Alison Garwood Jones

We all have skills that are lying dormant — for whatever reason. For me, it was art.

A dozen years ago, when I was trying to break into journalism (with no degree in the field and no contacts), getting writing gigs was all-consuming. And it was creative, so not drawing didn’t feel like such a loss.

None of us cold have predicted the Maker Movement and its subsequent publishing channels (Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, WordPress, and even LinkedIn), or the rise in paid gigs for surface designs on walls, windows, tote bags and teacups.

With afforable design programs, the ability to market yourself internationally, one-swipe billing and e-payments it’s so much easier to be your own boss.

So what skill are you sitting on that, (a) you used to love doing but stopped, and, (b) that you could ressurect and monetize in today’s economy?

My Process (this gig was at The Merchant Tavern in Toronto):

• Read the menu and ask for a list of suppliers. Pick out food items that make the best designs

• Use a simple drawing style and sketch a handful of food items (legibility above all else).

•Arrange your designs around your key message. Check out MyFonts.com for typeface styles appropriate to your message.

• Then map the rough sketch out on your window. I didn’t grid the drawing or the window, so the spacing wasn’t exact. Certain items did not make the cut, like the pie at the bottom. That’s ok. The think the finished looks better than the sketch.