#bethmerill

Greetings, 

Thanks for visiting again.

As mentioned last time - This post is written by Revelation Fabrics founder and designer Beth Merill.  We hope you enjoy hearing all about what she has to say about her journey since graduating 2011- the experiences of trying to get a design job, and her heart behind Revelation Fabrics and how it has come to be.

From Beth:

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Hi everyone!  Thanks for reading our blog and for showing your support to Revelation Fabrics.

I’d like to share with you why I decided to make the decision to start up RF and why it’s so important to me that I continue to design and do what I love doing whether I do this full time for the rest of my life or part time as a hobby. I know It’s something I know I could never let go of , as I enjoy it so much and I believe that if you’ve been given a talent - that you should stand by it, grow it, honour it and use it. After all that’s why anybody starts up their own business right? To be able to do what they love doing, but just the way they like it. I’m no different, and I’m so excited that I’m finally at the stage since graduating 2.5 years ago, where I know where I need to be as well as knowing what I have to do now.  I hope by what I’m about to share encourages hope and perseverance to others, as that is why I believe I’ve written this:

Self employment for me was something I’d always desired, but only thought it may happen once i’d established myself as a designer and made loads of money and had years and years of experience in the industry etc.. However - despite the majority of those having not happened to me as of yet, I still count my blessings and believe that I am ready for a new challenge.  Although I’ve had lots of different experiences in the textiles Industry that count as well rounded junior graduate experience, I believe that I’ve had to grow pretty strong over this time to develop the right character, resilience and perseverance which has now led to me taking matters into my own hands in order to proceed forth with my career.  

The story of how I got to this stage begins with when I graduated in 2011.  I remember when I left University all I wanted to do was get enough experience to enable me to get a good position as a junior designer.  I knew it wasn't’ going to be easy considering the recession was still large at play and employment for the creative industry was at an all time low.  But I was determined to stay positive and keep working to ensure something decent would eventually come up to justify my hard work.

The good news is at the beginning of 2013, I finally had the breakthrough I’d been searching for. Nearly 1.5 years after leaving university - I finally thought the wait was over. 

I relocated my life and spent every last penny I had on accommodation and became a lodger. This wasn't the first time i’d been prepared to move my life completely as the summer previous to that i’d moved to Birmingham as I’d been given an opportunity to be a paid intern.  I knew how it felt to leave everything behind completely and start again.  So this time, I thought it was for real, I’d been given the job as a Print designer and was ready, grateful and excited. I worked in the East Midlands for a short while and grew my knowledge as a young designer in the commercial market.  However - the company had to shut it down and make every body redundant due to financial problems.  At the time I was surprisingly feeling positive that something else would come up and was adamant that I had to get another junior position - as you can imagine - the last thing I wanted to do was go backwards and have to go through another year of intern ships with next to no money.  I remember saying to myself that I refused to do any more placements. Thankfully I had a couple of interviews, however those particular times I didn't get the positions.  I've been rejected enough to not let that one get me down, and I've grown mature in knowing that it takes lots of interviews before the big break finally happens.  Although naturally, I just remember feeling at the time - ‘I’ve been through all of this already, why again?’

 However - putting that behind me -  I spent a good month emailing around, and applying for other roles - but I just didn't hear a thing.  So I spent the best part of this summer working as a cleaner and believe me it wasn't easy having to go back to something I thought I’d left behind for greener pastures. However as cliché as it sounds - the grass isn’t always greener and I'm very aware that in order to go up in life - sometimes things have to get a little worse before things can begin to get a lot better. I think that lesson has toughened me up for the business world too. But if you've been anything like me I’m sure you’ll understand what it’s like to have to humble yourself, and I’m grateful that I’ve done that in my life.  

The most important thing for me in life despite anything - is to have humility, to be well grounded and show love and forgiveness to others.  This is what I believe I've had to go through in my career so far in order to have made me make the decision to become self employed. I went for another interview for a junior print designer position recently -  I thought this could be a fantastic opportunity so I put my all into arranging my portfolio, as I would normally do.  I completed the interview, spoke with confidence and expressed great interest in their brand and was even told that ‘I was a good fit’ and that ‘I was practically doing the job already’ which was word enough for anybody to believe they’d have the job. I waited hopefully but also with the peace of knowing if it did go the other way - that I knew I had to proceed with my own business.

It had been for the best that I once again didn't get a job I knew I could do - as it allowed me to focus more on what I really want - my own textile design brand, and it's given me the freedom to focus on this and I haven't  felt the need to apply for any more design jobs since. 

I knew that day would come - when I would have just had enough of the whole procedure - and it feels great knowing that the pressure I'd been putting on myself to be successful and to get 'the job' has now been dissolved - thanks to the experiences I've endured that have made me a stronger designer and person. Contrary to this discussion , I'd decided that if nobody else was going to hire me - then I'd hire myself - and that's exactly what I've done, and it feels amazing!  I now work part time in retail and freelance so I have all the spare time I need to focus on Revelation Fabrics and to aim higher each day to reach it's potential.

I believe it was that surge of determination and revelation in me which encouraged me to have the faith to want to put my hope and confidence - not in other companies - but in my own business, and for this very reason - That is why I’ve named my company Revelation Fabrics, and it’s made me more determined than ever to chase after my dreams and to make them become a reality.

 I wouldn't want to change a thing as I know without having been tested the way I have over and over - that maybe I would have never had the inspiration to make the decision to start my own business.  For this I am truly grateful for, and as a result I am more on fire than anything to get my business rolling, to see it grow and develop!   I don’t know what the future holds - but I'm looking forward to the next chapter of my life for 2014. Where ever it may take me as a designer or where ever it may take us as a business - I can’t wait to get out there and tackle more obstacles!

In short - that’s my story so far and thank you for reading.  I hope you found it inspirational, and easy to relate to if you've had to go through the same trials.  

May I take this opportunity to thank you for showing interest in Revelation Fabrics, and for your time spent viewing my post, and for  past present and future posts.

I look forward to sharing my designs.

Thanks and God bless

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We look forward to posting more interesting and insightful news on the RF blog very shortly.  

Coming soon - We have the first delivery of our New Scarves! We can’t wait and are all very excited!

Kind regards