An Introduction to me - marbar.starbar

I think it’s about time I formally introduced myself.

I’ve sat behind the laptop screen long enough, pushed out the occasional update from my illustration musings while secretly wishing that that was my ‘real’ job and I would one day leave the corporate world behind.

So here I am, in the first month of 2022, doing exactly that - well, almost! I’m into my third month of my own business. While illustrating is just one string to my bow, design and branding is my vibe. I'm kicking off the new year, and a new business, by properly introducing myself and telling my back story - cos there’s always one!

Who am I?

I’m Mari Therese. I live and work in Inishowen, Co. Donegal along the Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland. I’ve always been a creative soul with my earliest memories involving play-acting characters, creating make-believe worlds, drawing and painting. It never occurred to me that I would have anything other than a creative job.

It was no shock then that I went off to Art College. I spent my first year doing a Foundation Diploma in Art & Design, which proved that Graphic Design was my joy. I then completed a Degree in Graphic Design - graduating and being released in to the real world in 2003.

My first design job

I got a graphic design job straight out of college with a small agency in my local area. We were a two-person team (we grew to three!) and I had to hit the ground running. I worked mostly with retail, hospitality and not-for-profit clients. The work was challenging and I had a lot of responsibility early on, but the environment left a lot to be desired.

Several years in to it, I fell seriously ill and was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. That was a giant blow mentally and physically. Navigating an autoimmune disease is a very challenging process to go through. Two years after my diagnosis, and still in the middle of figuring that all out, I was made redundant along with hundreds of thousands of other people across Ireland in a global financial crisis.

In hindsight, it was a blessing in disguise. But at the time, I was in a lot of physical pain, had a mortgage to pay and had to go on social welfare.

Freelance 1.0

While my health was improving, I decided set up a freelance photography and design studio from my home. Trying to build clients proved very tough in the environment I was then in. Rural Donegal was shrouded in unemployment and failing businesses, inadequate internet connections with design opportunities non-existent. I mostly photographed first communions, babies, families, B&Bs, cafes - anything I could get my hands on really, but my health would end up being a stumbling block.

To be a photographer you need to be physically fit. Some days it was too hard to hold the camera - let alone roll about the floor with a toddler, or spend all day on my feet at a wedding. On the design side of things, no one was spending money and anyone who could, held on to it, emigrated or moved to the cities.

Plan B

The summer of 2011 I was offered a job in Cork City and moved bag and baggage to the opposite end of the country to be a designer for a provincial publisher. It was like starting at the bottom of the ladder again. It was fast, furious and chaotic (plus the pay was awful) but within 18 months I’d got what I needed out of it, I was back on my feet and turned my eyes to Dublin for more opportunity.

Corporate life

I honestly think I was so desperate for a new job, I grabbed the first that came my way! The first job I interviewed for I got, and I grabbed it with both hands.

My plan was to stay there one year, get some experience, and try to move back into an agency environment.

I ended up staying nine, met a lot of amazing people, received two promotions and helped build a talented and successful In-House Creative team.

As any designer who’s worked in-house will know, it’s challenging - the work can be very predictable, stakeholders demanding, and very little knowledge about the design process. Seeing how other’s in the team made ‘something out of nothing’ we started to take the opportunities to be creative when we could to help show what was possible for the brand. The hard work paid off when we transitioned two strategic, market-facing campaigns in-house (away from agencies) - one of which was award winning.

I learned what it took to operate in and around a large brand. I learned how to talk to very senior business leaders, be convincing about design, develop and maintain strong relationships, build a team, interview newcomers, mentor others, network, project plan, and be brave when I was quaking in my boots. I worked with some of the best people in those 9 years, and made some life-long friends.

Throughout those years, my health was definitely challenged. Anyone who has an auto-immune disease will know how much stress can effect your disease activity. I fell pray to the chaos of corporate life, and unfortunately feel ill many times in those years. I had to learn how to manage stress better, to listen to my body when something wasn’t right - and to slow down.

The turning point

Ok, ok, I am going to use the dreaded C-Word - COVID!

COVID came and with it major changes in the way we had to work and the work we had to do. I was now in Creative Management and I hate to admit it, I quickly became disillusioned with the role and knew something fundamental was missing.

At the same time, I was mentoring designers online, and despite all of the advice I was giving them, I wasn’t taking any of it! I would tell them to hone their craft, follow their dreams, be confident in what they did and do something they loved. And I wasn’t.

In the background of this I was dabbling in illustration. I’d bought an iPad Pro and Pencil after my manager promotion because I wanted to do something creative purely for me. I soaked up classes, started an Instagram account and started to put my work out there.

It was like someone turned on the light, and my world was again filled with fun and make believe characters again. I started to work on dummy design briefs that merged my love for illustrating and design. That was the feeling I’d been missing. In January 2021, I promised myself that before the year ended, I would leave my job and start my own business. Whatever shape or form that took.

Freelance 2.0

In April 2021, I moved back to Co. Donegal - ten years after my move to Cork. Away from the chaos of city life, I knew this was where I was meant to be. If I could make it happen, this would be where I would stay and start my own business. 6 months later I handed in my notice and left in the following month.

I got myself a part-time job to keep the lights on, while in the background I started to build my own brand and business as a designer.

If my career has taught me anything over the last 19 years, it's that reinvention is part of the course. You have to be open to transformation, you have to be gutsy when opportunities comes your way, feel the fear and just do it anyway.

It is OH so scary introducing myself online and taking this massive step alone. I’ve seen other brave and talented women take the same step and they inspire me everyday to keep going.

I’d love to hear from you and what challenges you have faced, or are facing right now?

You can connect with me online via my Instagram or Facebook account - come and say hello!