How I Design My Stickers (And Why I Do It This Way)
People often ask how I come up with ideas for my stickers.
The funny thing is... Most of them don't actually start at my desk.
They start outside while I'm feeding my koi. Or it's because I found a tiny bug with insane colors.
Sometimes it's a Petoskey stone sitting in my pocket after a walk along Lake Michigan.
I've realized over the years that I don't really invent ideas. But rather, I collect them.
Inspiration Before Illustration
I think a lot of artists feel pressure to constantly come up with new ideas.
I used to feel that way too.
I'd sit in front of a blank screen hoping inspiration would magically appear.
It almost never did.
Now I let nature do most of the work.
The more time I spend outside, the more ideas seem to find me.
My backyard pond has become one of my favorite places to sketch.
Watching koi swim beneath the surface has taught me more about movement than any tutorial ever could.
Looking closely at insects has made me appreciate tiny details I used to overlook.
Even rocks have personalities if you stare at them long enough.
It sounds a little ridiculous.
But it's true.
The Sketch Doesn't Have to Be Perfect
Once an idea sticks with me, I usually start in a sketchbook. Usually, it's acrylic markers and often it's several messy pages before anything feels right. So I've learned not to chase perfection at this stage.
The goal isn't to create a finished piece. The goal is simply to get the idea out of my head.
Some of my favorite designs started as terrible sketches.
Bringing It Into the Computer
Once I like the product, I move into Adobe Photoshop.
This is where the design starts becoming a sticker instead of just a drawing.
I clean up the lines, sometimes I adjust proportions.
Think about how it'll look at only a few inches wide because a sticker has to read quickly.
Someone should understand what it is almost instantly.
Though, that doesn't mean it has to be simple, just every detail should have a purpose.
The Question I Always Ask
Before I finish a design, I ask myself one question:
Would I put this on my own water bottle?
If the answer is no, it goes back to the drawing board.
I want to make stickers that I'd be excited to find in a little gift shop somewhere. Think of the kind that makes someone smile.
The kind people keep for years.
My Favorite Part
It's seeing what people choose.
One person falls in love with a frog while another chooses a Petoskey stone. Someone else immediately grabs the weird bug sticker I wasn't sure anyone would like.
It's a reminder that art is personal.
The designs I almost didn't make often become someone else's favorite.
Why I Do It This Way
I could probably create stickers faster or chase trends.
I could copy whatever is popular that week, but that's never been why I started making art.
I make stickers because I love the outdoors, I love colorful fish, I love tiny insects, I love Michigan rocks, I love finding beauty in things that people usually walk right past.
If my stickers encourage someone to notice those little things too—even for just a second—then I feel like I've done my job.
After all, the best designs don't just decorate your laptop.
They tell a story and every sticker in my shop starts with one.
