Hello lovely

I’m Jo Draper, an artist, illustrator, surface pattern designer and storytelling guide, originally from Nottingham and now living on the Gold Coast in Queensland.

I create illustrations, patterns and products inspired by animals, places and the everyday moments I notice along the way. I’m usually drawn to things with a story behind them, especially if they involve a bit of humour or a character with plenty of personality.

I also help creative business owners find the stories hiding in their own lives and work. The conversations, wrong turns and ordinary moments they might overlook because they don’t seem interesting enough.

It turns out I’ve always noticed those things. I didn’t always know they would become such an important part of my art and my business.

The plot twist

In 2016, I was diagnosed with DCIS and went through surgery and radiotherapy. After five years of check-ups, I thought I could finally put it behind me. Then, in 2021, I was diagnosed with breast cancer again and had a double mastectomy.

I’m not going to tell you cancer was a gift. It wasn’t. But going through it twice changed the way I look at my life and what I want to do with it.

It’s a big part of why I love to travel and why I don’t want to keep saving things for “one day”. It’s why I look for fun in ordinary moments, laugh at myself and take the pretty route whenever I can.

It has shaped my art too. I notice the animal with a funny expression, the conversation that makes me laugh or the tiny moment that could easily have passed without anybody paying attention. Those are often the moments that become illustrations and stories.

Life can be frightening and messy. Mine has involved two rounds of breast cancer, a double mastectomy and learning how to live in a body that looks very different from the one I had before.

I came through it with no boobs, plenty of stories and a much clearer idea of how I want to spend my time.

The Pretty Way (literally)

The Pretty Way

When I was growing up, Dad rarely took the quickest route anywhere. Whether we were going to work, stopping at a café or heading out for the day, he would say we were going The Pretty Way.

The Pretty Way sometimes involved a detour, a ferry ride or getting slightly lost. It wasn’t about reaching somewhere as efficiently as possible. It was about enjoying where we were going and seeing what we might find along the way.

I still do it now. Paul and I will choose the road by the water, even when we know another route would be quicker. I walk with Scruff every day and pay attention to the animals, people and odd little moments we come across. Those walks have become The Pretty Way Walks, where I talk about art, stories, creative business and whatever has made me stop and think that day.

The Pretty Way has become much more than the route Dad took. It reminds me that life doesn’t have to happen in a straight line and that getting somewhere quickly isn’t always the most important thing.

It’s how I want to live, create and build my business: noticing what is around me, making room for fun and allowing the unexpected bits to become part of the story.

Dad died many years ago, but The Pretty Way is something I still carry with me. Sometimes he also turns up as a pelican, but that’s another story.

What I believe

The ordinary bits matter

Not every story begins with something dramatic. Some begin with a dog walk, a wrong turn, an animal with a funny expression or a conversation you nearly forgot. The things we dismiss as ordinary are often the things that connect us most.

Creativity is allowed to be fun

Art and business can involve hard work without feeling serious all the time. I want to enjoy what I’m making, laugh while I’m figuring it out and leave room for ideas that arrive unexpectedly.

There isn’t one right way

I’ve never followed a particularly straight path, in life or in business. I believe we’re allowed to change direction, try something differently and build around who we actually are rather than squeezing ourselves into somebody else’s formula.

Kindness and integrity matter

There is room for other people to do brilliant work without it taking anything away from mine. I would rather encourage, collaborate and treat people well than build anything through competition or pretending I have all the answers.

Don’t save everything for one day

Wear the good clothes. Take the trip. Draw the thing you keep thinking about. Go home the Pretty Way. Life has taught me that “later” isn’t something we should always rely on.

No boobs. Big ideas. Plenty of stories.

That’s me.

I make art, notice the things other people might walk past and help creative business owners find the stories they didn’t realise they already had.

I’m still figuring things out as I go, preferably with Scruff beside me and a peppermint and spearmint tea waiting at home.

Thanks for taking The Pretty Way with me.

Big love and sparkles

Jo x