Em is the wonderful illustrator behind the Christmas bag designs for Pott. I wanted to have a catch-up with her to find out how she comes up with her ideas and discover her favourite parts of the process. 

What’s been your journey into illustration? 

My parents are very creative, so I was encouraged to draw and paint from a young age. My mum would carry little sketchpads and paints on long walks and we’d stop and paint the views. I later studied and worked in design at branding agencies in London, but missed the creative outlet. When I had my first child, I started drawing again and had lots of local support so taught myself to illustrate more professionally. 

What inspires your work? 

Nature. Plants and flowers fascinate me and the beauty of it all makes it pretty easy to be inspired. But it’s also quite a spiritual thing for me too. 

What’s your favourite part of the creative process? 

Definitely the final product. I love seeing things come to life. Working by hand in brush pen and ink is a brilliant way to get quite fast results – I’m always so eager to see how the work turns out! 

What advice would you give someone starting a creative business? 

Find something that’s important to you and work from there. I’m a pretty tough client with myself, so I’d recommend setting deadlines every day (no matter how small) to keep you moving forward. 

Tell us about the process behind the Pott Christmas bag design. 

Working on the Christmas packaging was a dream come true. I started with reference imagery from the lists of ingredients, and I filled my sketchbook with drawings of each element. I later wove each piece together to create the wreath illustration, adding sprigs in the same way you would a physical wreath. I used a palette of greens to link back to the colour of The Holly to encapsulate the collection as a whole. 

And finally, what do you love most about Christmas? 

Christmas itself is lovely, but the build-up is so much better! The tree going up, the music, the films (I have a strange love for The Muppets Christmas Carol), the smells (I love a scented candle), the cosy afternoons and evenings, the drinks. Gosh... the lot! 

Thanks Em, we've loved sitting down and finding out a little bit more about your world. If you want to learn more about Em, here is a link to her website.