Sola Fide Studio

I’ve missed you guys!

I have been a little quiet here on the 'gram recently, but I promise there's good reason for it. While I’ve been away, I have:

〰️ Made great progress on my Creative Resources shop - coming soon, so stay tuned!
〰️ Worked on 6 Brands, 8 client Business Launches, and 9 Brand Strategies - phew!
〰️ Bought a new house and moved in!
〰️ Started my coffee home brewing journey
〰️ Passed my Freediving certification and that I could go deep dive as 68 feet in a single breath
〰️ Now a furmom of 9!
〰️ Lived an island life for 3 months (shows in my tan haha)
〰️ And started growing a personal projects which I’ll be sharing about in a couple of weeks!

I’ve been a little busy to say the least 😬

Now it's time to catch up on what I’ve missed! What have you been up to? Share those wins! 🤍

We often spend our days rushing around, focusing much on our everyday commitment (mostly in the form of client work).

Often when we are overwhelmed with the burdens of the hustle culture, we forget to do what makes us feel alive.

I know this because I was in the same exact experience recently. Burnt out and feeling purposeless, I spent days for the sake of getting by.

This is a reminder to pause and embrace your creativity. Think of whatever makes you feel alive, and do it.

After all, we built this business for ourselves. It pays to listen to our soul.

What makes you feel alive? 🦋

Wait, what day is it? 😳 Lol

I'm always thrown off by extra long weekends, but man was it much-needed. I'm ready to get back in the swing of things and tackle the rest of this week. I've got a client call in a few, then I'm going to grab a meal + write up some new blog posts for next week cause your girl has a LOOOOOOT of catching up to do!

Tell me one exciting thing you're working on this week! 🤎

Which font are you?

Different type styles have very different personalities—what’s yours? Find out where you can really sit with, in this lineage of most used fonts.

You might surprise yourself! ✨

I know you’ve set some big goals for 2022 and the best way to reach them is to sit down with people who have experienced the journey, overcome the challenges along the way, and are ready to guide you through it all as well.

This is how grateful I am that I signed up for KGP program — as I go back to the track, by just logging in and restudying made it easier for me to pick up where I left off. ✨

I’d love to hear your thoughts as first month of 2022 is coming to end. What have you learned so far this year? via .app

Where do I even start?
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I have written and re-written this post so many times the last few weeks and months... and every time I go to post, I have felt frozen.⁣
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Anxiety…well... it's gotten real.⁣
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And the whole time, I've been focusing on my work as a full-time creative lead for a more stable income; as the pandemic hit us more challenging last year, I've felt frozen about how to be active on this platform.⁣
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It felt pointless.⁣
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It didn't feel significant.⁣
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It felt like people were all so dedicated to their panacea for this nightmare that they were adding to a whole lot of noise.⁣
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So I froze.⁣
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Today I felt like I needed to post. I felt like I wanted to be helpful.
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But I want to tell you that it's okay if you don't feel like showing up today. ⁣
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You might feel up to it tomorrow.⁣
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You might need a week.⁣
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You might want to hide.⁣
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You might feel frozen, too.⁣
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It's all valid, and nobody has the correct answers right now.⁣
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There are no right or wrong answers for how to navigate this as a business owner as long as you're doing your best.
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So there, I'm thawing myself out. No guarantees I won't freeze up tomorrow, though.⁣
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Now...how are you? How are you navigating this? And how can I help, if at all?⁣ 😌

Ten years ago, I was still in college, doing design side hustle for my extra allowance and extra savings as a student.

I had no clue what I wanted to do in life. But since I did not have a lot of money, I had to figure out a way to pay for my college expenses. I made some collaborations with a friend and sold university T-shirts and lanyards. But selling shirts and lanyards are seasonal on campus, so I switched to creating final plates for my co-students. I up-skilled creating android game final plates that became my highest income source at that time. By the time I finished university, I had continued making plates for my friends because I considered it just a great side hustle, and now it was time to get a ‘real’ job.

I tried several jobs, but I never had the feeling that working for a boss was for me. So after a few years, I decided to become my own boss (which I have been doing ever since!). I tried opening my own brand of mall beverage kiosks. But it took a lot of time to manage and get ROI with this kind of business, so I also tried thrift clothing and opened up my thrift store. From thrift store I moved to dropshipping fancy jewelry with a webshop until I have to pause the operations of these businesses slowly since, COVID and lockdowns happened. 😔

Only recently, I started thinking about my businesses. Back then, I always saw e-commerce and retailing are the only way make stable money. I never considered myself an entrepreneur by being a freelance graphic designer. I thought I was too lazy to work in a corporate job, and I didn’t have any other skills.

Now, 10 years later, I realize I got such a kick out of setting up my own business, market my brand, and finding ways to become more successful. It turns out I was already an entrepreneur 10 years ago. I just didn’t know it myself.

To cut to the point: Sometimes, it’s good just to do something because it feels right, not because it fits your future plans. Only years later, you might realize that these steps actually defined your life choices. ✨

I am a firm believer in putting in more effort upfront. The more time and effort you put into your client’s branding/rebranding research and discovery phase, the easier the design process will be (and the more wins you will have).

From my experience for more than 7 years of freelancing, it's really the discovery phase is the beating heart of a project, and it is here that you will find those small nuggets of information that will help your project thrive. This is not the time to make assumptions about your client or impose your cutting-edge creative ideas. This is the time to LISTEN and ASK QUESTIONS.

Your turn: Share with me in the comments below your favorite question(s) you usually ask your client during discovery phase 🤎

It would be best to have a deep understanding of how branding works and how it helps transform a business from a “meh” impression into a “wow” interaction. Communicating with clients can be challenging, but it helps you build a healthy collaboration. Asking questions engages your client with your dedication to conceive an unforgettable craft.

This is why I created a guidebook after noticing people asking for design help, when really what they needed was a solid brand strategy. When you skip straight to brand visuals, your brand’s visual identity will lack depth, cohesion, and you’ll find it hard to articulate what you want to your designer.

This Brand Audit Guidebook will teach you everything you need to know about your personalized strategy to help you carve a path forward that you can feel confident about and a brand you can grow with.

Learn how to use your experience, goals, values to refine your brand story and connect with your audience using my Brand Audit Guidebook. Click link (https://solafidestudio.com/journals/key-questions-to-ask-client) to get FREE copy. ✨

As a business owner wearing several different hats, it's often hard to remember you're only 1 person. At least that's what I've realized lately. I've said yes to too many things, taken on more and more roles, and before I realized it my "normal" workday became 15 hours long, 6-7 days a week. I've realized I can't do it all and do it all well. Here's to a new season of saying no, delegating, and getting my nights and weekends back 🤎

On this remarkable Sunday, we are celebrating you. It doesn't matter how long you have been a mom or what sort of mom you are. You can be a mother for twenty years or a mother for a day. A mother with five kids or a mother whose angel had passed away. A mother of adorable furbabies or a mother of the sweetest foster child. A mother yet-to-be or a mother who is just about to take a step toward your journey. A mother figure to a younger friend. A mother to your discipleship group. Today is your day! You are doing the best you can, and I want you to know we all appreciate that.

You are worth every bit of love we can give. Wherever you may be on your journey, we all thank you for the days that have passed and the days yet to come.

A Happy Mother's Day and a big hug to all moms! 🤎

Hey love! If you’re feeling a bit stuck with your content calendar, this is the post for you! Here are my top 8 post ideas that will help you think more deeply about your content, and really engage with your audience. 🤎

All of these prompts are from my 400+ Instagram Prompts FREEBIE - which, as the name suggests, is chock full of funny, imaginative, creative, and engaging post ideas for every single day of the year.

Plus they can be reused as blog posts, Youtube videos, email newsletters, or whatever else you need them for!

Click link to access: tinyurl.com/solafidestudio ✨

Reminder: slow growth is STILL growth. 🌿

If you're taking this new season to set some new goals for growth (like me 🥺), here are a few things to keep in mind...

💡 When you're setting big goals for your business, sometimes you have to look back to move forward! Cooking up new ideas is easy, but unless you're reflecting on past accomplishments, you'll have a more challenging time bringing new ones to life.

💡 Be realistic. If you set a goal last year that you weren't able to reach, identify why you weren't able to accomplish it in the first place. Once you know what worked and what didn't, you can be WAY more intentional in approaching the goal next time around.

When we become obsessed with achieving a result quickly, the only thing we think about is how to get to our goal. Still, the value of slow growth is that it allows you to realize that your process for achieving goals is just as important as whether or not you achieve them at all.

Are you also experiencing slow growth too? I’m all ears! ✨

Repeat after me: 👏CREATIVITY 👏TAKES👏PRACTICE👏

Easier said than done, right? Well, keep reading...
The first thing you can do to start practicing creativity is addressing your fears. Maybe you're facing a fear of the unknown, or fear of being judged, fear of taking the first step, or fear of losing control. I get it -- all of those are legit scary. But if there's one thing I know it's that confidence comes from taking risks and stepping out of your comfort zone. Remember, creativity is like a muscle — strengthen it, practice it and take good care of it.

So, who's ready to let go of their fears and start practicing creative confidence today? I'm here to cheer you on! ✨

It's a kinda day because I got to celebrate 590+ of you and can't be more grateful! It’s been awhile since I’ve done an introductions -- Lets be real for a second, I've always been shy and I’ve never done an introduction. 😂

If you're new around here, I'm Ricka — the one-woman behind solafidestudio. (She has a face!) And here are some things to know about me:

1. I believe in a God who makes me worthy, has a purpose for me, and wants me to be well. (Same applies to you.)

2. I'm a wife, and a mom to 7 dogs who never let me get bored. Also, incredibly grateful to have a husband that makes me laugh so hard my stomach hurts. 🥰

3. My love languages are quality time, coffee, affirmations, movie quotes, and inside jokes.

4. Low priorities for me: styling my hair, folding laundry, and washing dishes.

5. I LOVE to travel. I didn’t take my first plane ride until I was 18, and instantly fell in love with the rush of stepping off the plane into a completely unknown place. Being surrounded by people with different cultures, traditions and stories woke up this deep love, curiosity and craving for adventure in me that I hadn’t felt before.

6. I enjoy deep meaningful conversations with people, preferably over coffee (...someone grab that freshly brewed coffee please) ⠀

7. Sola Fide Studio was inspired by my trip in Bali where I've met a lot of amazing digital nomads. Living in a third world country changed the way I perceive things and out of this trip, it opened up my heart and made me kickstarted my own creative business — which I never look back since then. So glad to say my heart is now full and extremely grateful to wake up each day to do the things I love!

Thank you SOOOO much for being here and following along on this journey with me. From liking/sharing my posts to referring me to your friends and everything in between, your constant support means more to me than I can ever begin to express. 🤎

I can't believe it's already been 5 years since I launched solafidestudio and it's just really amazing how God has sustained me all throughout the highs and lows. 🥺
Summarizing here some things I wish I knew then that I know now:

• Creativity is a muscle, strengthen it and take care of it.
• You don’t have to say “yes” to everything.
• Book diverse projects — It helps to prevent burnout.
• Carve out time to work on your business & passion projects.
• Hire an accountant from the start. Just do it.
• It can be lonely. Find a (in real life) community to support you.
• Take on less projects. Take on less projects. Take on less projects.
• Find a passion outside of your business.
• Short walks and quick workouts are REALLY good for you.

And lastly…

• For every tough day you wonder “why do I do this?” there is a “I can’t believe I get to do this as my job” day coming ✨

"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison

Isn't that the truth? I'm buckling down with my third cup of coffee this morning to get things done before the weekend. 😂 Happy Thursdaaaay!

Hello fellow creatives/designers! For my new blog comeback entry, I have prepared FREE 400+ engaging prompts for your Instagram story that will benefit your followers, drive traffic to your page/website, and keep people interested in your creative business waiting for you. Link in my bio. 🤎

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@ Darwin, Northern Territory

Client love! It’s amazing reviews like these makes the hard work completely worth it! 🙌🏼✨

How to be a happy designer: make your clients happy!⁠

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One of my favorite things about creating wedding brand is coming up with a brand + look that my client can use throughout the wedding event. It makes me so happy to see that the stylist wants to incorporate my design on everything. That is what I call wedding branding. 🤎

@ Australia Darwin NT

"The best way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing." Walt Disney

The beginning of the year motivation has started to wane these past couple weeks. I've found myself waiting for the perfect opportunity to write posts, start on a blog post, catch up on emails, you name it.

But here's the thing I've learned - sometimes the motivation doesn't kick in until after you bite the bullet and get started. If you're waiting for the perfect opportunity, you'll be waiting for a while. So I'm ditching perfect and striving for "completed" today.

Hoping you have a productive day, too! 🤎

Tough day? We've all been there...and we've all managed to find a way out. Sometimes all you need is a single voice in your ear cheering you on. Consider this my cyber-whisper. See you on the other side! 🤎

Classics reimagined dedicated to the romantic at heart like our couple, Kim and Carla. 🤍

With an exploration of traditional details and romantic nuances, this wedding branding embrace the perfect balance between the old- world poetry and contemporary elements that make the aesthetic distinctively modern yet timeless.

More of this project details soon. 🤎

I've heard something similar. People's expectations of you are not actually about you. It's about themselves — what we actually say is a direct reflection of what’s in our hearts.
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To check the heart is a challenging thing. Yet, it's the most rewarding thing to wrestle with it and become better people because of it. 🤎 Happy Weekend, loves!
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Reminder: Don’t let your brain bully you, sometimes our minds are cruel to us. You deserve to live, you deserve to eat, you deserve to express your feelings. People do like you! You’re doing a pretty good job, and you are worth more than you give yourself credit for. 🤎
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"Do what you love and you'll never have to work a day in your life." It still blows my mind that I get to spend my day working a job that I absolutely LOVE and created for myself! Find a purpose in your passion and let it fuel you. Trust me, it truly makes all the difference. ✨

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When it comes to logo design, the impact is all in the details. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Even the smallest changes to the typeface can give a completely unique impression. What might seem to be a simple font-based logo, probably incorporated a series of small strategic tweaks that alter the overall feel of the type to be absolutely perfect and unique to the brand we 're creating.
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There are so many elements to play with in typography. It's just a matter of finding the right solution for YOUR logo, a puzzle I love trying to solve. 🤎


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I cannot even believe I am making this post. But I am (with much gratitude and maybe a few tears in my eyes ✨)⁣
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I am completely booked up until October. Which is absolutely insane - but I am oh so grateful! This means that my books are now open to taking on bookings for October, which I know is a while away - but if you’ve been wanting to work together this year, then I would definitely recommend getting in touch now! ⁣
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So thankful and so excited to have an AMAZING line up of women that I get to work with over the coming months...and I cannot wait to share it all with you guys! 🤎


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