Brand strategist, studio founder, coach, designer, podcaster—creative powerhouse Amy Pearson wears many hats, and she showcases all these talents to help businesses disrupt traditional narratives through her visionary creative studio SUN MOTHER.
Read her interview to learn more about her design process, where she finds inspiration, and her go-to strategy for overcoming creative burnout.
Stills: What is your design process like? How has it changed as you’ve evolved in your career?
Amy Pearson: My process has expanded and evolved hugely over the years and continues to do so with every project, but no two will ever be exactly the same.
For SUN MOTHER, it always begins with deep strategy work, which is the bedrock of most successful client projects. Strategy work allows you to narrow in on your vision, the client’s vision, and what the audience needs without being distracted by the million new thoughts and ideas we creatives can get during a project.
I also start by sketching before I get to the screen. Even if I think I know what I want to do, sketching it out helps me process options before I get stuck in the Illustrator vortex.
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Where do you look for inspiration?
Amy Pearson: I’ll admit I do the standard internet scroll—usually Behance, Type Wolf, and Onepagelove.
I also spend a lot of time sourcing inspiration from outside the screen. I love retro matchboxes, posters, and album art, and I’m a huge type nerd. I’m always looking for or noticing type. I like taking photos of packaging at the supermarket, finding old book covers and records at op shops, and noticing design work in movies.
I live in the bush, so I’m always looking at the color combos that nature offers. We have the most beautiful birds visiting us daily: blue fairy wrens, rosellas, black cockatoos, galahs, kookaburras, and king parrots. You don’t get that on Pinterest.
How do you get your head back in the game when feeling burnt out?
Amy Pearson: I’ve experienced severe burnout in my time, and as the owner of a home design studio, who also happens to be a mum of two, it’s the absolute worst. So now I have a few things in place to prevent this from happening.
Firstly, I take on fewer projects. A higher price point means you can take on fewer clients and spend more time getting deep into one project at a time, which also means the best outcome for your clients.
I also allow myself a lot of space for dreaming and curiosity. Curiosity and play are huge values of SUN MOTHER, and without the time to let your brain wander, process, and explore ideas, it’s really difficult to do good work, and you end up burning out. Creativity is not infinite, believe it or not; sometimes you hit a wall.
If you’re already burnt out, you need time and space away. You need to accept that the work won’t be good if you keep pushing on. Let yourself detach for a while; return to it when you’re refreshed.
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What is your “secret weapon” when creating? How did you develop this skill?
Amy Pearson: My big vision ability and constant ideas. It can be a negative thing sometimes—when you’re getting a million exciting ideas at once. It can be tricky to pin down a single idea without getting distracted. But this is where strategy comes in.
I now pair my quickfire brain with strategy and structure, which allows me to hone in on my ideas clearly. My process of using the single-concept method has proven time and time again that it works.
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What are some hurdles you had to overcome?
Amy Pearson: Charging too low, especially in the beginning. Learning how to manage client projects in the early days was tricky. Both things make for a pretty difficult business, and it’s tough when your kids also need you. It can feel like you’re being pulled in 20 directions at once, with everyone needing something from you.
But eventually, this calms down. You raise your prices, learn to manage people, and figure out how to magnetize your ideal clients. It’s all part of figuring out business and life!
What do you like about Stills? How is it a good resource for designers?
Amy Pearson: The quality of the images is unmatched. Fun fact: I’m actually a photographer, too. This was my career until I opened SUN MOTHER and returned to design.
So if anyone will appreciate stunning imagery for design work, it’s absolutely me, and Stills has nailed it!
