Artist spotlight
As part of Oh My News (our newsletter), we spotlight artists and their work with a Q&A. You can find past Q&A's here.
Planned by Jysla
For our first issue, we’d love for you to meet Jess, the creative behind Planned By Jysla. She runs a Sydney based stationery business known for its minimal aesthetic, self-care stickers and planner goods. Jess also runs a Patreon sharing behind the scenes updates and small business tips, posts studio vlogs and planner videos on YouTube, and sells in-person at various art markets around Australia.Tell us a bit about yourself and what made you start your small business. Hey I’m Jess! I’m a creative based in Sydney and I run the stationery business Planned By Jysla. My background is in photography (although I studied Business/Engineering) but I started my business because of my love for planning and journalling. I taught myself to draw as an adult and it feels like Planned By Jysla was a project into exploring creative work I had always admired from afar (as evident through my sticker hoarding).The majority of my designs centre around gentle self-care and healing (with a splash of tough love and taking action) and it has been an honour that something so personal to me has also resonated with other people.
Is there one platform that has surprised you, good or bad, by how much it drove sales or growth compared to what you expected going in? YouTube was completely unexpected for me! I really enjoy filming and sharing my process behind-the-scenes but never expected at all that it would lead to shop sales and more followers on Instagram as well (the one platform I struggle with the most!) when I posted my first video 7 years ago in 2019. I’m still in love with long form content to this day, even in this age of reels and shorts, and a big believer in its ability to form vulnerable, genuine connections.With stationery and planner trends moving so quickly, how do you decide what NOT to make and whether it’s worth chasing a micro trend? Truthfully, I’m a bit oblivious to micro trends most of the time because I’m rarely on social media platforms like Instagram. There’s pros and cons to existing in a ‘bubble’ but the main advantage is that I’m mostly unfazed by the quick trends and can focus on the things I personally want to create most.Trends can be helpful for people just starting out, as a way to experiment or have fun, but ultimately, I do think it’s more stable and sustainable to nurture your own voice and style first and foremost when it comes to creating. Let the trends inspire you and guide you if it aligns, but don’t let it define the entirety of your brand!
