Featured #bloomgirl: Neely; bloom's 2017 Cover Design Contest Winner!

This month's featured #bloomgirl is Neely Beattie! Neely entered her White Cacti Design in our 2017 Cover Design Contest and she was chosen as the winner by our #bloomgirl community! We are so inspired by her artistic ability, caring heart, and creative and kind spirit! Keep reading to learn more about Neely below!

Tell us a little bit about yourself! 

I am a 20-something wife and mom from Missouri! I majored in graphic design and photography in college and have been doing freelance design and portrait photography for about 8 years. I just started painting a few years ago in 2015 when I started bible journaling (painting/artwork on my bible pages) and sharing those pages on my Instagram. I love sharing my artwork and what God has shared with me with other women in hopes to encourage them the way He has encouraged me. 

What do you like to do for fun?

Of course, I love painting and creating art, but when I’m not doing that I love being outdoors hiking and exploring with my family. We love going out West to hike and venture through the deserts and mountains, which is vastly different from the hills and trees here in Missouri! 

When did you first get into art and illustration?

I chose graphic design as my major in college because I had convinced myself photography and digital design was as close as I could get to creating any kind of art, even though I desperately wanted to be artistic by drawing and painting. A few years ago I started bible journaling and discovered I was a little more artistic than I gave myself credit for! Sharing my journaling and art has opened up so many opportunities for me and has also allowed me to meet some really awesome people I would never have met otherwise!

Who or what is your biggest inspiration?

At the risk of sounding completely cliche, my biggest inspiration is probably God and the nature He has created for us. There’s an endless amount of color and beauty around us and I love using what He has already created to inspire what I make. I also love looking at other artist’s artwork! The diversity of creativity and ideas that we all come up with is so awesome! And lastly, my son is also pretty inspiring. He has Down syndrome and having the honor of watching him grow and persevere through life with joy is definitely inspiring. 

What are your favorite bloom products? 

Of course, I love the Classic Daily Planners—cute and functional, but I am also a list maker so I really love the Planning Pads! It’s such a convenient way to get yourself on track and keep your thoughts organized throughout the day and week!

Be sure to pick up a copy of Neely's White Cacti Daily Planner for the 2018-19 Academic Year!

We hope you enjoyed learning more about our 2017 cover design contest winner, Neely! Do you have a #girlboss story to share? Email us at bloom@bloomplanners.com for a chance to be our next featured bloom girl!