By her own design

To say that the transition to parenthood is lifechanging is an understatement. Of course, there is the overwhelming unconditional love you now get to experience – the joy of seeing the world through fresh eyes and watching your child grow into their own little person. Then there’s the more literal change in lifestyle, with late nights now looking a whole lot different to what they did pre-kids. But the transition can also have a profound impact on who we are as people, causing us to stop and reflect on more existential matters such as what direction we want our lives to take and the type of role model we wish to be for our children.  

For mother-of-three Xian Garnier, becoming a parent is what inspired her to turn what had previously been a hobby and side-hustle into a career. Determined to teach her daughters to pursue whatever makes them happy, the 27-year-old decided to grow her skills in an area she is passionate about and forge a future that not only meets the needs of her and her family, but brings her joy.

“Ever since becoming a mum, I’ve had this urge to be better and do better for my daughters,” Xian said.

“I was a stay-at-home mum but I had this longing to earn money and contribute to the household. I’m not sure why, but I know many of us stay-at-home mums feel that way just because we aren’t contributing financially; it’s a nasty stigma we place upon ourselves as a society and it’s simply not true. But at the time that’s how I felt, and that led me to look for ways I could ‘do it all’, as they say.”

Having realised how common it was for new mums like her to start their own businesses in order to stay home with their babies, Xian created an Instagram page aimed at giving mumpreneurs exposure, sending them questions about themselves and their businesses and platforming them to her followers as a way to make some extra money while she juggled life as a stay-at-home mum. But while she initially began using online graphic design platform Canva to create her posts and make them more engaging, she quickly discovered a love for design.

“After you have kids you lose your sense of self, and it's so cool to try new things and not just rediscover but create a new version of yourself,” she said.

Xian began teaching herself to use the platform and as her skill level grew, so too did her confidence.

“I was doing designs on my iPad at my kitchen table, and the more I did, the better I got,” said Xian.

“But while I was great at it, I would often see graphic designers on social media pretty much mocking people that designed on Canva – which I took as a challenge,” she laughs.

“By this stage, I’d realised I loved design and I wanted to improve my skills in order to effectively help my current and any future clients. Plus, I like to think ahead, and most graphic design jobs require you to be qualified, so I wanted to make sure I had the qualification to fall back on if I had to get a ‘traditional’ job when my kids are all in school.  So, I enrolled in the Diploma of Graphic Design (CUA50720) at TAFE Queensland and never looked back.”

Having just had her third daughter, Xian’s decision to return to study is made all-the-more more impressive by the fact she and her family were technically homeless when she applied. As victims of the current rental crisis, Xian, her husband and their three young children were jumping between family members’ houses while they searched for a home.

“We eventually received help from an amazing organisation called BABI Youth and Family Service, who helped us out with accommodation until we got accepted for a house, then not long after we were accepted and moved into a new house, I received an email saying I was accepted into the course. So, I did some Canva design jobs on my iPad and used the money to get a cheap, 2014 MacBook Pro on Marketplace that I would go on to use throughout my studies,” Xian said.

“I didn’t have much, but I wasn’t going to let that stop me,” she said.

Xian completed her studies online, attending classes via Zoom three times a week over the course of 12 months.

“I was super nervous because I’m a massive introvert and a stay-at-home mum, so I only hang out with my kids, who are all under the age of five,” she laughs. “But it was amazing; the bond my classmates created despite not meeting in person was awesome and the teachers were so helpful.  

“I had no Adobe experience so I was stressed about being behind, and I had reservations about the learning style, with it all being online and on Zoom. But my teachers were so patient, and they took us step-by-step through everything – you could see how passionate they were about the industry.”

While studying online with TAFE Queensland gave Xian the flexibility she needed to juggle parenting and her business aspirations, she required plenty of dedication as well as external support to achieve her goal.

“My mother-in-law came to the rescue most days I had a Zoom session, but in the times she couldn’t make it, the great thing about learning via Zoom was that my teachers would record the lessons for us to watch back if we needed,” she said.

“In order to get assignments done though, I would work late at night while my kids were asleep. And during the holidays halfway through the course, I started my business, which proved to be another hurdle when classes recommenced – although it helped me learn and I was able to ask my teachers questions that I had in regards to my real life clients.”

Xian officially launched Kaizen Kreative (‘Kaizen’ being a Japanese philosophy meaning ‘continuous improvement’) in January 2024 after developing a passion for brand identity design, and has since provided her services to a range of small businesses. She is also building a following on social media, where she shares her insights and gives followers a peak behind-the-scenes of how graphic design works. This approach is clearly earning her attention, with Xian invited to present at last year’s Typism Skills Summit, as well as taking out the Second Wind Award at the I Did It Anyways Awards.

Now a year on from graduating, Xian’s business is thriving and earning her work opportunities that enable her to build the lifestyle she wants.

“I’ve designed a lot of visual brand identities for small businesses since graduating but have since slowed down since taking on a large regular client, which has let me achieve another goal – to do what I love alongside those that I love, which are my children,” Xian said.

“This client has really provided me with the flexibility to work at absurd hours of the night so I can be with my kids during the day, which is something that a traditional job just couldn’t offer me, and for that I’m incredibly grateful.”

And while she now has the skills and knowledge she needed to turn her passion into her dream career, Xian still looks fondly on her humble beginnings.

“I still use Canva every now and then for light tasks,” she laughs, “but I’ve gained a deep appreciation of the graphic design industry knowing just how much work is involved – something that I may not have learnt if I just stayed designing on Canva instead of growing my skills and broadening my potential.

“If you’re like I was and considering a career in design, I say take the leap because amazing things happen when you do. In a year's time, you can either have a qualification and be doing something you love, or be in the position you’re currently in and still considering it.”