This week Margo is joined by Elizabeth Silver, a professional surface pattern designer and a licensed artist for the stationery, gift, and textile markets. With 18 years in the industry and hundreds of designs in her portfolio, she also teaches beginner surface pattern designers how to move past overwhelm and obstacles to create a profitable creative business in her 'Start Your Surface Pattern Design Business' course, a straightforward blueprint to help artists find clients, pitch their work with confidence, and build the business of their dreams. Elizabeth is passionate about design trends, keep-it-real business advice, and sugary treats.   Margo & Elizabeth discuss: How she honed her skills and the art of collaboration Her experience working with many well-known names in home and apparel Why she started her own business and the things necessary to make a creative business successful Understanding business finances and structuring The importance of connection within the art industry Awareness around personal wants and needs And so much more!    After diving head first into running her own business, Elizabeth branched out from textile design and now spends her days creating art for all kinds of industries, including stationery, dinnerware, stamps and socks. Working with clients to come up with trend forward illustrations and prints and then seeing those drawings become products on the shelf never loses its appeal. By designing for so many different end products she’s learned a versatile set of skills that clients love. She is always looking for new ways to decorate the world.   Connect with Elizabeth: http://www.elizabethsilver.com/ https://www.instagram.com/esilverdesign/ https://www.youtube.com/c/ElizabethSilver