2021 Biz Recap: A Review of the Year, and What to Expect in 2022
Today is the last day of 2021 and I’m reflecting on all of the growth, challenges, and highlights my creative business has experienced this year. While 2021 was full of life changes, like moving from Washington to Hawaii, the biggest of all has been transitioning from working in marketing to launching my art business (and working for myself) full time - but more on that later.
I hope to write these year-end reviews each year to look back on as Petals by Priya continues to grow. Hey, maybe one year (hopefully not too far from now) I’ll be licensing my designs to Target and I can look back on the “little” things I was proud of in 2021 (even though right now, they feel big).
Here’s a quick recap of the highs of the past year and what you can expect in 2022. Also, if you read until the end, you’ll find a little gift from me to you as we start the new year!
Celebrating 2021 Achievements
Launching 3 Online Watercolor Classes - I must admit, teaching has been the most surprising highlight of the year. As an introverted person, filming myself and being confident enough in my artistic skills to publish classes was never something I imagined doing. However, I forced myself to take a leap outside my comfort zone, and am so glad I did. I’ve found a lot of joy in teaching and connecting with students. The classes I published this year include Loose Watercolor Leaves, Digitizing your Artwork, and Watercolor Holiday Cards - with more than 630+ students enrolled.
Producing Products In-House - One of the biggest tech investments I made this year was my Canon printer and printing supplies. I’ve always wanted the process of designing, printing, and packaging products to be done from my own studio, and have been so happy with the results. I love having control over the quality of my greeting cards and gift tags - and let’s be honest, I also love not having to pay to have my products shipped here from a third-party printer…. Shipping costs to Hawaii are no joke. I still use my local print shop for fine art prints (the quality is unbeatable!), but everything else is handmade with love from my studio.
Receiving a Wholesale Order - Speaking of products… This December I received my first wholesale order! I was accepted to the Faire wholesale marketplace in November and was looking forward to hopefully getting an order in the new year - I had no idea it would happen so fast! Knowing that my cards and art prints are being displayed in a retail store gives me goosebumps.
Going “Viral” - Okay, maybe not viral, but one of my time-lapse reels on Instagram hit 138,000 views in November! I’m normally not one to care much about vanity metrics on social media, but the fact that 138,000 people watched my painting process just blows me away! I love the IG art community so much. Working from home by myself can feel extremely isolating at times, but my artist friends on Instagram make it feel less lonely, and I’m so grateful for them!
Looking forward to 2022
More Classes - I have an exciting lineup of classes planned for 2022, and I can’t wait to share them with you, starting with my newest class: Watercolor Fruits & Vegetables, coming January 7th. I’m very grateful to have joined the Skillshare Teach Corps last month - a program to connect up-and-coming teachers and provide a space to collaborate, share ideas, and celebrate each others’ wins! If you’re interested in taking any classes on Skillshare in the new year, you can click here for a free one-month trial!
Grow Wholesale Retailers - Along with teaching, wholesale is the other business area I’ll be focusing on in 2022. I’m looking forward to building relationships with retailers across the country, and having my products represented locally in Honolulu. If you know of any stores that my products would be a good fit for, I would love to know! Please feel free to reach out to me via email, or check out my Wholesale page for more information.
Expand Product Lines - The part of my business I enjoy most is seeing designs come to life on products. In the new year, I plan to expand my current product line to include more wrapping paper designs, stickers, washi tape, and hopefully stationery products like notepads and journals! Stay tuned for more information and be sure to sign up for my newsletter to get first access to new product announcements.
New Content - I don’t have too many details to share with you about this one yet, but I would love to create more personal content in the new year. Some ideas I have include studio vlogs on YouTube, Q&As on Instagram, sharing more about life in Hawaii, and writing blog posts more consistently. If you have any ideas of what you’d like to see more of from me, please send me an email or Instagram DM! I’d love to know.
Big thank you to YOU!
Thank you all so much for supporting me and my business this year. Every “like” on Instagram, every purchase, every class enrollment, or word of encouragement means the world to me! As a small token of my appreciation to you, please feel free to use the discount code JAN22 for 22% off all greeting card orders during the month of January.
Wishing you and your loved ones a very Happy New Year, and a healthy, safe, successful year ahead!