Hello & welcome to my channel! 🦊 I'm Ellis, an illustrator living in Leicestershire, on a journey to creating my own magical woodland wonderland ✨ Shop: www.elliswoolley.co.uk Instagram: instagram.com/ellisjade_ Patreon: www.patreon.com/ellisjade_ Wholesale: www.elliswoolleyillustration.faire.com
Instagram is such a small part of business and product awareness, and some times it entraps us into feeling it’s everything and the only way that artists must be selling online. Once you give yourself the time to explore other options, and dive into more sustainable methods it can feel freeing. I’m exploring open gate filming a lot more - shoot once for RU-vid and then use these clips to create side pieces of content without extra filming or work. Videos/vlogs like this one show just how useful ‘just turning the camera on’ can be. They may not seem like much, but the story telling is your USP as it’s your story 💚💚💚
It’s very reassuring to hear more artists discussing this topic and feeling similarly about wanting to focus on art instead of content creation. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Needed to jump back in and say I've been struggling with colds and respiratory issues but am no longer allowed to take the standard cold and flu stuff. As such have been researching natural alternatives and I recommend getting some Elderberry supplements as they seem to be a ninja at fighting colds. I also bought something called Bee Prepared Max Strength which is full of natural goodness but due to containing bee propolis is vegetarian not vegan but it kicked the arse of the bad heavy cold I suddenly picked up last week and 2.5 days later I was already coming out the other side of it. Seems everyone is coming down with this at the moment just like the end of last year😢
Oh no this really sucks for you! You're right everyone is sick at the minute & I feel like I've been on the sicky train since April 😅 but this sinus infection really wiped me out 🤧 I'm only just feeling like myself again! I'll bear the elderberry remedies in mind for next time 🥰
Left Adobe years ago for Affinity, and they keep developing and improving. I know lots of other people have moved over to Affinity as well. It is less bloated and is currently not a subscription model. Plus the whole suite is in the sale at mo I think! It is so affordable it's worth getting it. X
I'm so glad you said this because I bought it the other day! I bought it just as I finished the video but I'll definitely share my thoughts in my next video 🥰 Thank you! 💕
I think I'm one of the few people who enjoys instagram but I haven't been on the platform for a long time, only the past 3-4 years. However I totally agree with you about fast social media, I'm a youtube lover and I wish I was better at it, but falling into the trap of being a content creator instead of an artist really scares me. Great vlog Ellis, keep going 🤎
That's totally fair enough! It's such a shame that it works for some & not others, because I think even those of us who don't like it anymore once upon a time absolutely loved it & it felt like a great platform to be a part of. You seem to do great over there! 🙌🏻
Sounding like you suddenly just have to come up for air...hoping you're feeling a little better each day Ellis, very enjoyable watching your videos as you put lots into them. Funny too, seeing little clips like your phone stand, like me I like all of these quirky things & I'm 'alot' older, brighten your world!...😊😃
Oh heck these virus colds & all they tire you out, sometimes I think is it another test to see how well we combat all but, surely a break now & again...😷😊
what you said about “fast social media” i feel exactly that way! i haven’t started posting yet i tried before but seeing how often others posted (and my busy irl wouldn’t allow me to keep up) so i just browsed insta instead, i was going to try again this year then some artist i follow are leaving others don’t know what to do, i’m not sure how i’d do reels or short form… youtube i am thinking of starting but it’ll prob just be videos like this where it shows work/ slice of life clips but it’ll be more over time where i won’t have to upload every day, i’ll have to figure out all what i want but recently like how you said just be able to throw something on while working on your own thing, that’s fun for me. hope things work out for you!
This is exactly it! I see people making reels every day or so & I just don’t have the time for that as a busy Mama trying to keep her business going as it is 😅 it’s very tiring & overwhelming isn’t it. Confusing knowing what to do. I hope you find some joy, peace & you time whilst listening to videos like this one, this would be the biggest compliment ever for people to feel this way 💖
I wanted to add (aside from my AI rant lol) that I love watching your videos ❤ I'm a new mother too, my son is a little over a year old now and we'll be having our second baby in October. I find your content very relatable, although I'm just barely starting to sell my art. I'm excited about it, but also worried about juggling both of the kids and still make time for art markets and even opening up my online shop soon is making me feel overwhelmed but excited at the same time 😅
Oh my goodness congratulations on having another little one on the way! I think whether we have kiddies or not, we all find a way that works for us. Whether that rhythm looks like creating a little in the evenings once your babies are safely in bed or getting 5 minutes here & there, do what works for you & try not to compare your norm with someone else’s. That’s what’s really helped me! 💖
AI is extremely frustrating but.. Part of me has just stopped caring. Not in terms of what it is and what it's doing, but in the sense that as an artist my work is being put out there regardless of whether it's me, a copycat, or AI. I'm not gunna waste what little time I have worrying about how to protect my art.. There's always a loop hole. Even if it's another person copying my art, all they have to do is change a few minor things and legally it becomes a waste of time & money to fight the copyright claims because they'll get away with it if they can "prove" it's "different enough". And if it's a foreign country stealing my work then forget it, nothing can stop it at point. The legalities go out the window because it becomes "too hard" to prove or disprove anything & would cost millions to fight. It's more annoying to me seeing the stupid little AI stars on everything I use. Google, IG, FB, Photoshop, literally everything.. I wish there was a way to disable it. The fact it's being forced on me is only forcing me to hate it more and more and want to not even have technology in my home. It's more frustrating on the personal side of social media. I can't share photos of my children with my close friends and family anymore because even having privacy settings on, AI has been given permission by Meta to use any photo I post. All photos of my son have been removed and all of my family who live far away don't get to see him unless they reach out to get my personal number. It's angering really. The whole point of social media has been ruined, and I only made my social media to keep in touch with friends and family. At this point part of me wants to delete all of my socials again and keep purely business accounts until the AI overtakes completely and then I'll switch to in person business only. I want nothing to do with AI and there should be an option to disable it.
Literally agree with all of this! Another reason I’m glad I don’t put my sons face online. It’s a terrifying time but also one that can’t be avoided so it feels very strange knowing how to navigate it 😐 I think the more artists talk about it & show their love for creating & supporting real art by real people, we’ll somehow keep ourselves going 💖
Lol, I've never liked Lemsip or throat sweets in general - but if I absolutely had to choose... blackcurrant! I actually deleted my instagram account last week - I had almost zero engagement and just got totally disheartened. I've now moved over to the Cara app though I'm not getting anything there either!! I just keep plodding away in my sketchbook and creating on my Ipad - good job I actually like doing it!! Thank goodness I've got my little crochet shop to keep me afloat because otherwise I'd be in trouble xx
I can’t tell you how many throat sweets I consumed over the 3 weeks of being really poorly 😂 also 2 boxes of Lemsip 🤢 but it helped I can’t lie 😅 ahh I’m sorry to hear that about social media. All of mine except RU-vid are just dying & I’m just so over it 😂
I agree with you about instagram. I have noticed that a lot of artist are talking about leaving the platform. It started off with just images, now people are being forced to make reels. It seems that artist have too many platforms to contend with. Wishing you better.❤
Thank you lovely, I’m feeling much better now! 💖 yes it feels very overwhelming doesn’t it & a bit flappy knowing where to dedicate our time, which is what I’m aiming to work on! ☺️
Its kind of like Thera-flu here in the states. Its DISGUSTING.. My hubby is from Sheffield and me being a country bumpkin from America def makes the Lem-sip/Thera-flu funny when he forgets hes in AMERICA. lol.. Hope you get well soon!💜.. love the video vibes💜
For anyone actually make the pins or does everyone just design and then send them off to be made? I cannot find any videos of anyone actually making the pins.
This is mainly due to the manufacturing process, most people don’t have the machinery required to make enamel pins themselves. A mould is made of your design & it is stamped into metal, before being hand filled with Pantone selected enamel & then sanded down again. It’s quite the lengthy process but videos like these help people to navigate that often confusing understanding of what actually happens behind the scenes & how pins come to be made.
@@EllisWoolleyIllustration That's a great reply. I am trying to learn the process because I have a CNC machine and I wanted to make small run challenge coins but no one seems to talk about the process of making the actual pin or coin. almost all the videos end with an unboxing after they arrive from being made. I am looking for the process between when they are shipped of and the unboxing picked up. Any advice?
It always amazes me how far one or two really focussed drawing sessions can take us in development. I’m watching your videos in a very confused order so I don’t know if you kept up with the changes in the mouth or people yet. 😁 but I just doodled from a photo while watching your video and just this one session taught me something new about colour and what brushes I like.
Mines didnt bring the usb i try downloading driver from the web and it doesnt work i got the app and it doesnt connect i did make a simpme design to try it out
A fab re-fresh on your new site and love your hair too. Going to the London show is so exciting!! I hope little Bear gets back into a sleeping groove soon. x
I’m like you in that I completely missed the Aurora. Last time I saw one was when I was younger, duvet and wellies staring up at the night sky on a grass bank. Your hair looks awesome.
@Ellis Woolley The new web site i must say looks more clean lined and professional looking.. The colours fit in really well with your theme.. I think you made a great choice with the move..love your vlogs
I’m the person who messaged you on insta. I got dreads because of you. You’ll love it and this time next year they’ll be even better! I’m glad you went for it!
Ahhh yes I remember chatting to you! You’ll have to send me an updated photo of what yours look like now 😍 I’m so happy I went for it too, I can’t wait to decorate them 🥰
@@EllisWoolleyIllustration yes I got ALL the beads my dreads are too thick for most of them now. I’ll send you pic this weekend they are one year old I made 4 more, I love them. We need to chat a bit on insta.
I am caucasian and I don't think I'd get dreadlocks. I think they are far too entwined in African culture as well as rastafarian faith to be worn by people outside of these areas. I'd just be afraid of culturally appropriating and offending. I know Anglo saxons are a culturally mix and I'm not generally sensitive to things like wearing japanese cut jacket or leather moccasins etc, but I just feel dreadlocks and things like native American headress are kind of sacred.
I discussed this quite deeply with my loctician & she explained to me that dreadlocks were also a huge part of Egyptian, Viking & Greek culture just to name a few. We talked a lot about how the locs & dreads symbolism varies from culture to culture which I find super interesting. Always happy to learn.
Ahh yes so that part you can buy separately for your machine, if you're using the stack of labels I wouldn't say its necessary but if you're using a roll instead then yes it would make life a lot easier ☺️
Thank you for the advice. Left Etsy and thought I’d plug into instagram. But I hate social media so I was dreading it. I think I will continue to use it as a type of portfolio and lead to my website
Recently I've been watching an artist on Twitch and decided to follow her on her socials, and I noticed she had Twitter. I never thought Twitter was good for art because to me it always felt like a political sphere, but I guess it changed when Elon Musk bought the company cause back when I used to have Twitter, no one would see my stuff. I'd have 32 followers for like 5 years and nothing came out of it. So I decided to sign up to Twitter again and I'm actually surprised how much more my stuff is being shown to people compared to IG. For example one of my posts that was on IG from 4 days ago has only reached 11 accounts. That same post which I have posted on Twitter 3 days ago has reached 40 accounts. Like I'm seeing larger number of views on Twitter than on IG. Twitter just feels more fluid and hopeful, while IG feels like you have to be part of some VIP club or else you're always struggling.
I'm also watching Once Upon a Time while I pack orders. Recently started re-watching it and forgot how long it is haha. Hope you and your son are feeling better soon 💜 Congrats on the fair!! x
Lovely Vlog, I hope you are both feeling wayyyyy better now, Little Bear is adorabubble. he he. I've never heard of the London Illustrators Fair, sound like a fun fair to go to, and great idea to share a stall to make it more affordable to attend. Glad you have a full set again of your Zines, it was lovely to see you flip through them. Now I want a choccy bar!!!!!!!!!
Brilliant Ellis really enjoyed that, love the heat press. I have a small glazing machine for plates, trinket dishes to put photos on(it sits in a box at present) I might have another go sometime...Love this machine capability though, very exciting to see end results after set up, thankyou. P.s hope your little boy enjoyed his day😊❤
Looking forward to seeing what you end up making for your shop! I’ve never used a sublimation printer before, but I am very intrigued. I love that there are so many options of different products to print on too, and it’s not just for mugs :)
