Interview with Afsaneh Bahrami
Rico:
What's Your Name?
Afsaneh Bahrami
Rico:
List your shop(s) -
Afsaneh Bahrami :
Sumwoman
Features unique geometric patterns, shapes and symbols. As well as growing collection of custom designed invitations.
Wacky Media
Features original cartoon drawings, one-liner jokes and funny oddball quotes. The name says it all, I guess.
Mystic Persia
Features Persian themes like tapestry, miniature art. As well as colorful mandalas and mantras for meditation.
Truth Induced Paranoia
Features political messages well suited for our conspiratorial times.
Rico:
How long have you been at Zazzle? How Long did it take to achieve ProSeller status?
Afsaneh Bahrami :
I created my first store in December 2010 and I sold my first item about a month later. It took me a while to get to the first pro-seller rank. As I continued to add designs and more products, my sales increased enough that I reached Bronze Proseller rank. I'm hoping to learn the art/craft/science of self-promotion which I think will really help me to reach Silver.
Rico:
Who or what inspires you?
Afsaneh Bahrami :
All sorts of things inspire me, nature, current affairs, history, symbols. It seems I have developed a roving eye since becoming a designer at Zazzle. I am always examining every image that crosses my path. I look at the color, line arrangement, motif, themes, context, subtext, etc., I no longer just look at things around me, I analyze them with a view of perhaps drawing some inspiration for a future design.
Rico:
How would you describe your design style?
Afsaneh Bahrami :
My style is eclectic. For now, I keep things simple. Eventually, I would like to create digital versions of my paintings and illustrations done by hand.
Rico:
What medium/tools do you use to create your designs?
Afsaneh Bahrami :
I work on Linux Debian OS. I use Gimp mostly. I used to work with Xara for vector illustrations but as of recently, I'm trying out Inkscape.
Rico:
What makes your shop stand out from the rest?
Afsaneh Bahrami :
To be honest, I don't know if my stores stand out from the rest. At least, not yet. I think that's the next thing to work on. Once I begin transferring my hand drawn and hand painted collection, I may earn the title unique.
Rico:
What's the best advise you got when you were starting out?
Afsaneh Bahrami :
It's difficult to narrow it down to just one. The forum section is full of helpful entries from store owners, going back several years. In the beginning a spent a good portion of my time searching through the forum. Then for quite awhile, I focused on designing and setting up store-builder sites. Recently, I have found my way back to the forum. Tons of good advice on the forum.
Rico:
What's the best advise you can give someone just starting out on Zazzle?
Afsaneh Bahrami :
Work on quality and scalability of the design. Work on themes, niches and special events. I think being good at self-promotion is the key to becoming a proseller.
Rico:
Zazzle has helped many people meet goals that they otherwise wouldn’t have achieved. What has Zazzle helped you to achieve in your personal life?
Afsaneh Bahrami :
Definitely, I have become very proficient at using graphic editors like Gimp, but I still have tons of things to learn. By necessity, I have become better at using social network sites and blogging sites to promote my designs.
Rico:
Tell me 5 random things you want everyone to know about you?
Afsaneh Bahrami :
1. I have a background in theater, film and television. Over the years, I have written and performed stand up comedy. I hope to make a living from it one day.
2. When I was young, I used to draw a lot. The thing that pulled me into computers was graphic editor programs. I never thought I would make money from my designs.
3. Think Positive, Say Positive and Do positive.
4. I love conspiracy theories.
5. I'm really glad I discovered Zazzle.
Rico:
Include links to 5 of your favorite designs you want me to feature. Tell me something about each design.
Afsaneh Bahrami :
Silver Hearts Head over Heels in Love invitations (by request, I greatly altered a previous design, I think it worked out well).
Silver Hearts Black Top Hat and High Heels Personalized Invites by sumwoman
View more Head over heels love Invitations at zazzle.com
Silver Hearts Black Top Hat and High Heels Personalized Invites by sumwoman
View Head over heels love Invitations online at zazzle
Silver Hearts Black Top Hat and High Heels. Head over Heels in Love. customizable with name of bride and groom. Stylish, fun and playful wedding invitation theme. Black Top and delicate High Heel Shoes on silver background with a border of playful silver pink hearts Black hat and six inch stiletto shoes on silver pink hearts as background pattern. Get married with stylish, passionate, vibrant wedding theme.
Vertical Stripes Retro Colors Blue Yellow Red (for some reason Zazzle really liked this design. I placed it on a bunch of products and got a few TBA's)
Vertical Stripes Retro Colors Blue Yellow Red Organizers by sumwoman
Check out other Vertical stripes Planners at zazzle.com
Retro Stripes vertical stripes Retro Colours Blue stripes, Yellow stripes, Orange Red Stripes, Chocolate Stripes Retro coloured vertical stripes.
Purple Lotus flower meditation wheel OM (I really like mandalas AKA sacred circles. This design is popular as a poster)
Purple Lotus flower meditation wheel OM / stylized lotus flower meditation / OM in sanskrit / blue purple violet
Watermelon Wedgies (What can I say, I like watermelons)
Watermelon Wedgies iPhone 5 Covers by mystic_persia
Check out Watermelons iPhone Cases online at zazzle
Two watermelon wedgies / Watermelon skin / green stripes bordered by watermelon wedges / Pop art fruit themes / half watermelon / side section watermelon / red watermelon / black seeds / striped watermelon green skin.
LOL is the new ROFL (Even though I got a TBA for this design, I still have not sold any. I like it anyway)
Retro cartoon - newsprint effect - dots / two young women sharing the news about latest trend / LOL is the new ROFL / Laughing Out Loud is now the Rolling On Floor Laughing.
Rico:
Where else can our readers find you online? (Facebook, Twitter, other blog or website)
Afsaneh Bahrami :
My funny articles
mysticpersia.com - huge catalogue of Zazzle products
mystic persia on Blogger
my political profile on Twitter
Rico:
Here are a few of my personal favorite designs;
Sun Moon Rainbow Stars / Folk art patterns / Bright yellow sun with one open green eye side by side with sleeping crescent powder blue moon with closed eye / Semi arc bright vibrant rainbow / Puffy clouds at both ends of the rainbow / Gold stars shining bursting upwards / Celestial blue sky theme
I think I know too much - for guys paranoid by truth information
Red - Powerful and Confident. Red helps to give your strength and vitality. Red is a very powerful color, meditate with a red colored mandala to tap into your inner power to help over low self esteem and build self confidence. Red is governed by the spine or the Root Chakra. The power center is closely grounded by earth, is outgoing, and portrays a positive attitude. The Root Chakra must be grounded. Fatigue, fear, and anxiety are often caused by the missing contact with the earth reality. Red increases blood flow that carries oxygen to your all parts of your body. Pink - Open Heart. Meditating with pink colors channels compassion and an open heart. Whether your are male or female, the color conjures approachablity and a heart capable of loving others. If you want to feel heart-connected reach for pastel pink mandalas and begin to see the world through rose colored glasses and be tickled pink, use multiple shades of pink and light purple or other pastels used together maintain the soft, delicate, and playful nature of pink. Mandala is a Sanskrit word that means "circle". It represents wholeness, and can be seen as a model for the organizational structure of life itself--a cosmic diagram that reminds us of our relation to the infinite, the world that extends both beyond and within our bodies and minds.
Flesh toned background with tan lines - single sexy red rose with stem and leaves behind sheer black lace.
