Rising Stars: Meet Lydia Jones

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lydia Jones. 

Hi Lydia, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started my blog in 2014 when I was in high school and dealing with debilitating anxiety. I was bedridden and needed a creative outlet that could give me the confidence of others’ understanding, allowing me to simply exist in the real world. I’ve been blogging for over 8 years now and branched into graphic design about 6 years ago when I went to college. Now, after all these years of keeping up with it, my website is a curation of my passions, and it’s something I still use to document my mental health through both art and literature.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
For the first year of blogging, I kept my website a secret. I posted about my anxiety, shared different clothing and makeup-related posts, and even snuck in a few beauty tutorial videos on the side. I was afraid to tell my friends and family about my blog because, in a way, it did seem like a private journal. It felt like such a daunting thing to be like, “Hey, I’ve been writing these blog posts that some people might find cringy, and there’s a year’s worth already on there that you haven’t seen yet. Enjoy!” I think it was just extra nerve-wracking since blogging at that time wasn’t something anyone my age seemed to be doing. I remember having my secret twitter at that time where I knew lots of bloggers who were older than me who were super supportive of my work. Such an amazing community. It helped to validate my goal with my work. I would say, since being open about it, I’ve felt super rewarded by a.) expressing my feelings openly and honestly and b.) having people come forward, telling me they’ve been in similar situations and that my writing has in some way helped them come to terms with their anxieties.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
Besides blogging about my lifestyle, my mental health and my various other interests, I love making digital art. I have a huge passion for the branding side of graphic design, but you’ll mostly find me making prints and stationery of colorful and beautiful subjects, like plants, animals, and humans. I also do occasional photography, so I like to make my website and overall online essence a very visually-appealing place for people to visit. I think fusing my blog with my design sets me apart from other content creators because, well, it feels more personal. When you’re on my site, even just to browse my online shop, you’re in a portal that’s filled with over 8 years of blog entries. It’s an amazing capsule of my thoughts through some of the hardest years of my life, and it feels like people are on the journey with me.

How do you define success?
To me, success is being a positive light for the people around you and for creating some sort of amazing impact on the world. Even in a small way! My blog might not be the most popular thing ever, but it’s been something that has helped both myself and others, and I think that’s super dope in itself. I think striving for that, striving to empower others, is an amazing goal to have and I think once you’re on that path, you’re showing bits and pieces of success.

Pricing:

• Circle stickers – $1.50 to $2.00
• 8x8in prints – $18
• 8x10in prints – $15 to $20
• Photography commissions – $150+
• Design commissions – $25+

Contact Info:

• Website: grinsandneedles.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/grinsandneedles
• Facebook: Facebook.com/grinsandneedles
• Twitter: Twitter.com/grinsandneedles
• Other: grinsandneedles.com/store