Welcome to the next instalment of our new editorial content series, #HobbiesOverHustle, where we’re encouraging you to pick up or enjoy a hobby just for fun.
Georgia Norton Lodge started Georgia Draws a House from a passion of design and a love of home. What started as a hobby is now her business, and in the time of isolation, she’s helping others learn something new and take pen to paper. This is her story.
I was working full time as a graphic designer when I stumbled across my love of drawing houses. It first started in 2014 when my sister, Zoë Norton Lodge, was writing her first book, Almost Sincerely. It’s a book of short stories based in the suburb we grew up in — Annandale. She needed a cover and given my line of work, I threw my hand up!
I then started drawing neighbourhood houses and buildings and thought to myself, “hold on a minute, these are kind of cute!” I showed some friends and family and they all wanted one. After the 10th or so request I created an Instagram account, @georgiadrawsahouse, made a website and put it out in the world.
This is where Georgia Draws A House began — it’s an illustration business, where people send me their address or a photo of their house, and then I draw it and send it back to them. Think Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, ‘I just bought my first home’ or ‘I sold the family home’ — it’s a celebration of home, family and love in an adorable hand-drawn way.
Over the last few years, I built up my business using Instagram and started drawing homes for people all around the world. After a lot of hard work and many, many late nights, I quit my graphic design job to focus on Georgia Draws A House. I feel lucky and grateful to be able to do this full time; it’s a real privilege.
While it seems that in the current climate we have more time than ever to pick up the crochet hook or to make your way through that 30-day yoga challenge, I really want to encourage people to try something for fun — no strings attached, no pressure for it to be perfect. So I’ve started hosting virtual drawing classes.
It’s a way to connect with people from different corners of the earth, to share my love for drawing and also offer an escape from the apocalypse. We pick up a pen, do some ridiculous exercises and have a laugh.
Maybe you want to try something out yourself? Or do a private workshop with some of your friends (and a glass of wine!)? The classes are a place to relax, build some confidence and hopefully learn a thing or two about packing charm and character into your illustrations.
Last week I tried something new myself — I wrote a poem with my Dad. We jumped on Zoom one morning and wrote it together, for a bit of fun. At first I was a bit nervous to put it on Instagram but I’m trying to practice what I preach — ‘it doesn’t have to be perfect’.
I loved the process, loved connecting with my Dad, and now I think writing poems will have a permanent spot on the hobby shelf. The poem features in my new colouring book, ‘Homebound’, a 24-page love letter to house and home.
Private virtual drawing classes are available to book and there will be some Instagram Live classes too, so keep an eye out for those. My colouring-in book, ‘Homebound’, is also available to order. You can visit my Instagram account @georgiadrawsahouse or my website for more details.
Home means many things for us, it’s family, it’s love, it’s where we grow, learn, eat and tell stories. It’s honestly such a joy to be able to share my passion for home with the world.
Visit GeorgiaDrawsAHouse.com to find out more about virtual drawing classes, and to download a sample of her colouring-in book now.