This week’s Friday Feature is the wonderful Jennie Fynn. After pursuing a career as a pharmacist, Jennie’s childhood love of creativity returned during the Covid pandemic when she started painting again for her wellbeing. She now creates accessories and homewares with her colourful, bold, and joyful patterns.
Let’s get to know more about the creative woman behind the small business…
Yes, I think so. I learnt how to knit and crochet as a child by my talented mother who was always crafting and making something. I think this rubbed off on me. As a teenager I also loved drawing and painting pictures of figures wearing bright patterned clothes that I had designed myself and I wanted to be a fashion designer. I would have loved to have gone to art college. Despite then going on to have a career as a pharmacist, I always came back to doing something creative, usually involving painting and textiles.
In 2003 I did a Higher National Diploma in Textiles at a local college where I learnt different techniques to decorate and construct textiles. I particularly loved dyeing, screen printing and painting directly onto fabrics and this is where I developed my love of fabrics.
I love how colour and pattern can beautifully elevate different fabrics into decorative and functional products. Over the next few years, I took some online courses on surface pattern design and discovered how print design could be applied to lots of different products and not just fabric. But textiles are still my passion!
In 2020, after a long period of not creating due to work and family commitments, I started to paint again during the pandemic to help my wellbeing and thanks to print on demand services I had some of my paintings printed onto cushions and simple bags. I received interest from people wanting to buy them and my paintings and tested selling them in a local artists and makers’ store. I received very positive feedback and surprisingly sold them.
Then in 2023, I participated in series 2 of BBC One’s ‘Make It At Market’, which partners creative hobbyists with craft experts to turn their passion into a successful business. From that experience I noticed a gap in the market for high-quality, colourful, patterned, eye-catching accessories and homewares that were made in the UK. Thus, my colourful business journey began!!
It depends on whether I’m in the design phase of new fabrics and products or launching new product ranges or preparing for an event such as a Pop Up or show.
Regardless of what phase I’m in, I always try to start the week with a written plan of what I want to achieve and three main goals.
If I’m in the design phase, I’ll spend time researching and looking for inspiration for new patterns. This involves looking through my large book collection, my sketchbooks, magazines, looking at trends online and photos that I’ve taken either on holidays or out and about. From this I will put together a mood board of images and colour palettes and start to make initial sketches of ideas before then committing to painting them out onto pieces of paper and starting to put them into repeat by hand. This is the most enjoyable part of my week. I then spend time finishing the patterns in Photoshop and finalising colour palettes.
Other tasks during the week include packing up and shipping orders, writing and sending my weekly email to my subscribers, updating my website and writing blogs and of course trying to consistently post on social media. I also spend a large amount of time researching and looking for new opportunities where to sell my products.
For the last few months most weeks have been taken up with preparing for my first trade fair. This involves different tasks to selling to consumers.
I wish that I had more time to spend on designing new patterns but the reality of being a creative business owner is that you spend more time on marketing and admin than actually being creative.
There have been a few. The first was participating in the BBC series and being on national TV. It gave me a huge confident boost in my ability as an artist, and I learnt a lot from the experience that set the foundations for my business. It also gave a huge boost to sales and email subscribers.
Being accepted in 2024 to do Pop Ups in John Lewis was also a milestone. It was wonderful to see people buying my products and receive positive comments on my design style and the quality of my products. It was my first experience of selling in a major retailer and I loved it. A lady who bought one of my tote bags had watched me on the TV programme. That was my moment of fame!
Thirdly I collaborated with a women’s fashion brand in the USA, who licenced some of my designs for their dresses and tops. It was a fantastic feeling seeing my designs on clothes and I have some pieces of my own that I proudly wear.
In three years’ time, I would like to see my products in lots of shops; both large retailers and small independents so I’d like wholesaling to be a major part of my business. I would also like to do more licensing of my patterns for stationery, wallpaper, fashion, giftware and lifestyle products. Doing commissions and collaborations with brands who have the same values as mine would also be a goal.
Ultimately, I want more people to see my patterns and designs and instantly say that’s ‘Jennie Fynn’.
I wish there was only one!
Focusing on only those things that will help my business to grow. As a creative person with lots of ideas, I find it hard to focus on only a few things. But I’ve learnt that being known for doing a few things very well is better than doing lots of things poorly. Also, as a one-woman business balancing all the roles you must be is extremely tough. I am the creative director, finance director, marketing and social media director, sales manager, copywriter, IT director, website manager and PA. Most times it feels like there are not enough hours in the day and it’s hard not to feel burnout sometimes.
Visibility as a small business is also a major challenge. There are so many talented designers and makers out there, but social media and the internet are making it harder to be found as they prioritise big brands and businesses with big budgets.
A good cup of coffee from my coffee machine is a must to start off with. I like to flick through my sketchbooks and collection of design and art books for inspiration. Having a good podcast or loud music on in my studio also helps me feel creative.
As I am mostly self-taught, I suffer a lot from imposter syndrome. I’m also a recovering perfectionist! I have had to accept that every time I sit down to design a pattern, I may not like it, or it doesn’t come out the way I intended. To improve my confidence, I realise that I must experiment, play and practice and that I am always learning something new. Of course I can also get creative block. When that happens, I browse through my beautiful art and design or interiors books and I instantly feel excited.
I would work with a mentor again. In 2024 I joined a business mentoring Group, and it was a very worthwhile investment. I not only learnt about business, but the support and advice from others who are going through the same experience as you were invaluable. The impact on me personally and professionally has been immense. I would also in invest in an intense surface pattern design course, to improve my design skills.
Another area I would invest in is beautiful product photography. Compelling product photography is a must for any product based business, especially now with the advent of AI. I had professional photos done a couple of years ago and I still use them. These photos have allowed my products to be published in national magazines.
Finally, I would outsource or employ others who are better qualified than me to do certain tasks such as improving my website and a PA would be nice. This would allow me to spend more time designing prints for a wider range of products.
It’s amazing how many women rekindled a love of creating during lockdown. Turning to creativity as a way to help their wellbeing. And how, for some, that creative passion then naturally grew into a small business – as it did for Jennie. Although, as Jennie has pointed out, as a creative business owner, you often end up spending more time on other tasks (like admin) than creating.
To see more of Jennie’s patterns and products, head to her website: jenniefynn.com – or for behind the scenes content, take a look at her Instagram: @jennie_fynn
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