Meet Cassandra Zaniboni
Cassandra came to Immersion a brand new mama searching for a way to be an artist while still being a mama maintaining a sense of self and balance. Previously a high-end Interior Designer, she hoped to provide additional support outside of her full time “executive mama + creative house director role!” Even with the new-mom exhaustion, Cassandra was inspired, determined, and excited, staying up late some nights and pursuing her new passion every moment she could while being present with her family.
Uniquely, Cassandra has developed incredible friendships locally with other Immersion students! They are successful designers who created a “Ladies Who Brunch” Creative group in their Oregan town!
She describes her Immersion experience:
Oh boy, the list of how Immersion has transformed my personal and professional life is long! I will be short and sweet -I could go on and on about it for days.
The first and most transformational aspect of the course was a mindset change. A belief in myself, a belief that I could achieve my goals in the timeline I set, and the “I can do this” attitude that pushed me through some of the more difficult learning curves.
The second transformation was in my art, alone! Not being a fine artist, the details of sketching, painting, and making "beautiful" art felt unachievable to me. But, I had a “curiosity mindset” and a thirst for learning that just opened up the doors to all that was out there. I had so much fun getting to know this new hand. The non-traditional art practices of scanning found objects and drawing from my own photos really gave me the confidence to trust my eye and include that style of art in new ways.
I should also add that before this class I had never opened Adobe Illustrator. Formerly an Interior Designer and very grumpy in CAD due to the lack of anything pretty, this was a whole new world for me. I think having that CAD background gave me a leg up in understanding some of the program dynamics, but it was absolutely a steep learning curve. It was the second or third module, I believe, that all of the sudden everything sank into place - it was the first few lessons in color. Those lessons were amazing, and as matter of fact, I still reference them!
Next on the list is goal setting and art challenges! I got involved, and organized one myself for 30 days of December (2022) That consistent work is what led me to getting the ball moving in building my portfolio. I created my portfolio in January/February 2022 with three collections and began pitching in April. I think I pitched to 7 or 8 fabric companies. This took a lot of "10 seconds of courage" while keeping my confidence and mental game strong. It was a beautiful week in June - we were packing up our little blue camper to head into the mountains, when I had my first contract offered to me by Windham Fabrics and 2 days later, a wallpaper contract offered to me by Loomwell Home! Needless to say, I was a happy camper....haha. My Loomwell collection was released on 1-1-24 and my Windham Collection is underway. That one has taken some time to hone, but I am very excited for the outcome to be finalized in the coming months!
The best part of the Immersion course was the community. The bravery and courage to try new things. It was a place that felt like home. The resources, videos, and explanations that I still use to this very day!
