Timing is Everything: How to Draw Ahead Like a Pro

'Tis Not the Season

Do Christmas in July sales strike you the way they strike me? Weird and off-putting.

I mean, I'm a planner (ask anyone who knows me), but Christmas is the farthest thing from my mind when I'm chasing my kids around the pool with a bottle of sunscreen. However, we are professional surface pattern designers and guess what?

We have to plan ahead.

Because in the world of professional pattern design, it's all about timing.

Knowing client production schedules is yet another key that will set you up for success.

Let me tell you, sometimes it’s not easy. Our art is often fueled by inspiration and it's really hard to be inspired to draw Christmas ornaments when it’s 90 degrees outside.

Or how about drawing cute little swimsuits when you're surrounded by holiday cookies? That's even tougher — because who wants to think about fitting into a swimsuit when you're eating Christmas cookies!?

Not me.

Mandy's 5 Tips for Seasonal Pattern Designs

Over my years as a professional pattern designer, I've come up with five hacks to stay creatively inspired and stick to client's seasonal schedules. All of these five tips will help you plan, pitch, and draw ahead (get it?) of the competition. Let's dive in.

1. Draw Now: Pitch Later

Create your seasonal designs now, but save them to submit at the right time!

Hands-down, this is my favorite hack. The best way to stay ahead is to work ahead. And working ahead means you can draw flowers in spring and leaves in the fall. Are you inspired to draw snowmen made of marshmallows while the snow is falling? Great—just don't send them out right away.

Hold on to them. You’ll pitch your winter-themed drawings to companies in July for next year’s holiday season.

Likewise, you can draw bright and summery beach patterns while you're vibing on summer as you lounge by the pool. You'll pitch those drawings in January.

Here’s how it breaks down:

•  Holiday art ⛄ (snowmen, ornaments, marshmallow-filled mugs) 🎄 → Draw in winter, pitch in July.
•  Summer art 🏖️ (beach balls, flip-flops, poolside florals) 🍉 → Draw in summer, pitch in January.

If you’re ready to level up and start creating seasonal collections faster, check out my Procreate Pattern Collection Masterclass—it walks you through designing cohesive collections that wow.

2. Know Submission Seasons and Schedules

Stay on top of industry schedules so you don’t miss key submission dates!

Every market has its own production cycle. Fabrics, stationery, home decor, and gift wrap companies all work months (or even a year) ahead. If you want to land those licensing deals, keep tabs on submission calls and deadlines. Many companies release their design briefs well in advance. You can set calendar reminders while you draw ahead!

Here’s what to do:

• Keep tabs on design briefs and submission calls.
• Add deadline reminders to your calendar.
• Use recurring tasks in your digital planner or try the organizational hub I created just for artists like you, Creative Art Biz (formerly Artful Notion).

Plan smart: Start prepping your designs 6–12 months ahead of the product launch season.

3. Batching Through the Snow

Grouping your designs helps you stay in the creative flow!

Inspiration can be a fickle thing, but a little direction can go a long way for a professional designer. Instead of bouncing around all over the place as inspiration strikes, try batching.

It's difficult to create a consistent pattern collection if you're switching between autumn designs and summer motifs in a single week.

Dedicate a block of time—anywhere from a week to a month—to a theme.

This will help you stay in the creative flow and avoid the mental whiplash of switching between pumpkins and starfish.

4. Stockpile Seasonal Ideas

Keep a running list of seasonal concepts so inspiration never melts away!

Ever had a killer idea for a Halloween collection… in March?

Instead of letting it slip away, keep an idea board where you jot down inspiration year-round. Whether it’s a digital note, a sketchbook, or a Pinterest board, having a go-to place for saving inspired ideas means you’ll never be scrambling for inspiration when the time to create rolls around.

Start a seasonal idea board:

• Use Pinterest, Notion, or a good old sketchbook.
• Label ideas by season or holiday.
• Refer back when it’s time to draw.

Fast-track tip: Pair your idea board with the Free Pattern Tester Tool to test your concepts before you spend hours on them.

5. Train Your Brain to Design in Reverse

Train your creative brain to design ahead for the opposite season.

Planning ahead sometimes means training yourself to be inspired by the opposite season. When the snow is falling outside, why not immerse yourself in summer—scroll through vacation photos, watch beach movies, collect reference images that make you feel warmth?

In summer, embrace winter by surrounding yourself with cozy holiday vibes. You can even try playing Christmas music while you sketch snowflakes. By actively engaging with the season you need to design for (even if it’s the opposite of what’s outside your window), you’ll generate fresh, inspired art that aligns with what companies are looking for, when they are looking for it.

Let’s take creating artwork for calendars, for example. You'll want to pitch the following year’s calendars around July of this year.

In short: You always want to be one season ahead!

Let the Seasons Work for You

Planning ahead as a surface pattern designer doesn’t mean losing your spontaneity—it means giving your creativity a head start. When you organize your timing, you give yourself more freedom to actually enjoy the creative process. And bonus? Your work is more likely to land where it belongs—on products, in shops, and in the hands of people who love it.

You've got this! Now go draw something amazing.