Meet Pattern Magazine: A New Publication for Surface Designers

I cannot believe it’s here! 

Years ago, I tucked a quiet dream into my “someday maybe” list, scribbled onto a scrap of paper: Create a magazine for surface designers.

At the time, it felt out of reach. I had no experience in publishing and no idea where to begin. But I kept coming back to this idea—a publication that would celebrate the world of surface design, hold space for real, meaningful stories, and remind artists that their work truly matters.

That dream sat quietly in the background for a while, patient, persistent, and waiting for the right time. Then, at the beginning of this year, it started to feel different. Clearer. More possible. 

So I gathered my team, and we began to build it from the ground up: a magazine made for you.

The very first issue arrived on my studio doorstep last month. I opened the box and just stood there, taking it all in. And as I flipped through the pages, I couldn’t stop smiling, a silly, overjoyed, I-can’t-believe-we-actually-did-this kind of smile. I couldn’t wait to share it with my husband, David, and to hand the first copy to my mom.

And now, with so much joy in my heart, I finally get to share it with you! 

Introducing Pattern, a quarterly print magazine dedicated to the art and business of surface pattern design. Written with intention, printed with purpose, and created by real artists, designers, and business owners just like you. 

The Heart Behind Pattern Magazine

With so much of our time spent online, I found myself craving something different that I could hold in my hands. Paper, ink, thread, texture. That’s where this dream began. 

Pattern is a return to the tactile, a pause from digital overwhelm and a wholehearted celebration of what’s handmade. It’s a love letter to the beauty of analog and a reminder that the most meaningful work is created by humans, for humans. 

This magazine was born from a longing to slow down, to sit with our work, and to reconnect with the heart of why we create in the first place.

Inside the Pages

At its core, Pattern Magazine is here to do two things: inspire and equip. 

Each quarterly issue blends beauty and strategy, something to soak in slowly, revisit often, and keep close at hand in your creative space. 

Every page is thoughtfully curated to support your growth as both an artist and a surface designer, from inspiration and studio practice to licensing, marketing, and industry trends.

The Four Sections of Pattern

Each issue is organized into four main sections:

Patterns of Living & Lifestyle

Explore the creative lifestyle with behind-the-scenes features, artist interviews, favorite tools, and gentle encouragement to cultivate your practice with intention.

Patterns of Business & Strategy

Gain clarity around licensing, pricing, branding, and building income streams with insights from artists and industry experts who’ve walked the path.

Patterns of Productivity & Creation

Step into the studio with tutorials, mockup tips, portfolio prompts, and creative rhythms to help you keep moving forward—even on the hard days.

Patterns in Motion

Stay current with seasonal trend reports, color stories, and tear-out pages to ignite your next creative spark.

My hope is that Pattern becomes a beloved staple on your studio table—dog-eared, paint-splattered, and coffee-stained—the kind of magazine you reach for again and again, like a well-used sketchbook or a favorite podcast episode.

Our Debut Issue: Creatively Creative

When our team began dreaming up the first issue, we asked a simple question: What does it mean to create creatively?

We took pen to paper, exploring summer’s invitation to loosen our grip on productivity and return to play.

Volume 1: Creatively Creative is a chance to step outside the lines and rediscover the joy of making, without pressure, without rules.

Inside, you’ll find artist interviews, studio tours, brand strategy insights, and licensing tips, all wrapped in a slower, more intuitive rhythm. Summer’s unpredictability becomes our permission to create differently. To try something new and create just because.

This issue is filled with gardening inspiration, favorite summer tools, and conversations with creatives I deeply admire, like Cara Cummings, Diane Hill, Helen Dealtry, Karen Schipper, Melissa Johnson, Oana Befort, and Sarah Bourne Rafferty.

There is an art to slow, a beauty to soft, and a purpose in the unpredictable. That’s what you’ll find in these pages: a reminder to pause, breathe, and create creatively in these sunshine-filled days.

Explore Pattern Magazine

Pattern is a celebration of surface design, a gathering place for creative entrepreneurs, and a tactile reminder that your work truly matters. 

We created this magazine for you—to encourage new ideas and remind you that you’re not alone on this journey.

Volume 1: Creatively Creative is available now for pre-order, and we’d love for you to be part of this very first chapter. 

Explore Pattern Magazine

Already a Pattern+ member? You’ll receive a free copy with your membership! Learn more about Pattern+ here.

The world of surface design is bursting at the seams with creative expression, beautiful stories, and meaningful work, and it deserves to be held in your hands. 

Pattern Magazine is here! It’s yours! Created for you to delight in and truly enjoy!