How long have you been running your business?
Lauren began her business from home in 2020 and moved to The Mission in July 2021
What was your inspiration for starting your own business?
Lauren has been creative from an early age, she just loved art, but she never really considered it as a career. Lauren knew in her heart that she did not want to do a job that she did not love so after graduating from University and working elsewhere for a few years, Laurel Art & Design was born.
Tell us what you offer/sell?
Laurel Art offers:
● Bespoke logo design
● Pet portraits
● Traditional portraits
● Life drawing
● Caricatures
● Animation
● Graphic design
What is your favourite thing about running your own business?
Lauren loves the variety of her work. I work with different people on different projects, and this is really exciting, Lauren says. The thing I love most about starting a project is the planning stage, I really enjoy brainstorming sessions with the client and finding out exactly what it is they want.
Lauren can generate innovative ideas with her creative knowledge and allow clients to think outside the box.
What do you think has changed the most about your business since you started?
Lauren used to work from home, and this has its drawbacks. Lauren sometimes found it difficult to get into the right mindset when working on projects but now she has her own office space she can focus on projects much better.
Why did you choose Lerwick town centre as a location?
Lauren lives on the Westside and although she loves where she lives, she wanted her workplace to feel like somewhere totally different. Lerwick is so much busier than the Westside and allows for more opportunities. The studio in Lerwick is always a conversation starter, Lauren said.
What has been the most challenging thing to you, as a business owner, over the last year?
Setting up a business in a pandemic has had its challenges for a lot of businesses, but for Lauren, she said she felt fortunate throughout the pandemic as lots of people were setting up new businesses so her skills for logo design was in high demand. Going from employed to self employed has been a huge learning curve for Lauren.
What would you say to a customer to encourage them to visit your business?
Just make contact with me, Lauren said. You can contact me via social media, email or on my mobile.
I am happy to talk through your ideas and needs. I will listen to what you want and guide you through the process. It is a very personal service I offer. I’ve had many people comment on being part of the process and I enjoy bringing people into the world of art and design.
Tell us one interesting fact about you that people may not know?
In my spare time I love to write. Coupled with my abilities in art, I create new worlds with their own ecosystems and languages, with relatable struggles. Stories help us explore ideas, concepts and situations we would otherwise never find ourselves, perhaps even see our own struggles from a new perspective. I would love to publish these one day but for now they are my private collection.
