitely something I’m proud of. But, of course, I’ve made plenty of mistakes and continue to have many moments of doubt that make the road feel less smooth. My confidence ebbs and flows, but I think that’s an obvious struggle for anyone pursuing a passion or dream.
Lately my biggest challenge, however, is finding balance. Between my career, my personal well-being, a social life, and this side business, sometimes it’s really hard to prioritize what’s more important to me that day or that week. I’ve learned over time that I can really only balance 3 of the 4 at a time well without stressing myself out completely, so it’s really important that I take the time each day, and each week to clearly define what I need to accomplish. Most recently I’ve been trying to make a daily effort to redefine what ‘done’ means. Do I need to finish my long list of painting tasks, or do I need to complete a full workout to feel like I’ve accomplished what I wanted to that day? I’ve also been listening to a LOT of podcasts by Jenna Kutcher on ‘The Goal Digger’, so those are proving to be pretty helpful on how to balance some of these challenges I’ve been facing. That being said, if anyone else out there has any wise words around finding a better balance, I’m all ears!
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Designs As You Wish – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
At Designs As You Wish, I paint and sell punny greeting cards and prints, custom-made paintings, and wedding invitations/day-of decor in watercolor. Since I started so prominently with puns, my followers and supporters know me best for pairing a good play on words with a painted illustration. But lately, I’ve been more time on custom paintings and weddings.
That’s not to say that I don’t want to continue with puns and greeting cards, but I definitely find myself doing more projects that are specially requested by those who have been following my journey and (I assume) admire my art style in general. The variety of projects keeps it even more fun and interesting for me – anytime I receive a new inquiry for a project my first reaction is usually, “Oooh I haven’t done that before, I can’t wait to paint that!” It keeps me on my toes.
Regardless of the nature of the project, though, I particularly take pride in adding personalization to the pieces I create. I strive to create pieces of art that are lighthearted and whimsical, but that are also impactful for others. I don’t want my artwork to always be so momentary or fleeting, the way my puns can be. I also want to incite feelings of joy, nostalgia, fulfillment, and warmth when someone comes across a painted illustration from Designs AS You Wish.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Honestly, I’m not really sure what the future holds, but I just hope that it involves everything I’m doing now and more. I definitely want to have a bigger presence in local markets around the city, including SoWA, next year. My main goal over the next 6 months, though, is really to streamline the “business” side of things. I’ve been very casual in how I approach the business, and I’m recently starting to recognize how impactful it could be if I didn’t. So that’s my plan for the immediate future! Beyond that, we’ll just have to see.
Pricing:
- Custom Paintings, $65 – $275 depending on size and level of detail
- Punny Cards – $6.00 each
- Prints – $25.00 each
Contact Info:
- Website: www.designsasyouwish.com
- Email: amanda@designsasyouwish.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/designsasyouwish
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/designsasyouwish
Image Credit:
Hannah Cochran Photography, for the profile headshot. All other photos were taken by me.
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