Ah, what a journey it’s been – and I’m still on it. The truth? My first business failed. In some ways, my second one did too. Three days ago, I turned 40, and looking back on the past decade of entrepreneurship, the path has been anything but smooth. It’s been messy, overwhelming, and at times, devastating. But every setback, every hard lesson, led me here – to something truly worth writing about. Here’s why it all mattered.
Around 10 years ago, I was asked if I could paint something for a friend. I said yes because I have always associated art with giving. It was a reward in itself to be asked. It was then that I also realized this could be a great little side gig for me – selling little hand painted paper artwork to share the things I thought were beautiful. Over the next five or six years, I explored that. From hand painted stationery to watercolour to oil painting, my business went through trial and error.
But truthfully, the art was the easy part. I always had a natural ability to communicate an emotion or idea through art and while always refining those skills in some way, it tends to come fairly easy for me. Intuitively speaking. The rest though? Shockingly difficult. What followed were years and years of trying to figure out what it meant to have a business. And I’m talking everything – online presence, time management, how to create an invoice, how to order boxes, how to track your finances, how to DIY your marketing, how to ask for help and collaborate and how to retain customers… and so much more. This was the real work for me. Painting was like the vessel.
From that stemmed a learning curve that felt insurmountable most days. What the heck have I been doing that I didn’t know any of this? I had spent eight years earning a degree in architecture and then went straight into learning how to design and build buildings – nothing else. The running of a business eluded me completely.
And so it failed. Selling art is incredibly challenging. Why? Because it’s completely based on aspiration. Most people will argue that art isn’t a need; so many things will come before someone decides to spend their money on art. It’s entirely discretionary and aspirational. I struggled with this because I knew I was meant to do something that was helpful in a very different way. And I think I already knew then that this wasn’t going to be it for me. I’m so grateful for this moment.
During all this time, I became fascinated with the way in which we communicate our ideas, products, services and brand through visual means. I love painting and I still work on commissions. But web design was the perfect combination of designing, building and communicating – just like architecture had been. I fell in love with it immediately and out of sheer brute force to make my own art business succeed, The Good Canvas was naturally born. If I didn’t know about these things, surely there were others. I desperately wanted to create a place for others to learn the same, that was my driving force. How can I transfer all of this really important knowledge to others? And how could I do it differently from everyone else and in a way that mattered to me? I knew I had to pivot.
I’m not just a web designer. The truth is, The Good Canvas exists because I failed to build a brand that truly worked. My first business was a lesson in failure – an expensive one – but it led me to discover the power of thoughtful, strategic design. Collaboration. Legibility. Messaging. Through years of experience, learning, and refining, I’ve built a process that helps creatives like you transform their online presence. Now, I help clients build websites that position them as industry leaders, attract dream clients, and create real business growth.
Here’s what that looks like:
- Discovery & Visioning. We start by getting to the heart of your business. We’ll dive deep into your goals, your values, and your unique vision. This is where we uncover what makes you different, what drives your business, and what story you want your website to tell.
- Strategy & Design Blueprint. Next, we create a clear design strategy. We’ll map out everything from site architecture to user experience, making sure your website is not only beautiful but functional, intuitive, and designed to convert visitors into loyal clients.
- Custom Design & Branding. Here’s where the magic happens. We design a custom website and branding elements that reflect your unique identity. This is more than just pretty visuals—it’s about creating a digital presence that speaks to your audience and establishes your authority in your industry.
- Build & Optimize. Once the design is finalized, we build your site with attention to detail and a focus on user experience. We ensure it’s fully optimized for speed, mobile-friendliness, SEO, and ease of use, so you can focus on what you do best.
- Launch & Grow. The moment of truth—your website goes live. But the journey doesn’t end there. We’re with you to make sure everything runs smoothly, from tweaking final details to offering ongoing support as your business continues to grow and evolve.
- Ongoing Support & Future-Proofing. We don’t just hand over the keys and walk away. We provide ongoing support and strategies to help your website scale with your success. Our goal is to future-proof your online presence so that it continues to serve you as your business grows.
Join The Good Canvas
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ABOUT THIS POST
This post is written by Donata Delano – A Web Designer, Professional Artist and Architect based in Burlington, Canada. She specializing in visual communication and web design, creating branding solutions and websites that are thoughtful, unique and aesthetically pleasing.
