Interview with Tabitha Patterson. Designer, Tabitha Emma. See more of her amazing designs at Etsy.

Who Are you?

I'm Tabitha the designer/ artist behind 'tabitha emma'. I am a 22 year old student, business owner and design addict. I am a very creative and hard working person.

Where are you located?

I live in Sydney, Australia.

What do you do?

Probably too much. I study Graphic design full time, work casually at an ice cream store (Mr.Whippy) and run my business making bags, purses, art prints and other textile goods and sell them online. I love variety though, so it works well for me and I'm learning heaps.

What do you love?

I love design, art, fashion, chocolate, vintage, photography and shopping. Beautiful things make me happy. I'm also get excited over new technologies. I guess I just love seeing the world develop, and creative thinking. And then I get nostalgic about old things and buy vintage.

How did you begin in the creative field?

In a way I have always been in the creative field. I have grown up in a very creative environment. My mum is a freelance artist, designing greeting cards and wrapping paper. As she worked at home, she got to spend a lot of time with my brother and I and encouraged our creativity. We spend many hours doing crafts and painting. It seemed only natural to turn it into a career.

I did a lot of art in school and it was the subject I was best at. In High school I began to wonder how I could turn art into a proper career and after discovering textiles I went down the fashion field. After finish my fashion degree, I worked for a bit then started my business. I then decided I wanted to learn more and as I had a keen interest in graphic design I decided to go on to study it.

What are you working on now?

I have a few new designs for purses floating around that I am working on perfecting. I like to challenge myself to come up with new and exciting things. I like to experiment a lot, and not allow myself to get stuck doing the same thing all the time.

I have been considering making clothes again to sell, but I haven't decided yet if I will do that.

What does your typical day entail?

I don't think I have such a thing as an 'typical day'. But I always check my email first thing in the morning and that will usually determine what I am doing. Some days I will be filling orders, or rushing off to the post office, other days I am working on new designs. Or I might get a call and have to go into work (I work casually). Or I could be going to TAFE that day and just work on my business during the hours I am at home. I usually have goals each week of new items I want to work on, orders I need to fill and materials I need to buy.