Our May curators introduced us to the work of Tosha Seeholzer over at Hello Tosha Design Co. and the better part of an afternoon was suddenly gone as we perused her lovely work. Equal parts grounded mother and dreaming artist, Tosha brings a refreshingly honest perspective to her designs. Her custom design for our May pocket journal is one that hits home for all of us. And lucky for you, the design is now available for purchase in her shop as a print! Read more about Tosha’s esthetic and inspiration below.
How would you describe your esthetic? What are you trying to convey through your work?
My esthetic is probably best described as happy, playful and colorful. I feel like there are so many things online these days that might make us feel inadequate or cause us to compare ourselves. I want my work to inspire, motivate, uplift and bring joy to the people around me.
What was the very first piece you lettered?
It was my Embrace Messy Hair print! I had the idea for the print, but couldn't find a typeface that I loved, so it was my first project. I realized I'd rather use my own stylized handwriting than an existing typeface. That since has become the norm for most of my projects.
Where do you find your inspiration?
My inspiration originally came from my daughter Isla, after she was born. I had all these new, wonderful emotions being a new mother and began creating art and print projects for her room and my home to try and express what was going on in my life. My family is still my inspiration for a lot of things I do. Being a mother is a huge source of inspiration for me. My family focuses and drives my work and helps keep grounded. I usually find inspiration for my lettered quotes from whatever is going on in my personal life at the time.
What is one of your favorite pieces you've created and why?
This is a hard one! I love all of the projects I do. But one of my very favorites was my #womentoremember lettering series I did with my good friend Melanie Burk. We lettered a quote and featured a woman from history every day for a month. I learned so much about so many amazing women.
What tips do you have for the rest of us about finding time to pursue your dreams and finding time for your family?
When it comes to talking about work, life and family, a lot of people talk about this illusive thing called "balance". There's really no such thing...if anything, it's more like a juggle than a balance. I've tried a lot of different ways to find this balance, hoping there was some magic solution...but there's not. There are a few different things I live by when it comes to this topic. First, know that you can do ANYTHING, you just can't do EVERYTHING. I guess knowing and coming to terms with the fact that I can only do what I can do and that's just the way it is, has helped me a ton and actually relieved a lot of guilt and stress. And then, most importantly, I love the phrase, "Taking time to live your life will only inspire your work". This is key. You should work hard AND play hard. Giving myself a set "day off" has been so good for my mental health. Knowing there is a rest day in sight, helps me work harder during my work days. I find that I'm able to dive into my workweek with a lot more gusto and motivation when I've let myself rest and enjoy myself for a day or two over the weekend. Ok...one more thing. Don't give up! Find something you love doing and that you're passionate about and work for it. Every day! And if you have yet to start, just start. You're never too old to chase your dreams. And you'll never know if you don't try. So chase your passion until you're out of breath, then get up again and keep running.