Today we’d like to introduce you to Wendy Sanchez.
Hi Wendy, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am a graphic designer born and raised in the DFW metroplex. I realized my passion for design in elementary school when I would design clothes for my Barbies with duct tape and build houses out of paper cups for my Beanie Babies. I even started a keychain selling business that lasted a whole 3 weeks in 5th grade, complete with Microsoft Paint business cards. I’ve always been an ambitious soul, coming up with crazy ideas and letting my excitement run with them. I enjoy branding and packaging design, as well as fashion design. I love to see how people interact with my designs and especially how they can utilize them. Nothing gives me more joy than seeing a person physically interacting with or even wearing my designs. While in high school, I got involved in the theatre department’s costuming crew, which eventually led to me pursuing a Fashion Design career. After starting my degree in Fashion Design and Merchandising at the University of North Texas, I realized how much I loved computer graphic design even more. I decided to transfer back to my hometown and pursue a Graphic Design degree at the University of Texas at Arlington. My experience in both of these majors is what gives me the strength and knowledge to create the way I do today, and I strongly value my education at both schools.
While in college, I delved into other creative hobbies, like painting and jewelry making. I sold my creations on Etsy and advertised myself on social media. My hunger to create unique products that people would love to show off or wear kept me awake at night. After 10 years of trying different creative hobbies and being inspired by the artists and creatives around me, I finally found myself creating a brand that is my own. I decided to start taking my ideas seriously and began to develop an art business I could run on the side of my day job. I began creating various products, from purses and clothing to designing enamel pins and office décor. All of the money I make goes back into creating new and unique products until I feel I have developed a substantial catalog. This may seem daunting, but I am still a very new business, and I want to focus on building the quality of my brand.
Today, I am a lead graphic designer for a distribution company. I help them develop new brands and products, design packaging, and manage their website. All of my experiences I’ve had up until this point have readied me to succeed in my career. I enjoy the stability of having a day job, so I can choose to take mental breaks from my art business as needed. But I still love having my own brand that I can make my little art dreams come true.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I spent 10 years delving into new hobbies, and with each new hobby, I faced new struggles. The biggest struggle I still have is deciding what to focus on. I want to try everything there is out there, but finding my strengths and focusing on the things that make me feel accomplished in the end is hard to pinpoint. Some months I focus heavily on fashion designs and then a new season comes along, and I am sick of fashion and want to work on illustrations. I also had lots of financial struggles, but nobody wants to hear about that. The best thing for me to do was to separate my personal money from the money I make from sales and pretend it doesn’t exist, that way I have funds for my next big project.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
As mentioned, I am a lead graphic designer for a distribution company. I help them develop new brands and products, design packaging, and manage their website. I am always most proud of my packaging design, especially when it involves creating a new name or branding for the product. What sets me apart is that working for a distribution company gives me the freedom to create new brands for the company. Since we work with all sorts of products, I’m not confined in a box as to what I am designing for. I have helped them create their own trademarks and established brand identities for their company.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I generally follow my heart’s desires, so taking risks is sometimes involved. I prefer to take the route that will make me happy regardless of the outcome, so taking a risk on purchasing product that may flop would be considered risky. But if it makes my heart feel fulfilled to see that product in existence, I will go for it.
Pricing:
- Fanny Pack Purse – $65
- Desk Mats – $20
- Keychains – $12
- Enamel Pins – $10-15
Contact Info:
- Website: daisybunart.com
- Instagram: daisybunart
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Wendykkuma
- Twitter: wendykkuma
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@wendykkuma
