This has been really hard for me to write.. I’m quite an all or nothing person and a lot has changed for me since I started Aniris Design. I have made the decision to close my Aniris business and shop indefinitely. I started Aniris almost 3 years ago when I was pregnant with Jacob and was worried about losing my design skills and my identity by going on Maternity Leave for a year. I was worried that I’d forget my design abilities, that I’d be outdated, all those things that I’m sure so many other mum-to-be’s worry about. I never intended to make Aniris my full time job but I wanted something to focus on and something that was entirely my own while I went through such a huge life shift.
Fast forward to now, and I’ve been back in work for 12 months, and I’ve been offered a huge work opportunity within my organisation. With that comes more commitment, time and energy, that I want to devote to my new role managing my own team of global designers. I’ve come to the decision that I need to be really considerate with my time, my work/life balance and to make sure everything I commit to doing is 100% what I want to do. Aniris served a great purpose for me, but I am now travelling down a different path. I no longer need the reassurance of a side business to validate my own confidence. So I’m sad but also really happy to be able to make this intentional move to simplify my life and scale back my commitments. I never thought that 12 months after returning to work, my career would have this sort of change and I truly value the support from my colleagues and mentors who believed in me before I was able to believe in myself. I have a problem doing nothing, and I hope this move helps me have more time to recharge, and be present for my family.
The Aniris shop will not be entirely closed, my website is still there for at least a couple months but this IG account will not be active. My South Wales range will still be available to buy at the @cowbridgecrafthub for 8 more weeks. Any outstanding custom projects or orders will still be fulfilled. I am going to run a Black Friday closing down sale - to help shift the small amount of stock I have left at home. It’s bittersweet but I’m so excited to see where my next chapter takes me. You can follow my personal IG account on @beckykhodgkin if you want to see where I get up to. And who knows, maybe somewhere in the not too distant future, Aniris Design will return.
Thank you so much to everyone who liked, shared, and purchased my designs, I have such an incredible community here that I will be so sad to lose. Your support and encouragement is why I've been able to shape Aniris to where it is today and I am so grateful.
If you have any questions about this, please email me on rkh.illustration@gmail.com
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