Pattern Collections and Portfolios: Dos, Don'ts, and Myths | Part 2

1. Introduction: Hi. I'm Melissa Lee, a professional Illustrator, surface designer, and licensed fabric designer. Back in July of 2022, I published part one of pattern collections and portfolios, does Don'ts and Myths, and it's been one of my most popular classes here on Skillshare. In that class, I focused on the fundamentals of creating pattern collections and building a surface design portfolio. Things like collection size, complexity, color palettes, and how to present your work professionally. Well, it's been over three years since I made that class, and I have learned so much in that time. I've licensed more collections. I've worked with more clients, and I've had countless conversations with students and fellow artists about what's working, what's not, and what questions keep coming up. So, I decided it was about time to create Part two. In this class, I cover all the things I didn't get to in part one, along with updated insights based on my experience since then. We'll talk about setting realistic licensing expectations, the different types of licensing deals, whether you really need to work in vectors, how to curate your portfolio to specific companies, and so much more. If you haven't taken Part one, I highly recommend starting there, as these two classes really work hand in hand to give you a complete picture of building a successful surface design portfolio. But if you've come here from Part one, let's dive right in. 2. Setting Realistic Licensing Expectations: I wanted to share a couple of lesser known licensing facts so that you can set realistic expectations from the start. One thing that a lot of people don't know is that in reality, only a small percent of your art will be licensed. On average, about ten to 40% of your artwork will be licensed or sold. This isn't a reflection of your talent or the quality of your work. It's simply a reality of the industry. Different clients have different needs and what doesn't resonate with one may be perfect for another. Plus, you can always sell those unlicensed designs via print on demand or on your own manufactured products. The designs you license or sell may never actually be used. Even when a client licenses or purchases your artwork, there's not always a guarantee it will appear on their products. Companies often collect more artwork than they end up using because they build a collection to choose from as their product lines develop. That said, you should always get paid regardless of whether they end up using your artwork. This is one that a lot of people seem to be unaware of. So there are two types of licensing royalty licenses and flat fee licenses. Royalty licenses are what we're all most familiar with. A company licenses the use of your art for their product or products, and you'll receive a percentage of sales. Those royalty payments get paid out to you in regular intervals, usually quarterly over the span of the contract duration. Flat fee license, on the other hand, is when a company licenses the use of your art for a specific period of time, and you get paid a one time flat fee upfront. The more freedom you give them broader usage rights or a longer time period, the more you should charge. You keep the copyright of the art so you can potentially license it elsewhere. One pro of flat fee licenses is that you get paid a lot more quickly than with a royalty license. But royalty licenses do give you the best chance to get paid the most. So there are pros and cons to both, and it just depends. Lastly, a buyout is when you sell your artwork and its copyright directly to a company, which means you no longer have any claim to the art. Byots should command the highest price because you're giving up your rights completely. Remember, this career choice is an endurance sport, not a sprint. It can feel so discouraging to pitch and pitch and pitch and feel like you're getting nowhere. You feel like you sprint to make things happen and expect this reward at the end of the sprint, but you don't always get it. In fact, you're much more likely not to where people tend to give up or lose the race, if you will, is when their endurance runs out and they don't or can't continue the race. When you sprint too hard, you need to remember to slow down and give yourself space to feel your feelings, self care, and re energize so that you can continue the marathon. Creator of Mindfulnice Debby Lightman said something that really stuck with me. Actually, she said a lot of things that have stuck with me, but the example I wanted to share here is she said, Rest is an action, too, and it's an important one. Shaming yourself for resting when you need it does you no good and can stagnate your progress. I read a story about Stephen King, where he shared that he basically made a game out of receiving rejection letters. So every month, he had a goal of collecting a certain amount of nos. Reframing it like this for myself has made it feel like an accomplishment rather than a failure because I'm still taking action. I'm pitching, I'm doing the work, and I can feel proud of myself for reaching each month's goal. Plus, I love anything that's a little bit cheeky. And to be clear, I count a lack of response to both my initial pitch emails and follow ups as rejections. So I get to tally those in my no pile, too. I have had many moments over the years, where I have felt overwhelmed and been so close to giving up. But I did whatever I needed to do to re energize and stay the course. You can do it, too. 3. An Updated Note on Print On Demand (POD): I wanted to give you an updated perspective on Print On Demand because I've learned some things since making part one of this series that I think are really valuable for surface designers to know. What I didn't realize back then is that there are drop shipping POD services like Printifi, gelato, contrado, and Printed Mint and more that sync directly with platforms like Etsy and Shopify. Well, in truth, I did know that they existed, but they had a reputation for low quality products for a long time. What I didn't know was that the quality has improved a ton over the years. Anyway, this is a game changer for a lot of people because it means you can sell products on your own storefront, and the drop shipping company takes care of all the fulfillment for you. So when a customer orders a product with your design on it, you don't have to worry about printing, packing, or shipping anything. It's all handled for you. This is a big advantage because you get to maintain control over your brand and your customer relationships, which you don't get in the same way with marketplace style POD sites. And if you sync with Etsy, you can take advantage of their existing audience and built in traffic. When you manufacture your own products, you have a higher profit margin, but something else that I think is really useful about POD is you can test products and see what is selling and what isn't using POD means that you don't waste a lot of money buying inventory on something that maybe won't sell very well. Then there's the fact that some artists make a majority of their income from marketplace style POD options like Spoonflower. For both drop shipping and marketplace POD, you do have to invest time into marketing and building your audience, but they're really great option if you don't have the space or funds for inventory, and you can continue to license and pitch work on top of it. 4. A Quick Note on Flexibility: I see. Say it with me, folks. Licensing isn't the only option, and I think that's something really important to remember as you're building your surface design career. A lot of artists get hung up on licensing as the ultimate goal. And while licensing is great, being flexible about how you work with companies can help you close more deals and build stronger client relationships. Here's a really practical example of how this might play out. Let's say you pitch your work to a company and you get a response along the lines of, I love your style, but I'm shopping for Halloween right now, and I don't see anything in your portfolio that fits what I need. Instead of just accepting that as a dead end and losing the potential client, you could offer to create something custom for them. You could say something like, I'd love to design a Halloween collection for you. Are you open to commissioning custom work? Now, they might not have the budget or the timing might not work out, but by being flexible and offering that option, you're keeping the door open. If they say no this time, you've shown that you're willing to collaborate and that you're not rigid in how you work. The same goes for buyouts and flat fee licensing. If you're open to it, you're giving yourself more opportunities to get your work out there. Now, buyouts are a little trickier because you don't want to sell the rights away to your favorite work, right? But if there are pieces that you make that you don't feel super attached to and maybe you're a very prolific artist, remember that there is the option to sell those outright. Also being open to selling your work through POD or wholesale on Etsy, Shopper v, Spoonflower, et cetera, you have options. Being flexible doesn't mean you have to say yes to everything or compromise your worth. It just means you're open to different ways of working, and that openness can lead to opportunities you might not have considered otherwise. 5. Are Vectors Required?: Good evening. There is a common misconception in the surface design world that concerns me, and it's that companies only accept vector files. Allow me to bust this myth for you. This simply is not true. You do not have to master Adobe Illustrator or any other vector program in order to become a professional surface designer. Now, it is an incredible tool to have in your toolbox that can open up a wide range of career opportunities, and I personally way prefer creating repeating patterns in Illustrator or affinity over Photoshop and Procreate. Plus, they're really good for logos and mascot graphics and all sorts of things. Vectors are awesome. I love vectors, but you do have options. I really like how professional Illustrator Sarah Watts put it in her Pattern plus process Substack newsletter. The whole point of being an artist is to express your vision, and there are many programs to choose from that fit your vision best. I've linked to Sarah's Substack under the Projects and Resources tab. I know many professional artists who have shared that in their experience working as freelance illustrators and surface designers, their clients were happy to use the Raster art created in programs like Procreate and Photoshop. Companies often purchase Raster art as well as vector art. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, and there are companies out there who prefer vector. If that's something you want to explore, you might consider learning Affinity Designer or Adobe Illustrator, but it's absolutely not the only path. I personally use both Illustrator for the desktop and Affinity Designer for the iPad, and I love working in vectors. But it's a complicated process and medium that is very different from raster art, I E pixel based art, which is what most people new to the digital art world are used to using. Procreate and Photoshop are both Raster programs, for example, now, this is not meant to discourage you from learning how to use vectors, but to simply set more realistic expectations. I love vectors. Like I said, they can be an amazing tool in your belt, but they are a whole different beast, and you don't have to know how to work with them in order to be a successful surface designer. 6. Some More Thoughts on Collection Size: Good evening. I wanted to talk a bit more about collection size. As I mentioned in part one of this series, a lot of artists primarily work in mini collections of just three to four patterns with one hero pattern and two much simpler coordinates or blenders. And here's something interesting. Some artists only make hero prints because hero prints are the most likely to sell across the widest range of product categories. And that's absolutely a valid strategy. You really don't have to work in full pattern collections unless you have your heart set on quilting and sewing fabric. That said, I still stand by what I said in part one about working in collections being incredibly valuable for developing your skills as an artist and designer. Through designing and collection after collection, you're essentially building your understanding of color, complexity, composition, and balance, which all lead to more cohesive and polished work overall. Try making a bigger collection, and if you enjoy working that way, then you know what to do going forward. And if you're still struggling with what to do, consider where you see your work and go from there. Try to study one or two industries where you want to see your work and then decide if they warrant full collections, mini collections, or just standalone patterns. If you feel inspired to go back through old work and turn some standalone patterns into collections, then great. But if that doesn't excite you or feels like too much, don't stress about it too much because designing it in collections is industry dependent and not absolutely necessary. I think the bigger picture for your portfolio is really about presenting a cohesive style. It's the job of an art director to see the potential in your artwork no matter how much you've created. So I would absolutely include standalone pieces in your portfolio if they fit with your signature style, and you like to see them licensed. 7. Should Surface Design Collections Only Include Repeating Patterns?: So should surface design collections only include repeating patterns? Well, the truth is, unless you're submitting to an industry that requires technically repeating patterns like fabric, wallpaper, and some home decor products, just to name a few, then no, your collection does not need to be all patterns. In fact, it's actually a really good idea to also include illustrations that don't repeat. And just a pro tip, hand lettering will also boost your portfolio. There is this prevalent idea amongst beginning pattern designers that pattern collections must only include patterns. But the truth is that in reality, just as many products or surfaces don't require repeating patterns as ones that do. Over the past five years, I have either taught or supported in quite a few creative courses online within the surface design corners of the Internet. And it is honestly kind of shocking how many people have asked me or my fellow support team members if it's okay to include illustrations alongsiden patterns in their surface design portfolios. Of course, it's okay. Greeting cards, T shirts, tea towels, stickers, puzzles. These are just a few of the things I can name off the top of my head that commonly utilize or require non repeating illustrations. I have a theory about this. So some of the most well known and respected educational voices in the industry focus on and emphasize Surface Pattern Design, which is essentially the subset of surface design that specifically refers to repeating patterns. To be clear, I am not criticizing this emphasis on pattern design by any means. Making repeating patterns is a complex technical skill that is hugely beneficial for artists who want to sell their work on products to know how to do. So, of course, people are teaching it. But I think what happens is these industry leaders teach what they have done to achieve success, and a lot of the time, what they have done is pitch full pattern collections to great success. And then students have this tendency to want to emulate their mentors. And then they worry that if they're not doing exactly what their mentors are doing, they're doing something wrong. Now, emulating your mentors is not a bad thing. Obviously not. That's why we have them. We need them. And we need them to guide us. But what I think many artists forget is that it is guidance, not like a strict set of rules that you have to follow. I've done this myself. I did the same thing as a few different surface designers that I respected admire, which was to go to Quilt Market and set up meetings with fabric company reps so that I could show them my portfolio in the hopes that I could secure a licensing deal right then and there. I did not, in fact, secure a deal during the convention, but it did ultimately lead to me signing my first licensing deal. So I literally followed in the footsteps of my mentors, and it paid off. But I was also going after fabric, which full pattern collections are perfectly suited for. I'm a serial course taker. I collect online courses like some people collect Funko pops. So I know for a fact that the educators I'm talking about always present it like these are some best practices. And also, here are some other examples by other artists who do things a little differently. But what I have learned over the past five years of being in the unique position of a support team role is that students will still worry if they are not following these guidelines set by the teacher to a or they will feel overwhelmed by all of the options, and as such, choose the easiest route, which is to follow them to a like I said, it is not necessarily a bad thing. It ultimately led to great things for me. I just want you to be aware of this so you can make the best choices for yourself and your career. Now, one important choice you'll need to make is how to organize your portfolio. Do you organize it by category or do you organize it by complete collections? For example, let's say you have a floral collection with a hero print, some coordinates, and some blenders. Do you keep that collection together as one cohesive group, or do you pull out all of your floral work from different collections and group those together instead? There's no one right answer. It really depends on what you're pitching and to whom. When pitching for general product development or any product category that does not necessarily require collections, I recommend organizing your portfolio by category, like florals, holidays, abstract animals, nursery, and full editorial illustrations. But if pursuing fabric or stationary set licensing specifically, I reorganize everything by complete collections made up of hero patterns, coordinates, blenders, and even panels. So in conclusion, please feel free to include non repeating illustrations in your portfolio if you feel so inclined. Even bolt fabric companies use them because fabric panels and sewing notions are a thing. 8. Portfolio Tip! Don't Include This: It can be tempting to include everything you've ever made in your portfolio just in case something grabs the eye of an art director. But here's the thing. If you used to design, let's say, wedding invitations, and you no longer want to do wedding invitations, don't put those in your portfolio. You're just going to potentially attract the wrong person and the wrong work that isn't a good fit for you anymore. For example, I used to make logos, and well, I never really enjoyed it. I do have quite a few that I'm pretty proud of, but I don't showcase them anywhere because I'm just not interested in doing that kind of work anymore. It stresses me out. It saps all the fun out of doing this job. And you know what? That's okay. Your portfolio should reflect where you want to go, not where you've been. If you put work forward that you want to create more of, you're going to have a much better chance of actually getting to make more of that type of work. Your portfolio is essentially telling art directors, This is what I love to do and this is what I'm really good at. So be intentional about what you include. Think of it as curating your future, not just displaying your past. Here's something you do want to include. At the bottom of each page in your portfolio, include your website, copyright information, and the best email to reach you. That way, if a potential client is flipping through your multi page PDF and sees something they love, they can immediately note how to reach you without having to search for it. I did not do this for my first or second portfolios, and I regret it. It's so simple and just a nice easy thing to put in there for people to make it easier for them. 9. Scale and Mockups: Good. In part one, I briefly talked about multiple colorways and making sure that the scale and positioning of each pattern is consistent across colorways in your portfolio. But I want to talk a bit more about scale. First of all, your patterns can be presented in your portfolio at whatever scale you think looks best. If including a collection of patterns, you want to display them at different scales to show how you envision them working alongside each other. Even if the final scale ends up being different and it usually will, you'll still want to present them at different scales to potential buyers because you'll want them to reflect how they will look in relation to each other as closely as possible. This is why a lot of artists will include either a full page or half page of their hero prints within their portfolios so that they can showcase the entire repeat either at scale or at a scale close to how they envision it. I sometimes like to include a pattern at a larger scale in the square or rectangle and a smaller scale on a mock up. So that way, you can see details and the full repeat. The sky is the limit. Companies will always work with you to make sure that scale is working. If you're selling on POD or producing it yourself, though, it's a good idea to order samples to test scale as well as color. And speaking of, mockups can be a really nice way to showcase your work in your portfolio, especially if you're trying to help potential collaborators visualize what your art could look like on their products. Seeing your pattern on a throw pillow, a tope bag, or a set of pajamas can make a much bigger impact than just seeing the pattern repeat on its own. It helps art directors immediately understand the potential of your work and how it might fit into their product line. That said, mockups aren't absolutely necessary and you don't need to go overboard with them. A few well placed mockups throughout your portfolio can be effective, but you don't want them to overshadow the patterns or illustrations themselves. The patterns should always be the star. If you do use mockups, make sure they are clean, professional looking, and relevant to the industries you're targeting. There are tons of great mockup templates available online, some free, some paid, so it's pretty easy to create polished mockups without having to be a Photoshop expert. I've linked one of my favorite mockups sources under the Projects and Resources tab. 10. RGB or CMYK?: Good evening. Goodbye. Good evening. Should your portfolio be in RGB or CMYK? It depends on the application. CMYK is ideal for printing, while RGB is ideal for digital screens. If you need both print and digital versions, I usually suggest creating your portfolio in CMYK first and then converting a digital version to RGB specifically for when displaying your portfolio online, on websites, social media, email, et cetera. I almost always work in CMYK and convert to RGB when necessary, because it is much easier to convert CMYK to RGB than the other way around, as there are a ton more colors in the RGB color gamut. RGB can nine times out of ten match CMYK colors extremely accurately. I personally haven't had any issues with color profile changes making a huge difference when I start in CMYK, but I have experienced some wild changes when I used to start in RGB. That said, that was quite a few years ago now, and technology changes. And I haven't noticed a huge difference in color output when I start in RGB on my iPad in apps like Procreate or Adobe Fresco. There's also the fact that many printers online, particularly for Print on Demand, use digital printing, which can generally handle RGB just fine. Pantom color books can be super helpful for matching CMYK, but even those don't always give the most accurate representation of what the final color outcome will be. As an example, cotton fabric off whites and creams vary. Therefore, the colors printed on them will vary slightly as well. So regardless of what you start with, you always want to order test prints anyway to make sure you're happy with the colors. Most digital art desktop apps, you can always export things in different color modes or convert your docs to different color modes if those specific color modes are required by a company. All that said, the general rule of thumb is as follows. Use RGB when creating a digital portfolio or PDF for online viewing, displaying your portfolio online websites, social media, email, showing work on screens, tablets or phones. Use CMYK when your portfolio will be professionally printed. You're specifically showcasing print design the recipient explicitly requests print ready files. 11. A Quick Note on Contracts: Another question I see come up occasionally is if you should include a contract when pitching your portfolio. It's not something you need to include in your portfolio because contracts aren't really necessary until the next stage of the process. Every company is different, and most companies, unless they are new and less established, will have their own contracts for you to read over, ask clarifying questions about and negotiate on, if needed. It is smart to have a contract on hand for the less common instances of when a company interested in working with you does not have their own contract. And even then, don't include that contract with your portfolio submission. Keep in mind that you may also need to tailor said contracts to the company you're potentially partnering with. Don't know where to start with contracts. Here are a couple of contract recommendations, specifically tailored for creatives and surface designers. I've included these links under the Projects and Resources tab as per use. 12. Portfolio Tip! Curate to the Company You’re Pitching To: Good. Remember my story about going to Quilt Market and ultimately securing a licensing deal with a fabric company? Well, in hindsight, I have realized that part of the reason I was successful is because my portfolio was tailored to the quilting fabric industry specifically. It was my number one licensing goal. I had dreamed of becoming a fabric designer since 2015, so do I regret this at all? Absolutely not. But what I have noticed in the years since is that it is much harder for me to secure licensing deals in practically any other industry. My work was so well suited for fabric, it almost wasn't suited for anything else, or it was at least difficult for art directors in other industries to see it on their products. Which leads me to why it is so important to curate your pitches to the companies you're pitching to. I want to share some really valuable insights that I learned from artist and former art director Corinne Wells, who has a really unique perspective from being on both sides of the pitching process. As per usual, her details are linked under the Projects and Resources tab. When she was working as an art director, one of the biggest mistakes she saw artists make was sending generic irrelevant artwork that didn't fit the brand that she worked for at all. The company Karin worked for as an art director had a quirky, character driven style, and focused on pajamas sold in gift stores and the like. It was a niche market, but almost all of the pitches she received were fairly generic all purpose pattern repeats. Most of them she had no use for. Even if something could have worked, she would have had to rework it to add typography and a catchy spot print, and it would have been more work than it was worth for her. Here's what she really needed. A ready made spot print, that's a non repeating illustration or placement print paired with a coordinating pattern. That's what would have actually caught her attention and saved her time, but it rarely showed up in her inbox because artists weren't tailoring their pitches to fit the company's specific needs. Art directors are busy, so anything you can do to make their job easier will make them more likely to give you the time of day. The lesson here is clear. Do your homework. Take a quick scan of a brand's website and get a feel for the type of artwork they actually use on their products. If it's not a match for your art style, don't bother pitching. But if your artwork could genuinely help them sell more products, then start working on a pitch that will catch their attention. Relevance is everything. 13. Pitching Your Portfolio: Goodbye. Good evening. Alright, so you've done your research. You've tailored your portfolio to the company you want to pitch to. Now what? What does the actual pitching process look like? So how do you find company submission guidelines or art directors contact info? I see this question come up all the time. This is tricky. You definitely have to do some sleuthing. Check the companies about and FAQ pages on their website. If it's not on their website, I like to check LinkedIn. First, I'll look for the company and then look at the company employees. Even then, though, the art director may not be on Linktn or they have a different title, such as director of Design or Creative Director. And then even if you do find them, they may not include their email. However, look at their profile closely because they may include submission instructions. Use LinkedIn only to find the contact information. Do not use Linktn's internal messaging system to put your portfolio directly to contacts. If all else fails, ask for submission guidelines. I don't like to use this method very often, but sometimes you can find contact information on social media. Search for the company that you're interested in pitching to and then send them a direct message and ask them if they have submission guidelines for artists who want to potentially collaborate on a project for art licensing or buyouts if you're open to them. If I need to ask for submission guidelines, though, I way prefer emailing the company's general support email and politely asking for submission guidelines or relevant contact information. I have been sent submission guidelines or art director contact info by a few different companies via emailing their general contact email. And in one of those instances, I was signed on as a new designer. So let's talk about exactly what an effective pitch email looks like. Your goal is to make it as easy as possible for an art director to say yes to you. And that means you're not just pitching your art, you're pitching yourself as a collaborator, someone who's professional, reliable, and easy to work with. I want you to own your worth as an artist. Be your own biggest cheerleader. No one else is going to advocate for you the way you can advocate for yourself. So how do you actually write a pitch email that gets results? First off, remember that the person you're emailing is just a person. They have a lot going on in their life, and their job is to find amazing art to put on products. They want to find you. They want to discover new artists whose work will sell. So with that in mind, here are the key components of a successful pitch email. Keep your subject line clear and professional. Personalize your greeting, use their name, if you can find it. It shows you've done your homework. Introduce yourself briefly and highlight what makes your art unique. What's your style? Why would your work be a good fit for their brand? Share links to your portfolio or a tailored PDF rather than sharing bulky attachments, unless, of course, they've specifically requested files. Close politely with a sincere thank you. Keep it warm but professional. If you don't hear back, follow up in a couple of weeks. If they don't respond to the follow up, consider one more gentle touch two to three weeks later. Then from there is when you might move on to reaching out again with new work down the line in, say, two to six months. Following up is a huge part of licensing success. The artists who really succeed are the ones who pitch frequently and follow up multiple times. They don't take silence as rejection. They take it as a sign to try again. Remember, collect those noes and consistency is key. I've included a very handy dandy pitch Email Templates PDF for you to download and customize, which you can find in the Download resources section under the Projects and Resources tab. 14. Do You Need an Established Brand or Large Following to Secure Licensing Deals?: Good evening. I often see students worry about needing to be established or having a big following. This is a question that I answered from a student in one of the courses that I've supported in. So they asked, If you want to create products under your brand and you're a newbie, are POD or print on demand sites really your only option, assuming that the cost of manufacturing is too high? Are there licensing companies that are interested in co labs slash C Branding, or is that only reserved for more veteran designers? I got a licensing deal with the fabric company Riley Blake Designs, without an established brand and with very little following under two K on Instagram at the time, and fewer newsletter subscribers. So no, licensing opportunities are not reserved for veteran designers. Art directors are interested in the quality of your work way more than they're interested in your following. It can be helpful to have experience with licensing, as that is an automatic signal to art directors that you are a professional who knows what they're doing. Um but it's not the only way to achieve success in licensing. Not having that experience is not a barrier to entry. This is in a different realm still within illustration, but not surface design, but I still think it's relevant. I have a book coming out next year with David and Charles publishing on how to draw caricatures. Generally speaking, book publishers like it if you have a following to market to, but my following is still relatively small. I've got about 2,700 followers on Instagram and about 1,600 newsletter subscribers. But my artwork and the fact that I had taught a short class on it here on Skillshare was enough for them to greenlight the book. Don't let a lack of following or professional experience stop you from pursuing your creative career goals. Something else important to remember is that you don't have to include all of your artwork in your portfolio. The quality of your work matters way more than the quantity. Especially if you're just starting out. What you include in your portfolio really depends on the type of licensing jobs you want to get, but you want to include the best of the best that you currently have to offer. When I update my portfolio, I always rotate things so that my most recent work is at the front where prospective art directors will see it first. 15. Thank You!: For your class project, I'd like you to do the same thing I asked in part one. Share a screenshot of your current body of work or link to your website portfolio, Instagram, or Contrast, and I'll be happy to offer whatever feedback I can. And then tell me what your next step is going to be. If you don't have work to share yet, that's totally fine. Just pop in a sentence or two about your next steps. Remember, these steps can be as simple as researching one company, sending one pitch email, or sketching for 5 minutes. Focus on the smaller, easier tasks that will eventually lead to your larger goals. I've also linked to additional resources in the main body of the Projects and Resources tab. All of the PDFs are the same as P one's downloadables, save for the pitch Email Templates PDF, which is totally unique to Part two, so be sure to download that. When you're ready to share your project, just click the Big Blue Submit Project button. One important thing to note is that you can only create a class project via a desktop computer or laptop. You cannot create one via a mobile device or the Skillshare mobile app. If you get stuck or come across any issues, please post your questions in the discussions section of the class, and I will do my best to answer them as quickly as possible. I hope you enjoyed this class and found it valuable. But regardless, please leave a review so you can help me and your fellow students out. I really cannot express how grateful I am to people who leave reviews. I enjoy reading all of them. If you want to stay up to date with what I'm hosting here, like if you want to know when my next class is coming or when I post updates to old classes or do membership giveaways, don't forget to hit the follow button. You can also follow me at Melissa Lee Design on Instagram or sign up for my monthly educational newsletter, HuesmHs on my website, Melissa lee.com. Thanks again for joining me. I hope you found this class series inspiring and encouraging. As always, I wish you all the very best, and I can't wait to see where your careers take you. Hello.