Interview with Emily from PromiseStickers

It's been a while! Welcoming you to a new era of Showcase Sunday. Our series has always been about talking to, and showcasing amazingly talented ARMY.

In this series we're bringing you creative ARMY who make stationary, gifts, and cards. You will find all their creations for sale in their shops, you'll find the links at the end of the interview.

Thanks to all the creators who took the time to sit and chat with us! - Marsha

Hello 👋

Thank you for taking the time to sit down with us and tell us about your amazing creations!

Hello! Thank you so much for getting in contact about this interview!! I’m super excited! My name is Em and I will be turning 22 in August of this year.

When did you first see or hear BTS?

The first time I ever came into any kind of contact with BTS was in 2015 I believe, after a lesson at high school where a classmate played ‘kpop’. I don’t think what they played was BTS but I went home that evening and searched for kpop on YouTube.

At first I wasn't particularly interested in learning their names or anything about them, I just wanted to enjoy their music. It was around April 2016 that I decided I needed to know absolutely everything about them.

What impact has BTS had on your life since discovering them? Clearly they had a creative impact on you!

I’ve always been quite a creative person but it was around the time I was finishing my last year at art college in 2019 that I decided to mix my love of art and BTS together. I was into journaling at the time and was struggling to find BTS related stickers that fit the style I wanted to use.

Some of the 1st stickers designed and created

Is this your sole job or is this on the side of a job/studies?

I couldn’t have imagined that it's coming up to the third anniversary of my business that, I would be able to be pursuing my dream full time, and be so lucky that I am also able to continue to do a job I’m extremely passionate about.

Can you talk us through your design process, how do you make an idea or doodle a real, tangible item?

Most of my design processes start with a lyric that catches my attention or a concept I really like. I usually scribble it down in a sketchbook, on my notes app on my phone, or straight onto my iPad depending on where I am and what I'm doing.

Lately I've been trying to draw in a more traditional way with pencil and paper but usually I go straight to my iPad and sketch a few ideas out on procreate, just because the process is quicker.

How long does a design take to make from conception to final product?

Sometimes the idea just happens really quickly and I'm able to sketch and refine everything in a few hours. But it can also go the other way and take days to finish something I'm happy with. The majority of the time I’m able to design and make a sample of the stickers in a day because I have the equipment available to me in my office that I need to make them. This makes it really easy for me to test ideas out too and change anything I don't like easily.

Washi tape, notepads, and bigger items I have to send my designs off to be manufactured professionally. This whole process of working with a manufacturer can take months.

What’s your favourite thing about creating?

One of my favourite things about being able to create is the reaction and the lovely messages I get from customers when their happy mail is delivered. Nothing beats a heartfelt message from someone that has just received their order; it makes all of the hard work so worth it. Another thing I love is just being able to push ideas further, the more my small business grows, and do things I dreamt about achieving but didn't think was possible; like selling out of products at the pre-order stage a few times over! That happened for the first time recently and I'm still absolutely blown away by the support.

Do you have any favourite pieces you would like to share with us?

I have  a few favourite things in my shop because it's too difficult to just pick one. I love washi tape! I love the Idol design because it's so bright and colourful but I also love the soop washi tape for the opposite reason.

I also love the bon voyage stickers, the ‘doodle’ style of them is probably my favourite way to draw and it's the way most of my designs start too!

What’s your most memorable ARMY moment?

I have two exceptionally memorable moments in my time as an army and they are the two concerts I've been to! I was at day one of the O2 shows and I remember waiting hours in the merch queue and meeting so many lovely army! I was also at day one of Wembley too! I sat by myself at both shows and met some lovely A.R.M.Y! I've made so many new friends that I adore through BTS and their music!

Thank you so much for talking with us, your designs are lovely and it’s been really great getting to know you and your creations!

Before we go, one more question…What are your social handles and do you have a website or Carrd that ARMY can go to if they want to browse your items for sale?

My social handles are @promisestickers on Instagram and Twitter, but I also have a linktree that has links to everything you might want to look at! linktr.ee/promisestudio

If you are a creative ARMY who would like to showcase your talents, or if you know of someone who would why not let us know?

You can dm us on all our socials:

Twitter: @BTSRadioUK

Instagram: @btsradiouk

Facebook: BTSRadioUK

Or you can also contact us via email: shinara.btsradiouk@gmail.com | btsradiouk@gmail.com