We had the good fortune of connecting with Farnaz Behdinan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Farnaz, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
It was 2020 and the pandemic had just hit. As everything around me shut down, I did too for a while and sought creativity to uplift my spirits.

I’ve loved to create ever since I was a kid. Every gift I gave my friends for their birthdays was something I had made with my hands. Knowing I loved design, I started an art account in middle school where I posted everything from scribbles to watercolors to acrylic paintings and my closest friends were following me. Once I went to high school, I didn’t have enough time to paint with all my extracurriculars and classes. My account was just sitting there for a few years and I decide to restart it 5 months into the pandemic after I graduated high school. I had an iPad, Youtube, and a passion. I bought the app Procreate for 10 dollars (my best investment in my business) and shared my digital art skills on Instagram. I started small and drew portraits of people for free and gave it to them digitally. I didn’t have anything set up just word of mouth around my friends and family and I started to get paid for the portraits I drew of people. It was crazy to me how many people wanted to purchase my art. Not only would they say they liked my art, but they would put their money and value on something that I created. As more and more people started to create portraits, however, I wanted differentiate myself from the competition.

That’s when the idea for custom portrait stickers came to my mind and when I started creating physical products. I would watch Youtube for days on end to find the right products that would make my stickers waterproof and the right printer for sticker paper. I grabbed my scissors and I would hand-cut each sticker with much precision and care. It took me an entire day to create custom portraits and cutting the stickers by hand was not sustainable for large orders.
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I had to pivot my business plan once again so that I could get my art into more homes in less time. I decided to create other designs with the stickers I was making and purchase more professional equipment to cut my stickers with the money I had made. I bought a second-hand Cricut machine to cut my stickers and began designing more general uplifting art for a larger audience. With more warm tones in my art and positive vibes I like to taylor my art towards those with bright personalities.

When you ask me about my thought process before starting, I didn’t really think. I just acted based on what my gut was telling me at that moment when nothing made sense. I knew that I loved creating, and I knew I wanted to bring joy to people’s lives during a difficult time. Everything else just clicked into place and I’m proud to be able to continue sharing art that inspires people and brings joy to their lives.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My digital art is inspired by anything from positive quotes, to fun fonts, and everyday things. When my art is inspired by an object, I try to think of a quote that relates to that specific object. For example, I love roller skating and naturally I had to make a sticker about it. The quote I used for that sticker was “roll with the flow” and even people who don’t normally roller skate would relate to this quote and want to add it to their sticker collection. People purchase my art to showcase positivity and kindness on their everyday items and that’s the purpose behind the stickers I curate for my audience. My bestseller is a sticker that says. “It’s cool to be kind” and I think it’s become so popular because people want to spread this positive message to others.

Not only do I attract people who like inspirational quotes, but my warm color palette attracts more female-identifying people to my page. I am proud that my art has resonated with over 95% of women and I have had over 500 sales on my Etsy! It was definitely not easy though which is most likely the answer you will hear from many, if not all, small business owners. When college went to in-person classes, I had to move all my equipment to my college dorm and package stickers from my small bedroom. It took many nights of packing orders when I had tests and midterms the following day. I had to deal with customers who sometimes never got their order, or wanted cancel when I already sent out their order. It has definitely been tough, but 100% worth it. I became better at time-management and interacting with customers to create a better experience for them and on top of everything I got to do what I love every day.

I want people to see my brand as a safe, uplifting, and positive space where diverse voices are not only encouraged but needed. I want my art to make people smile as soon as they see it and to remind them to seek happiness in small things: whether it is the stickers they purchase or the posts they see on my social media. FarnieDesigns is a place where you come to see fun art and interact with an empowering community.

My biggest takeaway from this experience is that you can’t be afraid to fail. If I didn’t start this business out of the fear that I wouldn’t be successful, then I would have never seen how many people resonated and loved my art. When the pandemic hit, I thought that I really didn’t have anything to lose which is why I gave it a shot. I encourage others to give their passions a chance too because the worst that can happen is you don’t try in the first place.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
This is a great question because I love all things itineraries and lists. If someone were to come to Los Angeles I would first take them on a food tour in Downtown LA and experience the diversity that exists within our multicultural mecca.

Day 1 would be centered around China and Mexico. We would spend the morning in Chinatown looking through cute shops and buying little knick knacks and pins you can’t get anywhere else. After we get a little thirsty, we can find a boba shop and get a refreshing drink. You can’t go to LA without getting boba, it’s a classic. I love leaving room for spontaneous adventures so we can walk around and take cute pictures with the lanterns they have up all year round. For lunch we would go to a local restaurant and try the most interesting menu items (aka not orange chicken). There is a restaurant I haven’t been to yet, but they hosted Rush Hour 3 and I’ve been wanting to go ever since I saw that sign outside their window. After lunch we can grab dessert in Olvera street and get fresh churros! The small street is filled with vibrant colors and Mexican artisanal crafts. Those of us who took Spanish in high school can practice our Spanish with local vendors! We can then end the night on a fun note and join in on some free dance classes at The Music Center!

Day 2 would be all things Japan and Korea. Little Tokyo is my favorite place of all time and my one of my best friends actually introduced me to it because her Japanese leadership camps were held here each year. Before lunch we could grab some more boba (you can never have enough) and explore some of the hip stores with the cutest imports from Japan! A few years back before Covid they would always have karaoke in the center of little Tokyo and if they still have it, we could sing a few of our favorite tunes while we enjoy the beautiful plaza. We could grab lunch either in a local spot, or Kura revolving sushi bar. The sushi is pretty good and the experience is so fun especially if you’ve never been. Later in the day we could grab a fun hot pot dinner in K Town and get some Melo Melo coconut and mango pudding for dessert!

Days 3 would be the last cultural food experience and it would be to share my Persian culture! My favorite spot to hit up for the whole immersive experience is Tehrangeles. They have everything from Persian rug stores to calligraphy in Farsi, and let’s not forget about the delectable food. You can find a delicious kabob meal at Shamshiri Grill. I recommend tahdig and cucumber yogurt for a starter and to get a lamb kabob for the main meal. If you are looking for something lighter, then the stews are a perfect choice and a Persian favorite. Afterward we could grab Persian ice cream at Saffron and Rose and if we can find a Persian party, we could end the night with some dancing and fun music.

Day 4 and 5 would be a break day from food touring and head to the beach for some fun days out in beautiful sunshine! No matter what time of the year, it’s usually perfect weather year round. For day 3 we can hit up Santa Monica for a touristy and hip location and day 4 we can go more secluded and hike to a waterfall in Malibu! Santa Monica has the perfect location for some fun biking or roller skating along the sand which is my personal favorite activity. The waves in Malibu on the other hand are great for either learning how to surf or going boogie boarding! Both areas have great seafood so we can find a local restaurant or go with the classic Californian food chain, In and Out!

I try to seek fun diverse experiences that expand my worldview and I hope that this itinerary gives a glimpse of that! I am always hungry for new cultural experiences and hope that I can experience more of them within LA and in other parts of the world.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would first like to thank my family and friends for being my number 1 supporters when I first started selling. From my dad who helped me test out all of his printers at work, to my mom supporting me at all of my pop up events. I am very grateful for the support I’ve gotten to be here. My two best friends Megan and Allison helped me sell my art at my first pop up event and it would not have gone as smoothly as it did if they weren’t there. I would also like to thank of my other friends who were my first customers and supported me when I was just starting out!

Ever since I started growing my business on social media I have gained such a wonderful community of online friends and other small business owners who some I even got to meet in person! The community itself is an uplifting place that I have begun to cherish since the pandemic.

I would also like to thank my school, USC, for supporting my business as well! I was able to participate in a event called Trojan Marketplace and sell my art to students which was a huge hit. With the help of my roommate Ally and my friend Winnie I was able to sell to a large student body and meet other student business I would not have met otherwise!

Overall I am extremely grateful for the connections I’ve made, the people I’ve met, and the community who has supported me in my journey. I hope to give back to the people who have helped along the way and help others who are just starting out!

Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/Farniedesigns

Instagram: @farniedesigns

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/farnazbehdinan/

Other: Pinterest : @farniedesigns Tiktok: @farniedesigns

Image Credits
Irina Harutyunyan

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