Creative circles know her as Gabrielle Laïla Tittley, but you might better recognize her as Pony, a Montreal-based “artist and emotional sponge”, as she likes to call herself, with a penchant for colourful cheeky illustrations. This mega-talented multi-hyphenate has made a name for herself by transforming a “surplus of big feelings,” as she calls it, into a community-based creative universe that includes video directing, murals and clothing design. A Squarespace user for the past 10 years (“my first website ever!” she says), Gabrielle has been able to use the all-in-one platform to expand her fan base to far-flung parts of the world like Japan, Australia and Sweden. Below, she talks about the inextricable link between her art and her purpose, the creative endeavours she’s most proud of and how Squarespace has supported her journey.

How do you define success working in a creative field?

“My vision of success is very much linked to purpose. I feel happy with my work and aligned with my art when I feel like it’s serving others, not just me. I feel successful when my art reaches others—I receive messages from people who say ‘That illustration really got me through a tough moment.’ That’s what motivates me to create.”

Which of your creative endeavours are you most proud of?

“I had this charity event for a long time that was called L’amour passe à travers le linge, and it was artists coming together to make our art useful for a humanitarian cause. The last edition included 24 artists; each one created a T-shirt. The profits of one of the past editions all went to Anorexie et boulimie Québec, an organization that gives free resources to people living with eating disorders. I had a severe eating disorder when I was younger, and I [was able] to access resources in a hospital, but so many people in Quebec who are not living in a big city do not have the chance to access those resources. That’s been my favourite project. It’s been on hold for a couple of years, but we’re launching it again next year. It’s not just creating something that I want to create; it’s serving something bigger than me.”

How does Squarespace help support entrepreneurs like you?

“As an entrepreneur, I wanted to take that first step and build a site—and Squarespace made it easy to do. When you have a small business and don’t have a lot of time, you’re all over the place. To have the website not be a huge stress because it’s very easy to use—that’s cool for an entrepreneur’s use of time.”

What role does your website play in the day-to-day of your business?

“My Squarespace website helps me increase my online presence and showcase my work. Someone could buy something online and let’s say they’re in France; then their friend sees it. The fact that we can reach everywhere has really helped us spread the message and our art.”

How do you see your business evolving in the future, and what role does Squarespace play in helping you achieve your next business goals?

“I’m looking to maybe start a podcast, and there are Squarespace tools that I can use to launch it. As for the brand, I would really love to do some pop-ups in France or Japan. That’s in the plans, so, naturally, referring people to the website is a support in building the community. Squarespace supports all our moves by being there and easy to operate and by making it simple for people to keep in touch.”

 

Interested in learning more? Click here for more Squarespace success stories.

Credits:
Video: La Clic
Production: Jeanne Bouchel
Makeup artist: Myriam Dufour