Born in New Zealand, living in Asia, and then relocating to Canada due to the pandemic, Gina has had a fair share of cultural and travel experiences. But the one good thing that came out of the chaos of the pandemic for her was her dive into graphic designing.
Now she lives comfortably in Canada, in a beautiful house overlooking a lake, with her husband and sons. The family gets to see the birds, paddle boarders, and gorgeous sunsets, experience a friendly neighborhood, and work on their steadily growing business, The Digital Media Co.
Gina has a vast array of digital products on her SMC shop – from social media templates, captions, and banners, to printables for kids and businesses. Bringing her story to you was inevitable when we discovered her talent. Fortunately, she was kind enough to give us a bit of her time, and we couldn't be more grateful!
Tell us how you became a Graphic Artist.
Before we moved to Canada, we were working in the wedding industry in Asia, and both of our children were born there. But the pandemic came suddenly, and we had to move to Canada, leaving our careers behind. At that time, it felt exciting, and scary as well, because this was a huge change.
After moving to Canada, I discovered the world of graphic design. It was a natural transition, because it combined my skills of writing, research, and perspective, and fulfilled my desire to be creative.
I had always wanted an online shop, so this was kind of imminent, and an unexpected blessing of the pandemic.
What inspires your art?
I'm inspired by the careers around the world. It's fascinating how people are such experts at their jobs, with an ocean of knowledge and unique skill sets. I love researching, and discovering what people do every day, and I'm always amazed to know how people give so much to others through their work.
To create templates and written captions for professionals like nurses, teachers, artists, healers, travel and real estate agents, and notaries requires me to understand the specifics and important details of their jobs. This helps me appreciate their effort, and allows me to create digital content that will be impactful for their businesses, on or off social media!
What is your daily process like?
It’s an early rise to get the kids ready in time for the school bus. Then, I enjoy my morning coffee while I clear up my email. Once I get to work, I continue till lunch, where I take a short break to eat and walk for 30 minutes. The walk refreshes me to work a few more hours before the kids get home.
Can you tell us a bit about your design style?
I don't think I follow a single theme or style. For example, I love colorful designs that have a warm and welcoming feel to them. I'm also obsessed with natural, earthy tones, but at the same time, love bright and breezy blues and pretty pastels. I'm a little all over the place, but I'm okay with that.
My focus while designing is more on making it impactful for my clients, so I follow whatever technique goes well for their business.
Who buys your art from Social Media Calendar?
My customers are small business owners from around the world, who are buying content and templates to give their businesses a boost.
Do you have any other jobs besides this one?
I've done a bit of everything in the past years. With a degree in media communication, I immediately went into journalism, which allowed me to travel all over the world. I've also worked in media monitoring, newspapers, magazines, photography, and book publishing. But just before the pandemic, wedding planning was our main source of income, which suddenly had to be left behind due to the lockdown.
However, weddings in Asia are finally coming back, albeit a little slowly, so I'm remotely doing wedding planning along with running my online shops. It also compliments my business, as I make signs and printables for my brides, which I then add to my shop catalog.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
It’s hard to imagine life after five years. We will be preparing to become empty nesters, I believe, with the children all grown up and ready to move out. Once the children are well on their way, we’d like to be in Canada for 6-8 months a year, and another sunny place for the rest of the months.
Being able to travel and work simultaneously has always been the goal, so hopefully I'll have tremendously successful shops to support our dream of being snowbirds. The Caribbean and Europe are calling!
What do you want to say to your fans?
I'm so grateful for all of you, especially those who keep coming back to purchase more or the ones who have custom requests and give me specific details. I'm always excited to get to them because they usually end up becoming my best-selling products. Their original demands give me ideas that help my business flourish!
I also love hearing from people about what should be added to my collection, how they are using the products and just to say hi!
Supporting Creatives on Social Media Calendar
Gina and tons of other creative graphic designers and artists have their work up at Social Media Calendar. Go and visit their masterpieces and support them as they create more amazing designs and templates.
Getting Featured on Social Media Calendar
Is there an artist in you that hasn’t got the attention it deserves? Well, Social Media Calendar’s seller program can put your work in front of a large audience searching for templates and graphic designs! Simply sign-up here and show your artwork to the world!
Do you want to learn to create and sell Canva templates?
Check Jerry's super popular 6-Figure Canva Course and get started.
