An Unexpected Turn

I'm building a new brand! 💫🦆🎨

Hi friends!

First off, thank you so much for your thoughtful comments on last month’s newsletter. It’s encouraging to see that others know the forever-student syndrome, and I was touched to see the silver linings y’all pointed out — namely, that even unfinished classes still provide value and help you be a better you. 😊

As for my latest big-ticket course purchase, I’m learning a lot from Leverage Your Art with Stacie Bloomfield! I’m watching modules as they are released, and then rewatching them accompanied by the massive workbook that the Gingiber team sent out to all of this season’s students.

It was while hiding in my partner’s room, with loud construction going on at our balcony (ie my side of the apartment…I’ve had to vacate my room at 7:30 AM for the past week 🥲), noise-cancelling earbuds in, rewatching Module 2 on “Building Your Brand” that it dawned on me:

“Streaac” is a derivative of my name.

If ever in the future there’s an opportunity to sell my brand, I’d have to sell off my name as well.

Likewise, it’d be kind of awkward if ever I assemble a team to assist in my daily operations that they work for someone else’s name.

Sure, there’s plenty of existing brands that are named after the founder, but Stacie made sure to point out the nuances of having a brand named after you. (She then explained her process and reasoning for using “Gingiber” as her brand rather than her name.)

So I put this learning into practice, wrote out some ideas, and a brand has been born!

Introducing: Star Gremlin Studio!

The first of many iterations of mascot and logo! Let’s just get started!

Let me share the thought process behind this brand name:

• Star - my name is Greek and Latin for “star-maiden” or “starry night.” Allegedly, it’s another name for the constellation Virgo (even though I’m a Leo hehe). Living in SoCal, I’ve had Latinx classmates point out that my name is not too far from “Estrella,” which is the Spanish word for “star.”

• Gremlin - according to my boyfriend, I have gremlin-like behaviors? I’m not out for malicious intent! But I do revel in innocuous tricks and like to roam around my living space like a (cute) troll. It wasn’t until recently an acquaintance called me a gremlin INDEPENDENTLY (he has never met my bf) that I realized…I kind of am a gremlin? In an Anya Forger kind of way:

  

  Aren’t you glad it’s not a gif from the Gremlins movie

• Studio - technically, this is simply a tagline to clarify what the heck “Star Gremlin” is. Studio is a word strongly associated with art, so hopefully, when people come across the 3-word combo they can quickly figure out this is an art brand.

Staking claim online

As of this writing, streaac.com is private only to me while I convert it to Star Gremlin Studio HQ. Squarespace isn’t the cheapest option for website hosting, so converting all the content and URLs is the more financially sound option at this time (You can make unlimited websites with one Squarespace account, but each website is billed separately 😱).

I plan to launch the website officially in July! As a treat, you’ll be the first to know when things are up and ready. 😊✨

What will become of Streaac?

I’m keeping the name, the domain, and the YouTube channel! But now that I’m operating under two names, this will allow me a clearer division of content.

Streaac will be the name I use for fanart and personal work. From a business standpoint, I believe these works have limited leverage, as they are very personal, therefore could only capture a small buyer base; nonetheless, having this outlet is valuable to me. In other words, I’ll be sharing autobio comics and video game fanart as Streaac.

Star Gremlin Studio will showcase original illustrations, surface designs, and other work meant to be marketable and high leverage. We’re talking brand collabs, licensing, wholesale, and other means of professional income. SGS is for art I can make once and use infinitely because it has wider appeal and is my intellectual property.

Artwork Update

As part of Leverage Your Art, I’ve audited my surface design collections and created a schedule to stick to for my short-term goal. My goal is to have an easily updatable pdf portfolio file, and the SGS website ready by June 24th.

This did not account for surprise COVID which I’m currently recovering from 🥲

This first iteration of my portfolio will include:

1. Gentle Giant (I’ve since simplified some designs to make them more versatile)

2. Halloween collection (angels and witches)

3. NEW hydrangea collection

4. and June’s main project: fruits!

Share your thoughts!

My vision for Star Gremlin is for it to be the umbrella that shelters standalone illustrations and comics with mass appeal and relatability. And, as you’ve already seen in previous newsletters, I’m making patterns to be used for various surfaces — fabric, dishware, tea towels, tech accessories, apparel, stationery, and more. My question to you this month is:

🧐What motifs, concepts, and color combos do you personally gravitate towards? What interests do you have that you would consider mainstream, and what interests do you have that are better described as “niche”?

Your opinion matters to me!

I expect Star Gremlin will evolve as the brand evolves, but I think it’d be exciting to start off strong with a (literal) brand story and the visual assets to match.

That’s why I’d like to send you the newsletter a little earlier in the month next month, to share with you the ✨lore✨ of the delightful character (yes, character!) that is Star Gremlin. With the lore in mind, I’d love your feedback on logo and brand colors, and any thoughts on expanding the lore as well.

See you in June!