Reflecting on #TrailGlazers

On September 28, 2021, I introduced Trail Glazers into the world as a foodie’s guide to the best doughnuts in North Carolina.

What started as a simple logo design is now a physical printed map of doughnut shops across the state (in REAL doughnut shops)!

As this project winds down (for now), I wanted to take some time to reflect on how this project has grown me and where I see it going next.

In this post, I’ll talk about:

10 insights I had after working on Trail Glazers for 7-ish months
My vision for the future of Trail Glazers

Ready? Let’s dig in.

10 Insights from Working on Trail Glazers for 7 Months

I went all in on Trail Glazers for ~7 months (September 2021 - March 2022, and even into April a bit) and here are 10 insights I have from my experience.

I want this section of the post to be both a timestamp for me of where I was at this moment in time, and if it is helpful or entertaining to my readers, that’s icing on the cake.

1. I made my first Reel

Resisted this one for a while. Scotty definitely pushed me on this. Reels are a learning curve but so worth it and I think a great way to connect with your audience in a different way.

2. I gave myself permission to post unfinished work

Sometimes things just don’t get done when you think they will. But that doesn’t mean you can’t continue to show up and stay consistent! Post where you find yourself. People will appreciate the honesty and feel freedom themselves from the pressure to post only polished work or photos.

3. I created multiple pieces of content out of one illustration

Flash sheets, mockups, reels, blog posts. I learned how to wring my illustration dry and get 5 pieces of content for the price of one.

4. I pushed my creative/artistic limits

I am especially proud of the ways I pushed my illustrations to the “next level” - especially doughnut illustrations like this one - with different brushes or techniques in Adobe Fresco.

5. I realized how fortunate of a niche choice “doughnuts” was (and is)

Illustrating local NC doughnut shops, while feeling true to me, certainly feels like a fortunate niche choice.

Restaurants and doughnut/coffee shops are naturally going to get more attention because people recognize these places from these cities.

And maybe that’s what draws me to the food/bev industry: the natural community.

People experience life around the table and so it’s no wonder that a Durham, NC, doughnut shop (s/o Monuts) would get a bunch of engagement.

6. I made connections with people online through my work!

In relation to the above point, there’s been a lot of opportunity to connect with people on Instagram through this project!

7. I started blogging about creativity and my illustration work

And I didn’t even know I had something to say!

8. I showed my face on Instagram stories!

To be fair, they were mostly pre-or-post-OrangeTheory, so not super polished, but I did it and am proud that I did something very uncomfortable for me.

9. I now call myself an illustrator first

Not always and it usually depends on the context, but I am actually speaking “illustrator” into existence.

10. I learned that consistency counts.

If you’re reading this and feeling like you aren’t where you want to be in your creative journey, I promise that consistency will beat talent every day.

I have more followers and more engagement now than I did in September.

I’m talking likes in the 50s instead of in the 10s, and at least 100 new followers.

Keep showing up, you’ve got this!

Sincerely,

Former Creative Dreamer Who Never Actually Did Anything to Chase Said Dreams

What’s Next for Trail Glazers?

While I’m moving on to other creative projects for now, this isn’t the end for Trail Glazers.

Currently, you can grab a physical doughnut map with all 6 featured doughnut shops from Monuts Donuts in Durham, Dough-Joe’s in Winston-Salem, or Hole Doughnuts in Asheville.

I plan to do another round of Trail Glazers in the fall of 2022. There are so many wonderful doughnut shops, in North Carolina and beyond, that are worth highlighting and sharing.

I also plan to expand the digital presence of Trail Glazers with a website and am considering merging the Trail Glazers brand with my personal, doughnut-centric Instagram account @doughnutsnc.

So stay tuned for more #TrailGlazers content later this year, and until then, check out my Instagram for upcoming illustration work.