You Can Reinvent Yourself Anytime
It’s been almost five years since I launched Lady Bluebottle. It started as a place for bloggers and writers to share their stories and was a fast but short-lived success. While the overall goal of this site remains the same, a place to find community and encouragement, it looks much different today.
I have reinvented what the Lady Bluebottle brand means more than once. As Instagram grew in popularity, I gravitated towards the social media space. The Lady Bluebottle website was all but abandoned for the heartfelt captions and eye-catching photos circulating on Instagram. As I started sharing more in my own captions, I soon realized I didn’t have, or couldn’t find, images to go along with my words. So, I started creating my own.
I’ve always been pretty good with words and any previous attempts at illustration have been, let’s just say, unsuccessful. I started following accounts like Jess Rachel Sharp and Cleo Wade and felt inspired. I knew I could write words. I was pretty sure I could circle them or underline them. I wasn’t so sure about my ability to draw flowers or really, anything else.
I started very simple. A few words. A paint stroke or two. Creating original content was exhilarating. To know a page was blank when I sat down and filled with inspiration when I stood up was empowering. I was hooked.
![](https://ladybluebottle.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/img_1983-1024x1024.png)
As I shared my illustrations, so did my community, which kept growing. I knew I had to keep creating content. I wanted to keep creating content. I just didn’t want it all to be the same. So, I started teaching myself how to draw. I took Procreate classes, downloaded new brushes, discovered new artists who inspired me, and just kept going.
![](https://ladybluebottle.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/img_2608-1024x1024.png)
I added flowers and dots to my skillset. You can do a lot with flowers and dots. When I found artists like A Peace of Werk and Marina Pappas, I knew I wanted to up my game. It took time, energy, effort, and a lot of failure, but I finally started to feel like, dare I say, an artist.
![](https://ladybluebottle.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/img_4808-1024x1024.jpg)
I tried new shapes and colors. I journaled and wrote poetry to come up with just the right phrases to pair with my designs. I turned my hand lettering into a custom font. I’ve learned so much over the past few years about illustration, digital drawing, website design, and building community.
![](https://ladybluebottle.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/img_6739-1024x1024.jpg)
Today, Lady Bluebottle looks much different than it did yesterday. I’m confident my style will change again as I continue to grow. I don’t know what comes next and that’s okay. I’m choosing to trust it will be something beautiful.
![](https://ladybluebottle.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/6EFC24F9-C6D7-49B5-B18D-89ADB17F818A-1024x1024.jpeg)
Thank you for being here. Thank you for being you. Remember, you can reinvent yourself anytime. You can change and still be you.
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