Interview with Ryann Scrafford

Meet Ryann Scrafford of Charlie Rowan Designs! This talented designer and business owner took the gold in our 2022 design contest, and we couldn’t be more excited to release her gorgeous floral cover design! Today, we are sharing a little bit more about Ryann, her creative process, and her best tips for productivity and success. Read on to enjoy her inspiring interview!

Tell us a bit about yourself:

I'm a surface pattern designer and illustrator based in Salt Lake City, Utah, and an adventure seeker at heart! I graduated with a degree in Design and Merchandising and a minor in Art History from Drexel University in Philadelphia and while I loved the city, the mountains are without a doubt where I feel most at home, and I quickly made my way back west. If I'm not in my studio or chasing my kids from activity to activity, you can find me outside, whether it be on a short hike, a trip to the desert, or an afternoon skiing in the mountains, nature fills my soul in a way that is hard to put into words.

How did you become an artist?

I’ve always been creative but when I discovered textile design, I immediately fell in love. My background is in retail, specifically e-commerce, where I have done everything from buying to brand & creative management to marketing director. I stumbled into surface design when I was pregnant with my first child and was unable to find products that I felt represented not only my own individual style but also the hopes and aspirations I had from my little one on the way. I started designing everything from blankets, to crib sheets, to prints for the wall. Slowly I honed in my craft, focused on what I loved to design, quit my corporate job, and dove headfirst into building my career as an artist.

What does your typical day look like?

On my best day, I wake up before the family and journal for 10 minutes, then plan my day out. It doesn't happen every day but when it does, it's almost a guarantee the day goes smoother and I'm able to accomplish the priorities I've set without all the bouncing from thing to thing and procrastinating. Once the kids are awake the morning madness ensues until they are out the door! From there I head into the studio, which is conveniently in our backyard. I always try to prioritize making art first even if it's just 30 minutes of free drawing, because for me if art doesn't happen in the morning there is a solid chance it won't. From there the day will vary from working on collections, meetings, emails, etc. At 2:00 I end my workday and try to get some sort of movement in whether it's a run, a walk, or yoga. I have found that prioritizing movement before I pick the kids up from school helps me close out the workday and reset before taking on all the mom things! Once school pick-up happens I'm officially an Uber driver from activity to activity, as I'm sure many moms can relate to. I always have a sketchbook or my iPad on hand so I can squeeze in some work if I need to, then it's dinner, and kids to bed - wash and repeat!

How do you come up with designs? Walk us through the process.

Inspiration for my designs comes from all around. A few years ago I really started to try and be more intentional about finding inspiration in my daily life and to be a better visual note-taker. Now I'm looking for inspiration everywhere! In the market, color palettes can be found in the vegetable aisle, contrast the shadows at the park, the flowers starting to bloom on my run. Inspiration really is all around when we start paying attention to it. Once I have an idea I often like to start with a traditional medium like a pen, pencil, markers, or paints and loosely work my idea out in my sketchbook. From there I typically use my iPad to refine and work on composition and then move it onto my computer to create the final repeat, sometimes the print works beautifully on its own and sometimes it's calling to be part of a collection.

What keeps you creatively inspired?

Being outside is my greatest source of inspiration, but also getting quiet, spending large uninterrupted time away from the normal busy of everyday life. Scheduling in time to unplug has been one of the best things I've done for my creativity and also surrounding myself with a community of incredibly talented creative individuals is beyond inspiring.

What is your best advice for staying organized and productive?

For both business and personal I highly recommend doing a brain dump each week of ALL THE THINGS, get them out of your brain and onto paper. From there I pick three, and only three as my top priorities for the week. This helps me to weed out the busy work, and optional work, and focus on the work and priorities that are truly the most important in driving my business forward and keeping our family life running smoothly. When it comes to staying organized and productive in my business my advice is to get as clear as you can on your goal. The clearer you can get on where you want to be the easier it is to get there. When I hit a goal, I reward myself, however that may look, taking time to acknowledge wins is incredibly important for me in staying motivated.

Another BIG thank you to Ryann for her shared insights, and her beautiful design. We can’t wait to see this cover on your 2022-2023 notebooks and planners!