From Rock Bottom to Reality - How It All Changed

What I’m about to show you is proof that a vision can come to life - even when, at the time, it felt impossible.

Back in 2020, when I wrote this down, I thought it was crazy. But yesterday, I found an old notebook where I had outlined my big vision at a time when I had lost what I thought was my dream job at a well-known design studio in Hamburg. My visa was expiring, I had almost no money, and I was facing the reality of leaving the country I had worked so hard to build my future in.

I’m asking you to just read this - because back then, I really thought I was crazy for dreaming this big.
(I translated it, as my original notes were in my native language.)

📅 18.05.2020 - STARTING POINT

€500 left
No apartment (staying in a tiny hotel room my friend let me use during lockdown)
Spending all my days and weeks drawing atmospheric iPad sketches
No monthly paycheck
Facing deportation due to my visa expiring - heading back to my parents’ home

(Side note: I didn’t even have my main Instagram account yet - just a personal one where I struggled to gain 2000 followers after 5 years.)

And here was the big vision I set for myself in 2020–2021:

Orders from real estate agencies, vacation homes, and architects
Earning €3000/month from my sketches as a commercial illustrator (This is the amount required to renew my freelancer visa)
Renewing my visa as a freelancer
Launching my own course on interior design
Growing my Instagram to 12,000 followers
Moving into my first spacious, dream apartment in bright tones - by October

And now, the craziest part…

Everything - LITERALLY EVERYTHING - on that list came true. Month by month. Client by client.

I swear, I forgot about that notebook. And now, looking back, I’m sitting here in disbelief.



How it actually happened:

📌 First two commercial orders: A vacation home and a hotel - one for a hand-drawn logo, the other for a quick redesign. I knew both clients, but only because I was actively talking about my work. They reached out and asked if I could help.

📌 Then came my breakthrough: A real estate agency from Sylt (one of Europe’s most luxurious real estate markets) asked me to sketch a series of floor plans for a new property.

(Funny story - I accidentally sent them a file with the wrong layers turned off, and I’m still embarrassed about it! 😂)

📌 Then another real estate agency. And another. Soon, interior designers started reaching out too. By fall, I had hit my financial goal - EXACTLY as I had planned.



Not by hoping.
Not by randomly posting on Instagram.

BY TAKING ACTION.

I sent out hundreds, even thousands, of emails and printed brochures to potential clients.

I know many people don’t believe this when I say it, but when you’re facing losing everything you’ve worked for - including the country you’ve built your life in - you FIND a way to make it work.

This is how I renewed my visa as a freelancer - exactly as I had planned.

📌 Then, I started my Instagram account, and it took off right away - because this time, I had a real strategy instead of just blindly posting for years.

📌 Soon, I received repetitive requests from my audience, so I created my first eBook on drawing floor plans. I started selling it for €9, then later €19, and made around €17K in revenue - which I reinvested into creating my first course inside ASDB Academy.


(Fun fact: My friend, an entrepreneur, was the one who pushed me to keep my brand name, "And She Draws Big," which I originally created in 2018 but almost got rid of.)

📌 That year, I also took a life-changing course, and I was so inspired by my mentor that I made it my mission to ensure my own students felt that same level of inspiration from me.

And then… the craziest thing.

📌 Remember my goal of moving into my dream apartment in October?

October 2021: I moved into my absolute dream skyscraper apartment. 

The kind of place I used to only imagine as a broke interior design student. I remember driving past the skyscrapers in Frankfurt, thinking, "Only rich bankers live here."

Turns out, not just bankers. Also artists and designers who believe in their vision, use innovative skills like iPad drawing and design, understand how to sell, and work hard without waiting for a magic pill or perfect timing.

📌 As for Instagram? I hit 50,000 followers one year after writing that note

Why I’m Sharing This With You 

As I write this, I’m crying - because back then, I knew that my plan would either work or I would lose everything and have to return to my home country, which wasn’t an option for me… like AT ALL.

I’m sharing this to remind you:

You don’t know what you’re capable of until you actually try.
Taking responsibility + action = success.
The right outreach, sales strategy, and mindset do magic.
Forget overthinking. Just. Do. The. Work.

And most importantly, appreciate where you started. Your starting point is powerful.

Let me know - have you had a moment where your vision turned into reality? Or are you still at your starting point, unsure if your big vision will work?

IT WILL. The proof is above.
My Newest Drawing Resources

📌 Ebook – Top 10 Procreate Features for Interior Design. Download HERE.
📌 5-Day Bootcamp – Learn iPad Design from Start to Finish. Get instant access HERE.
📌 Free Workshop – Master Drawing on Your iPad. Join HERE.

🚀 And check out our Wall of Wins inside ASDB Academy - become a member HERE.