WELCOME FRIENDS

Welcome to the Happy E Designs Studio website!

This has been a long time coming, so I am thrilled to be sharing this project with you now. I have been wanting to make a shift in my business for quite some time, but between graduate school, working another job, moving, taking care of my mental health, and having a social life it has been difficult to find time. I was reminded this week, however, that we make the time for the things that are important to us. For me, this business means everything to me. It truly has been a light in my life for the last three years. It has been a place where I can express myself and let my God given gift of creativity shine through. This is worth investing the time and money into, and I am so excited for what God is going to do in this next season of my business.

Lets back up a little and let me formally introduce myself for those of you who do not know who I am. I am Erin DeMars, formerly Erin Bradley (I married my high school sweetheart Dakota DeMars a little over a year ago). Most of my friends call me E (hence happy E designs). I am currently in graduate school at the University of West Florida pursuing my Masters in Psychology with a clinical counseling concentration. My dream job alongside growing my small business is to be a high school mental health counselor and youth pastor. I have such a huge heart for teenagers and I firmly believe that we need to be putting a greater emphasis on the mental health of our youth today. Besides school and running this business, I am also a contracted graphic designer for a non-profit organization that works with sexually exploited and previously human trafficked women. Obviously I love to design and use my creativity in any capacity I can because I also am on the home team at my church as the Shop lead. I run the shop we have at my church where I get to decide and design what types of "church merch" we want to sell and how those can have an impact on our community.

Those are just the things I do, and I love each of those roles that I have been given the opportunity to fill. Who I am? Well, I have been thinking about it a lot recently and the biggest part of who I am is a Christ follower. I love Jesus so so much. Without my relationship with the Lord I would not be in the position that I am in. I am also a wife and a dog mom, and while those are still roles I wouldn't trade those roles for the world. My family means the world to me and I am determined to be a devout, loving, kind, and supportive part of my family.

So that is a little look into who I am and what my life looks like. Now, here is a little look into how and why I started this business. In 2020, when the world shut down I felt lost. I didn't understand what was happening (like most of us) and I didn't know what was going to happen next for me (like most of us). I did have an IPad and I finally decided to download this app I had seen everywhere called Procreate. Yall, this app changed my life. I started drawing and I couldn't stop. I decided to make an Instagram page for my designs and posted consistently everyday and eventually I started getting DMs from friends that I should open an Etsy Shop. Which I did, and I sold solely digital prints. In my senior year of college I was given the opportunity to be at two markets, and I fell in love with seeing my art physically in front of me. So I began to print out prints, create magnets, stickers, and coasters and than when I came home my business lagged. When I came home from college I married Dakota, moved in with him, and started grad school all within three months. From then on, I became really depressed. My business went on the back burner and was not picked back up until the beginning of this year. That's when I changed the name to Happy E Designs Studio because I wanted this to be more than just a design business, I wanted to encompass all the aspects of creativity that I incorporate. I am not only a digital artist, but I also write, speak, paint, create, and so much more. I also changed my name in hopes of one day having my own studio and permanent shop.

All that to be said I am so excited to have a website that represents who I am and what I love to do. This website will eventually be home to my online shop (coming soon), but for now I am utilizing this website to blog and to reach a larger audience of people. I am currently a recurring vendor at a local market here in Pace, Florida where I sell all of my happy goodies so if you are local I would love to see you. My Etsy Shop will also be reopened very soon, and that will be home to all of my digital products like my custom portraits and pet portraits, prints, and worksheets.

Thank you so much for being here! Make sure to subscribe to my email list and email me if you have any inquires or ideas for me.

I love you friends. Your support means everything to me.

- Erin DeMars