Is Bonnie Christine’s Surface Design Immersion Program Worth It?
For the eighth year in a row, I'm dedicating this week to support Bonnie Christine's annual Surface Design Immersion open enrollment. And honestly? I don’t want you to miss it.
Immersion is how I got my start in surface pattern design. Bonnie took me from someone who couldn't even open Adobe Illustrator to a confident pattern designer with collections of fabric and wrapping paper. She's taught me as well as many of the other surface pattern designs you know, which is why I call her "the GOAT" — the greatest online educator of all time in the surface design space.
This year feels different. In such a great way.
Bonnie has completely re-imagined Immersion from the ground up. And after speaking with her last week, I finally understand why — and why it matters so much for creative women like us.
Enrollment is open now through February 24. This is the only time Immersion opens each year. If you've been curious, if you've been waiting for the right moment, if you've been wondering whether surface pattern design could be your path forward — this is your window. Read through the enrollment page HERE. It’s very detailed!
But before you hop over there, read on…
From Your Hands to Your Hands: Creating Full Circle
Something fascinating is happening in our world right now.
Barnes & Noble is opening more stores than ever. Backyard chickens are having a moment. People are baking bread again. There's this beautiful return to all things analog, all things tangible, all things we can touch and hold.
As Bonnie explained to me: "If we're going high tech, we've got to figure out how to really be present in the real, tangible life in front of us."
And that's exactly what she's built into this year's Immersion program.
The course has moved from Bonnie's studio to her garden — literally and philosophically. Her garden is where so many of her designs are born, inspired by the flowers and plants she grows there. And this shift represents something much deeper about how she's approaching the teaching.
Here's what Bonnie told me about the new approach: "The whole concept is to get you online, get the information, then get off the computer and go do, do, do. So it's very documentary style. It's very like we're getting messy hands together."
The journey she's created is beautifully full circle:
From your hands → You start by living your life, gathering inspiration from real experiences — hikes, botanical gardens, museums, your own backyard. You create motifs by hand, sketching and painting and doodling. No drawing skills required, just your unique way of seeing the world.
To the computer → You bring those hand-drawn elements into Adobe Illustrator, learning to digitize your artwork and build professional repeating patterns. This is where the technical mastery happens, where you gain the flexibility to license your work.
Back to your hands → Your patterns come to life on physical products you can hold — fabric, wallpaper, stationery, gift wrap. Things that exist in the real world. Things that can be passed down through generations.
It's this full circle moment that makes surface pattern design so special. We're not creating just to create. We're making tangible beauty that lives in the world.
Comprehensive Training That Transforms Us
Let me be clear about something: Surface Design Immersion with Bonnie Christine is not just comprehensive. It’s an incredible experience.
If my Pattern Design Academy® is like earning your Bachelor's degree in surface pattern design, Immersion is like getting your PhD. It's eight weeks of in-depth training that takes you from "I've never opened Illustrator" to "I have a portfolio of professional collections."
But here's what I love — it works beautifully as a next step for my PDA graduates, AND it's perfectly designed for complete beginners. You don't need to take my course first. You don't need any experience at all.
Bonnie starts from absolute zero and builds systematically. The way she teaches emphasizes getting your hands involved first — doodles, squiggles, shapes, marks. Then she shows you how to digitize them, how to build them into repeating patterns, how to create collections that tell a cohesive story.
The course runs for 8 weeks. You'll have 12 months to work toward certification if you choose, but you get lifetime access to all the course materials. That means you're never rushing, never left behind.
And this year's documentary-style approach means less time staring at screens, more time creating with your hands. As Bonnie put it: "Get online, let's learn, and then let's go get you taking action."
You'll Never Create Alone: The Love Squad
One of the things I appreciate most about Bonnie is how she's built genuine support into every aspect of the Immersion program.
The Love Squad — that's what her course experts are called — is unlike anything I've experienced in online education. You get live Q&A calls where Bonnie and her team of 25+ experts and industry leaders answer questions in real time. And these aren't just quick responses. They dive deep, troubleshoot your actual files, help you work through the messy middle of creation.
Study groups form organically and stay together for years. It's incredible to have that ongoing connection with women who understand this journey intimately.
What really stands out to me is that when you visit Bonnie's enrollment page, there are real team members available to chat with you — not bots, but actual people who can answer your questions and help you figure out if this is the right fit for you. That level of care and accessibility is rare.
The lifetime access means you're part of this community forever. You can revisit materials as you grow, ask questions as new challenges arise, and continue learning alongside thousands of other creative women at every stage of their journey.
When A Special Package Arrives at Your Doorstep
Here's something that perfectly captures the tangible, hands-on nature of this program: Bonnie mails you a huge package with two boxes inside. Check out my “unboxing video” on YouTube HERE.
Inside, you'll find a gorgeous full-color course workbook with a heavy gold spiral binding and linen cover. You also get a box full of supplies to make your own physical mood board. It includes watercolor paper, a brush and paint, and additional supplies to capture and fuel your creative momentum. These aren't digital downloads. These are physical tools you hold in your hands while you learn.
The workbook alone is something special — beautifully designed, comprehensive, something you'll reference for years. It represents the investment Bonnie makes in each student, the care she takes in creating an experience that honors the creative process.
This box arriving on your doorstep is a commitment — to yourself, to your creativity, to the possibility that you can build something meaningful from your art.
Creating Artwork That Creates Revenue
Surface pattern design isn't just about making pretty things. It's about creating artwork that generates income.
Immersion covers three essential areas:
The technical training — You master Adobe Illustrator from the ground up. You learn to create repeating patterns that delight. You build full collections. You develop a professional portfolio. These are the skills that transform amateur enthusiasm into professional capability.
The professional training — You understand how the industry actually works. You learn to negotiate contracts, protect your copyright, pitch to manufacturers and licensing agents. You discover the real opportunities in fabric, wallpaper, stationery, gift wrap, home decor, and so much more.
The emotional training — This might be the most important part. You build confidence. You overcome imposter syndrome. You learn to stay focused on your one thing. You develop resilience when facing rejection. Bonnie teaches you to manage your inner critic and trust your creative voice.
And here's something Bonnie learned at the world's largest licensing expo in Las Vegas that should encourage all of us worried about AI: "The entire experience really solidified for me that handmade work, story-driven work, is more valuable than ever."
Manufacturers are craving designs with genuine human stories behind them. They want to know about your garden, your travels, your grandmother's quilt, your daily walks. AI can't replicate that. It can't create the depth that comes from a life fully lived.
Creating Something That Lasts
I'm 68 and I’ve always believed that age is just a number, but legacy isn't.
When Bonnie and I talked about this, she shared something beautiful about generational creativity. She told me about the quilts in her home that have been passed down through generations — from her great-grandmother who sewed, to her grandmother who worked in a fabric store, to her mother who owned a fabric store and made every school outfit, every prom dress, even Bonnie's wedding gown.
"I think with any of our students, but especially those who have really, truly lived, they have so much reference material to pull from and so much wisdom and so much experience that can make their work so incredibly rich," Bonnie told me.
She shared the story of a print she created from her husband's grandfather's 1916 journal — just entries about going to church, about snow on the ground — now available globally as a pattern. "It's this moment in time captured forever."
That's what we're doing when we create patterns. We're making physical expressions of creativity that outlive us. Whether it's on fabric that becomes quilts passed to grandchildren, or wallpaper that transforms a room for decades, or gift wrap that carries birthday wishes — our artwork becomes part of people's real lives.
For those of us in our 50s and beyond, this work carries particular meaning. We have the richness of experience, the depth of perspective, the accumulated wisdom of years lived fully. These aren't limitations — they're superpowers in creative work.
Why I'm All In (Again)
I believe in Bonnie Christine. I believe in Surface Design Immersion. I believe in the power of creative women to build meaningful businesses from their art.
That's why I block off my calendar every year. That's why I dedicate these days to helping you understand what's possible through this program. That's why I'm here, again, telling you: this year is different. This program is special. Your art matters.
The re-imagined course, the garden-based approach, the hands-to-computer-to-hands philosophy — it's all designed for this moment we're living in. This hunger for tangible creativity. This need to make beauty we can hold.
Enrollment is open now through February 24. The doors close, and they won't reopen until February 2027. If you've been curious, this is your moment. Pop over to the enrollment page here.
Bonnie's team is available to answer any questions you have — real people, ready to help you figure out if this is right for you. And I'm always here too, happy to share my experience.
But mostly, I want you to know: It's never too late to create®. It's never too late to learn. It's never too late to build something meaningful from your creativity.
The garden is calling. Your hands are ready. Your creative journey is waiting to begin.
Enroll in Immersion here — doors close February 24.
I'll see you in the garden. 🌿
P.S. I’m a proud affiliate partner of Bonnie’s Immersion program, which means I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you if you enroll through my link.
It’s Never Too Late to Create®
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The Creative Business Spark Podcast.
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Create your very first repeating pattern by following my Three Golden Rules. Grab this downloadable PDF workbook and get started today.
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MEET ANNE
Hi…I’m Anne!
My creative inspiration comes from a lifetime of observation. I grew up in Paris on the Place St. Sulpice and walked to school through the Luxembourg gardens. And that was only the beginning… Learn more by watching the video on my About page.
