I have been creative since I was little, which was inevitable with so many of my family being painters, either professionally or passionate hobbyists.

As with many artists, I struggled with perfectionism, and this pushed me to move away from painting and into photography, studying first at college and then at university.

The only suitable course was BA Hons: Marine and Natural History Photography at Falmouth, which was incredible, and throughout my time, I loved using my photographs in an editorial or graphic sense. I then went on to do a Master's of Art: Authorial Illustration – which was awful, but that's a story for another time.

Photography, especially wildlife, is a tricky business, and being a broke graduate, I applied for every creative job I could. I was finally accepted into an entry-level position as a junior designer in a printing company, and I moved from Cornwall to Bristol.

It was during this time that I learnt so much about design and working with clients and on projects; after 3 years, I left and was headhunted by another printer and worked there for another 3 years.

As much as I loved designing, I knew office life wasn't for me, so the pandemic was scary, but it was a breath of fresh air being out of this environment.

We all got into our activities in lockdown, and I logged an unhealthy amount of man-hours into my Animal Crossing island. This was when my partner said I need a project. I was already painting for fun, but I expressed that I have always wanted to try digital illustration.

When I got my iPad, I was inseparable; it was obvious I would draw animals, and the more I drew and shared, the more requests I would get to sell my work, and there, Ferne Creative was born.