May 19, 2018

Hello (Miss) May 🌵



(You Had Me At Miao - Greeting Card; Shop here)

Happy times, (Miss) May time! 

Yes, you guys, I'm using the name of the fifth month as a reference & excuse to make a post dedicated to this wonderful soul May Leong. 

Miss May is a Creative coming from charming Australia, Sydney. She is a totes super talented designer, illustrator and photographer.  She's also curating many gorgeous & inspiring Instagram pages like Flatlay Forever, Foody Forever, Hello Pretty Places and more! You should totally check them out and give them a follow!

I've been following Miss May's journey since forever and was so excited to have been giving an opportunity to do a little collab with her! You may remember my Instagram posts, but I'll embed them here just in case! ;)



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But, since I really love her work, I've decided to do a little Interview kind of blog post! Kind of podcast, but in the written form hehe 

So, if you'd like to learn something about May, read along! 

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Hi May! So first things first! hehe How and when exactly did you start your Instagram & photography journey? 

- M: Hi!! It all started on July 2013. I did it out of love, as I wanted to share my illustrations and love of cute things on my Instagram. I was very happy to be part of the design community. My passion for photography and styling grew, as I find myself doing flatlays everyday just for fun. Looking back, it was crazy that I use to spend an entire day just shooting all kinds of flatlays, from breakfast smoothie bowls to having a self-party in bed.


You also sell your work through Etsy shop. How are you satisfied with it, and do you have any tips for anyone starting off? 

- M: Funny story. I took a year off traveling half way round the world with my boyfriend (who is now my husband). I returned penniless, and decided to start creating and designing in my bedroom which doubles up as my design studio (hahaha). Today, I run my Hello Miss May studio from home - I dabble between designer, photographer, stylist and blogger. Oh yes, and I still love crafting.

My two little tips are: 
Be yourself. Don’t settle for a copy.
Work really hard.

My first couple of years, was more like juggling two different part time jobs, along with creating artwork for my online Etsy store in the late night. I think I was working 12-14 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

 What is it that you're most inspired by at the moment when designing & drawing illustrations? 

- M: Cats! And green plants too. I am obsessed with them and they are my inspiration in my designs and illustrations. I am growing so many green potted plants at home, and my neighbor’s cat, King Jules, pops in every now and then. I’m one happy girl.

 Do you do custom order designs? 

- M: I do from time to time. It takes 3-5 weeks for an order to conceived.

When did all of this become your full time job? 

- M: 2 years ago when I left my part time job. Honestly, was scared to leave a regular income. I should have done it earlier to pursue my dreams, hehe. Never look back guys! 

Is there any job you'd ever wanted to do aside from being a Content Creator? Perhaps a job you thought you'd be working when you grow up?

- M: I always thought I’d love to travel and write content about it. It’s nice to be able to do what I love, in a totally unexpected way via Instagram.

 If you would need to choose a favorite collaboration by now, which one would it be?

- M: American Tourister. I’m going to see Cristiano Ronaldo for the brand’s press trip in Madrid. Can’t top that!

Oh wow! That sounds awesome! And could you tell us what is your favorite design you've ever made yet? It can be illustration, brooches, jewelry, anything! 

- M: Hehe… it would have to be my Crazy Plant Lady poster.

Hehe alright! I totally forgot to mention the Hello Plant Lady Instagram project you're also curating along with your husband! Speaking of which, you're fortunate to have huge support of your husband Leon. When and how did you guys meet? And did you dragged him into the creative world or the other way around? :) 

- M: Love at first sight. My backyard, when I first moved into a Sydney share house. I was baking cookies, and he was playing guitar. And, I heard wedding bells! Anyways, we were housemates for two years before things got serious. We’re onto our 10th year anniversary of togetherness. 

And yes, I totally dragged him (back) into the creative world. Leon was an artist when he was younger, but he was in love with carpentry. Today, he’s very technical with the camera and drone. Proud to call him my partner in-crime.

Ahh, that's adorable! And for some random questions! How about you tell us what is your favorite place in Australia?

- M: Sydney! Yeeeeessss!

What is the most beautiful destination you've been to?

- M: El Nido in The Philippines. The water and sand. Breathtaking. It is always more fun in The Philippines, they say.

What is your dream destination?

- M: Marrakech. 

 If you could eat one Menu for the rest of your life, what would it be?

- M: Salmon and avocado, poke bowl. Yummmmmy!

And for the end, could you tell us your favorite quote and/or a personal message to anyone reading this

- M: Don’t be afraid to pursue your dreams. You just got to give it a try (and many more tries).  

That's a lovely one! Thank you for answering all my questions & for giving my readers a chance to get to know you a little better! :)

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That would be all for this post! 

Hope you enjoyed getting to know May a little better! Oh, and if you'd like to visit her Etsy shop, just click here! :)

Until next time,

Jovan

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