Following the Call of Creativity: The Story of Little Forest Atelier
In her own words, Sandra—surface pattern designer and founder of Little Forest Atelier—shares how a lifelong love of crafts, a bold move back to her Finnish roots, and a leap of faith transformed her creative dream into reality. Blending thoughtful design with everyday wonder, she now creates heartfelt, nature-inspired patterns while balancing motherhood, freelancing, and a slow, steady approach to creative growth.
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Hi! I’m Sandra and I live in a small village on the west coast of Finland. I work as a surface pattern designer under my brand name Little Forest Atelier.
Creativity has always been a big part of my life—I’ve had a lifelong passion for working with my hands and exploring different crafts. Over the years, I immersed myself in everything from pottery and weaving to knitting and screen printing. While I dabbled in drawing when I was younger, I set it aside for a very long time, focusing instead on other crafts in my free time while working full-time as a translator.
For years, I dreamed of a creative career but never truly believed it was possible. Yet, as I approached my 40s, the pull toward a more creative life became impossible to ignore. While living in Brussels, Belgium, and working as a translator for the EU, my husband and I started discussing the idea of making a bold change—leaving behind our stable jobs and moving to Finland (where I grew up) to build a different kind of life. And so, after much back and forth, we took the leap. We arrived with no jobs, but with big dreams.
At some point, while still living in Belgium, I had discovered surface pattern design. After buying an iPad, I started practicing digital drawing and joined Bonnie Christine’s membership. That experience was a turning point—it showed me that building a creative career was possible, even though I had felt like I’d missed my chance by choosing a different path initially. When I took Bonnie’s Immersion course, I felt truly motivated to give it a real shot. Surface pattern design combined everything I loved—colour, patterns, and creating beautiful things. It felt like the perfect fit.
Challenges and doubts
Pursuing surface pattern design, especially in today’s competitive landscape, isn’t easy. I could have given in to self-doubt at any point—I didn’t know if I was good enough or if any company would ever want to work with me. Giving up was never really an option, though, because I knew what I had left behind and that this was a unique opportunity. Instead of focusing on the big picture, which sometimes felt overwhelming, I committed to taking one small step every day. Securing my first licensing deals confirmed that I was on the right path.
One of the biggest challenges I faced was balancing creative work with parenting. When I started my journey, I had a baby who quickly became a toddler, and time was scarce. It was frustrating not being able to progress as quickly as I wanted. However, I reminded myself that creativity isn’t a race—there’s no deadline for success. Things became easier once my child started daycare, but even now, as I continue to do freelance translation work alongside design, time remains a challenge. I’ve learned to be highly focused with the time I do have. That said, it can be difficult to balance all the aspects of this job, like marketing, social media, company research… everything takes time.
Creative process
I try to work on new designs as often as I can, but that doesn’t mean I draw every day or even every week. At the beginning of the year, I like to make a rough plan of what I want to create during the year—not specific patterns, but, for example, how many full collections I want to submit to my fabric manufacturer, and what my focus should be during the coming months.
I find inspiration everywhere, sometimes from a summer walk in nature, sometimes from a cute colour combination I see in a shop. Winters in Finland, however, can be a bit uninspiring—the landscape often looks like a black-and-white movie—so I turn to other sources of inspiration during those months. Pinterest is an amazing tool—but it’s easy to fall down a rabbit hole for hours! 😉
Normally, I do all the sketching on my iPad, refine the elements there, and assemble the pattern in Illustrator (or sometimes Photoshop) on my desktop. Lately, I’ve been experimenting with more manual pattern-making techniques and want to explore that more.
Marketing and branding
I started my Instagram account, Little Forest Atelier, while still living in Brussels. Initially, it was a space to document my weaving projects. When I transitioned to surface pattern design, I had to push past the fear of shifting my content. As a beginner, I felt insecure sharing my work among so many talented creatives. But I knew that if I wanted to grow, I had to show up. Sharing my first designs felt nerve-wracking, but the positive feedback gave me the confidence to keep going. Over time, I found an encouraging and supportive community. For anyone just starting to put their work out there—trust me, it gets easier!
My brand image comes naturally from my love for certain colours (I could use soft pink in every pattern!) and my evolving creative process. In the beginning, I experimented with different techniques, which I think is essential for any designer, but over time, I found an approach that feels authentically mine. I also genuinely enjoy taking photos and ensuring they align with my brand’s playful aesthetic.
Five Tips for Gaining Visibility
Consistency is key – Keep showing up, posting your work, and making progress, even in small ways. Do something art- or business-related every day.
Share your journey and show your face – People connect with people. It’s not just about your patterns; it’s about you. Don’t be afraid to share your creative process and who you are.
Participate in challenges and competitions – Engaging in creative challenges or competitions can be a great way to gain exposure, push yourself creatively, and expand your network.
Build a website or portfolio – Having an online space dedicated to your work makes it easier for people to discover you and take you seriously as a professional.
Reach out to companies – Don’t wait for opportunities to come to you. Do your research, send your portfolio to companies, and keep putting yourself out there.
You can find my work on Instagram (www.instagram.com/littleforestatelier) and on my website: www.littleforestatelier.com