A Wake-Up Call About Intellectual Property
‘I have been chasing payment for my design work for months, but all I keep receiving are excuses and delays. It doesn’t look like I’ll ever get paid!’ Frustrated, I turned to a solicitor I knew. While she wasn’t an Intellectual Property specialist, I asked her, ‘If I write the content of the email, could you polish it and send it to the client? Maybe this will finally get me paid.’
That’s exactly what we did. Within minutes of the email being sent, the client called back and agreed to a payment plan! It was a turning point for me—I realized just how powerful knowing my intellectual property rights could be. It wasn’t just about legal jargon; it was a tool to protect my creative work and ensure I could defend my business when necessary. That experience opened my eyes to the importance of IP, not just for me but for everyone in creativity and business.
Challenges and a Turning Point
Sharing my knowledge about Intellectual Property wasn’t something I had planned, but sometimes life nudges you in unexpected directions.
In a conversation with a Facebook expert, she said, ‘You should start sharing what you know.’ I hadn’t thought about turning my experiences into something more, but her suggestion stuck with me. Curious, I reached out to my design and creative community and asked, ‘Which of these topics would you want to learn more about?’
The clear winner was Intellectual Property. I thought, ‘I’ve registered two UK trademarks, my USA trademark is in process, I’ve filed over 100 design registrations, and I use copyright regularly—how hard can it be to teach others what I already know?’
It wasn’t long before I realised I’d taken on a monster! Intellectual Property is complex —it’s law, and it’s very challenging to navigate. But instead of backing down, I dug my heels in and said, ‘IP, you’re not going to beat me!’
I dedicated months to researching and writing my first guide, A Beginner’s Guide to Intellectual Property for Designers and Artists. When it was reviewed and signed off by legal experts, I was thrilled—it was ready to share!
The response was overwhelmingly positive, not just from designers and artists, but from entrepreneurs and business owners too. I quickly recognized the demand for tailored versions of the guide for different audiences. My vision grew further, as I saw how relevant IP education could be for schools, colleges, universities, and even adults with no prior knowledge of the subject.”