Betsy beier - Wanderlust designer

a creative career

When my career began in 1990, the internet was in its infancy - online portfolios, courses & shops; social media, vlogs & blog posts; AI inquiries & automated art creation - all these current concepts mostly lived in futuristic novels. With a brand new degree in Fine Arts, specializing in painting & drawing, my artistic career was about to begin. Little did I know the wild and wonderful assortments of hats I’d wear on this artistic journey I would travel. Reflecting below on this path it has become clear to me that my insatiable creative curiosities, and WANDERLUST have always been my muse.

Creative Tour & aTelier leader

Since 2017, I’ve been leading creative tours & in person ateliers/workshops that inspire people to explore their world through a new creative lens. Whether a self-proclaimed non-artist or seasoned sketcher, my approachable teaching style leads guests through exciting half day, full day and/or week long adventures throughout cities in the United States, France, Morocco, Tahiti and more. My tours and ateliers strive to teach history, context and creativity through hands-on art exercises, journaling, collage and on-the-go activities while discovering the unique details and creative inspiration of a neighborhood or location.

Licensed illustrator & Author

In early 2013 I transitioned my career from designing and selling stationery goods to full-time art licensing of my illustrations. I was fortunate to work with many large companies and see my work on everything from puzzles & home goods to books & television shows! As my licensing experience advanced, I was also honored to be able to illustrate for different published books (cookbooks, a travel guide.) After sharing my own creative travel book concepts to a few publishers, it was a dream to be offered the opportunity to write and illustrate 5 of my own books. For further details click each image below to learn more.

Online Teacher & Shop Owner

I opened my first online shop, a stationery and party good store on Etsy in 2009. The success of it was very rewarding and inspired me to continue to expand with other online stores. When my focus changed to Wanderlust Designer, I felt at ease building a large product line and online presence including online shops and offerings with my prior experience. As my interactions with customers and clients grew, and my creative books became available, I knew teaching was where I needed to focus. Below are links to my online offerings: courses, products and more.

Creative Muse & Inspirational Mentor

The first blog post I wrote was August 15, 2007 entitled, To Blog or Not to Blog. Having been inspired by other creatives who were jumping on board the Blogger and Wordpress train as it was building huge speed in the early 2000s, I began to carve a little corner of the online world out for myself - a place where I hoped my stories could be “uplifting and spark some creativity.” In early 2013, I transitioned to Wanderlust Designer and started a new blog - this one truly encapsulating my true self, the curious adventurer eager to share and inspire experiences & creative explorations whether at home or in far off lands. Fast-forward almost 20 years later, and my desires stay the same. Below are links to the online inspiration and mentoring I provide.

Other Endeavors - The Other Hats I’ve Worn in My Creative Career

Prior to starting Wanderlust Designer in February of 2013, I have been fortunate to have had a plethora of artistic employment since starting my creative career 25 years earlier. From my first job as an intern in a publishing company in the late 1980s to riding the high tech wave of start ups & large software companies in the 90s and early 2000s I have been able to explore a wide range of creative and artistic jobs that have each been incredibly rewarding and inspiring. I have found that each role I’ve held (or hat I’ve worn) has brought me to where I am today. Despite the variety of positions, I have been amazed at how there have been many threads that have run through my career. I can confidently say, that as of today, I know I am where I exactly should be.