I’M PUSHING THE ENVELOPE

MAKING cards for friends and family has been Cressida Peever’s passion ever since she was a young girl.

So when Covid put her career as a theatre playwright on hold, Cressida, 29, from North London, turned to her hobby.

Today, after only 18 months and thanks to the Prince’s Trust, she tells us all about her thriving business selling cards and art around the globe.

What is your business?

My mission is to help people celebrate friends, family and themselves with something unique, personal and affordable. Everything is hand-drawn by me.

I offer a range of ready-to-buy digital cards and prints, as well as bespoke cards and posters drawn either as a digital print or straight to paper. I keep the quality high and my prices low, so that sending something special needn’t cost the earth. I only print to order so there is no wastage at all.

When I’m not drawing, I’m a dramatist, which is why so many of my designs are inspired by film, TV and the best of arts and culture.

One of my first prints, which is very popular, is a map of London theatres. This year my Christmas selection has gone bonkers.

I’ve never been so busy. I love including some of my favourite TV characters too – Fleabag’s in there. Although most sales are online, I am doing some in-person pop-up events and shops too.

All the creative part happens at home so it’s perfect to fit around my drama projects.

How did it come about?

I’ve always made cards for friends and family as a way of giving occasions a special touch. In 2015 I started selling them to friends as a way of raising a little extra cash towards the cost of my masters degree in creative writing. I’d always get great feedback, but at the time I lacked the resources (and confidence) to scale up my enterprise.

Then, in 2020, everything changed. I was a freelancer in the theatre industry, building up a solid career, and at the outbreak of Covid all my work was cancelled, and I fell through the cracks of government support.

But I still needed to pay my rent. I also wanted to help people to feel connected in a time of isolation. So Cressidacards was born!

How did you make it a reality?

A friend mentioned that the Prince’s Trust was doing what it could to support people like me who had no access to furlough or selfemployed grants.

I’m not the sort of person to say no to a great opportunity, so I researched this and made an application. For the first time I felt there might be light at the end of the tunnel.

I received a grant from the Enterprise Relief Fund, which was set up by the Trust and Natwest. This meant I could pay my rent, buy materials and launch the business.

I also had the chance to take part in a variety of workshops ranging from product marketing and search engine optimisation to investment and funding.

This all helped me grow from the odd market stall to being a full online business.

Another key advantage was being assigned a mentor, which was invaluable.

For the first time I felt there might be light at the end of the tunnel

What did you do before Covid hit?

I had worked at the National Theatre as a fundraiser for three years, and at the same time I was writing. I had just reached the point where I gave that up and was relying entirely on my theatre writing. It was amazing.

My recent playwriting projects include JOAN, now available on Apple Podcasts, and immersive experiences Divine Proportions and Red Palace in London.

Contact

cressidacards.com

SWITCH Cressida Peever lost her theatre work due to lockdown