Mercer Artist: Blue Skyy Designs showcases relentless hope and self love through design

Blue Skyy Designs is a creative business created by journalism major and graphic design minor Jacqueline Lamothe, who is a sophomore at Mercer University. 

Lamothe creates art from the heart, focusing on creations that “highlight relentless hope, help showcase who you are, show the love of Christ, shine your light through your inward qualities and quirks and learning not to sweat the small stuff.” 

With heartfelt messages and inspirational quotes, Lamothe has created a platform for herself that has led to the creation of her own Redbubble shop and Instagram page.

Lamothe stated that the process for Blue Skyy Designs was very gradual. 

“My love for drawing started at a young age and, specifically during quarantine, I found myself drawing profusely to pass the time. I also had a free Adobe Suite subscription during the summer for a graphic design class that I was taking in the fall. I wanted to acquaint myself with the software, and instantly, I was hooked,” Lamothe said. 

Lamothe began her journey in design by posting on her Instagram page. She credits those around her and God for leading her to create a shop. 

“Through many people around me, the Lord gave me the idea of making a Redbubble shop to distribute the designs I created. I believe that God allowed me to see that as an opportunity to start something to uplift those around me and spread joy in the season of distress and chaos that is the year 2020,” Lamothe said. 

Blue Skyy Designs got its name from a special meaning, Lamothe added, as she wanted her name to “reflect the inspiration of the Divine nature of the designs while highlighting the sporadic essence of the designs being created ‘out of the blue.’” She then added the extra “y” to distinguish herself among the many Redbubble stores on the site. 

While the name for her store is inspired by nature, Lamothe says that her art itself is inspired by many things. 

“The inspiration I receive from my art could be from a wide array of things such as a song lyric, a Bible verse or a random thought. I try to communicate that inspiration through the medium of art. I love it because the message can be conveyed without a single word being spoken,” said Lamothe. 

This process means even more when Lamothe sees the impact it has on others, as she truly creates work to help others and inspire them. 

“I definitely have seen positive feedback from others about my work, and I’m grateful for every last one of them,” Lamothe said. “One of the things I appreciate is when people take time to repost my art of their Instagram story. It may not be something they think much about, but it conveys to me that a particular message resonated with somebody so much that they had to share it with other people. I absolutely love that.”

With her own Redbubble shop, Lamothe is also able to make a small income from her work while bringing joy to others through her designs. 

“When people send me pictures of the stickers that they purchased from my shop, it warms my heart with genuine joy,” Lamothe said. 

At this time, Lamothe is very happy with her Redbubble shop. However, she hopes to continue to grow with her designs and creations in order to create a shop independent of Redbubble one day. She also wants to be able to sell more than her stickers, branching out into prints, stationery and even apparel. 

Her current work aligns closely with her graphic design class, as Lamothe says she loves the influence her creative work has on her educational pursuits and how her educational goals make her creative work better. 

When asked what her favorite work is, Lamothe stated that she simply couldn’t choose. 

“I don’t think I have a favorite design because all of them are my favorites. I believe that if I have the urge to draw it then it automatically means I will put my all into it,” Lamothe said.

Lamothe showcases tremendous pride and dedication to her work as she is able to create pieces that deal with pop culture, modern issues within the media and pieces that are made solely to make others happy. The joy that customers and friends get from her Instagram and Redbubble is widely apparent as her art connects people from across Mercer and beyond. 

“One thing that I’m continually proud of about my work is witnessing the inspiration process manifested when the art is complete,” Lamothe said. Most of the time, when I think of an idea to create, I can see exactly what the end product will look like when it’s completed. Seeing the process being brought to life is amazing.”