A Day in the Life of Lorna Syson

From school runs to sketchbooks, customer emails to quiet moments of creativity, no two days are ever quite the same when you are running a creative business and raising a young family.

I’m often asked what a typical day looks like for me, and the honest answer is that “typical” is probably the wrong word. Some days are filled with drawing, colour palettes and new ideas. Other days are all about emails, orders, packing, website updates and the many little jobs that keep a small business moving in the background.

And, of course, all of that happens around family life.

The day begins before the studio opens

Before I sit down at my desk, the day usually starts with the very real business of getting everyone ready and out of the house.

There might be a small debate with my three-year-old about why clothes are needed for preschool, an attempt to encourage my one-year-old to eat breakfast rather than feed it to the dog or decorate the walls with Weetabix, and a quick effort to eat my own breakfast before the children decide it looks far better than theirs.

Then it’s bags packed, lunch made, pushchair ready and out the door.

It’s not always calm, but it is life, and in many ways, it is all part of the rhythm of the business too.

Finding inspiration on the school run

We moved to our village because we wanted to be able to walk our children to school, and those slow moments along the village footpaths make such a difference to the start of my day.

Creativity often begins with slowing down and noticing the details around us. A bird in the hedgerow, the shape of a leaf, the colours changing through the seasons, or the feeling of a quiet path before the day properly begins.

British wildlife and landscapes have always been at the heart of my work, so those everyday walks often become part of the creative process without me even realising it at the time.

I don’t work every day while the children are so small. We have days together, and on the days I do work, a lot has to happen during naps, preschool hours and little pockets of time.

Mornings are for emails, orders and admin

Once I’m back at my desk, the first part of the day is usually practical.

Being a business owner means much more than designing. There are customer emails to answer, orders to check, stock to manage, parcels to pack, marketing to plan, social media posts to think about, product development, website updates, Etsy, tech, accounts, tidying… the list never really ends.

I like to be organised, and I prefer to work from my computer, but I’ll admit I sometimes think I’ve replied to an email when really I’ve only written the answer in my head and not actually sent it.

Running a creative business is a mixture of lovely design moments and very ordinary admin moments, and both matter.

Lunch and little pauses

Lunch is usually a short break, but I try to make the most of it.

If my husband is home, as he often works from home too, we try to stop and eat together. If the weather is good, I like to head outside and enjoy a bit of sunshine.

Those small pauses are often where creative ideas begin to form. Sometimes stepping away from the screen is exactly what is needed. A few minutes outside, a quick reset, or a conversation over lunch can help an idea settle into place.

Afternoons and creative work

Afternoons are often when I get my best creative ideas.

Every collection begins with hand-drawn elements inspired by British wildlife and landscapes. I don’t get to design as much as I wish I could, but I often find that once the admin is out of the way, my mind shifts into a more open space where I can explore ideas properly.

At the moment, I’m working on a new installation project, and I often find that early afternoon is when those thoughts come together.

This is the part of the business that people often imagine first: sketchbooks, fabric samples, colours, patterns and new products. It is a huge part of what I love, but it sits alongside all the other pieces that make the business work.

Back to family time

Later in the day, it’s time to collect the children and step back into family life.

There might be colouring at the kitchen table, which is a favourite in our house, giggling, being silly, dancing in the kitchen, snacks, dinner time, bath time, stories and bedtime.

Some of the best ideas happen during everyday family moments. I think that’s one of the lovely things about running a nature-inspired creative business from home. The boundaries between work, family, creativity and life are not always neat, but they do feed into each other.

Ending the day

Once the day quietens down, there is often a chance to review where I’ve got to, finish any emails I ran out of time for, look over ideas and plan for the following day.

Running a creative business while raising a family is not about perfection. It is about flexibility, passion and making space for what matters most.

Some days are productive. Some days are messy. Most days are a little bit of both.

But through it all, I feel very lucky to create work inspired by the British countryside, wildlife and the small details that make everyday life feel beautiful.

Thank you for following along.