Behind the scenes of our Black History Month badge

Tell us about yourself

‘Hello! My name is Sally, but most people just call me Sal. I'm an artist, illustrator, and designer—basically, a creative person through and through! When I'm not creating, you'll probably find me swimming in the sea, cuddling my cat or hanging out with my friends.

I've been an artist for about five years now, and I absolutely love it! My work often revolves around themes of empowerment, diversity, and sustainability. I believe in using art as a powerful tool for communication, education, and social change.

Whether I'm working on social media campaigns, badge design or advertising, I’m passionate about creating bright, bold, and engaging visuals that resonate, and most importantly, tell a story.’

This year’s Black History Month badge is gorgeous – what inspired the design?

‘Thank you! The design was inspired by both Black History and the essence of Girlguiding—sisterhood, friendship, and community. I wanted to capture the strength and unity of women standing together, which is why the badge shows three women proudly lined up, looking forward with determination.

It was important to me that the badge not only reflects history but also feels relevant to the present, allowing Black women and girls to see themselves in it.’

Did you always dream of being an artist when you were younger?

‘I’ve always been a creative person, and loved the joy that comes from making things, so I naturally followed that feeling, which led me to where I am now, doing what I love. Strangely enough, my other strong subject in school was maths—but I guess I preferred drawing to calculating sums! So, I decided to trade in my calculator for a sketchbook, and it turned out to be the right choice!’  

What do you enjoy most about being an illustrator?

What I love most is being able to turn a message into a picture.'

'There’s something magical about taking an idea or a feeling and transforming it into an image that people can connect with. It’s like speaking a universal language. If I can communicate something important, in a way that’s easy for people to understand and relate to, then that makes me really happy!’

Can you tell us about your creative process when it comes to designing a new artwork?

‘My creative process follows a few key stages. First, I understand the brief—I make sure I know exactly what the project is about and what message needs to be communicated. Next comes ideas generation, where I jot down all my initial thoughts and sketches— this part is a bit chaotic, but that’s how the best ideas usually start!

Then, I dive into researching and gathering references, often using Pinterest to find inspiration and explore different styles. Once I have a good collection of ideas, I move on to evaluating them, asking myself which ones stand out and how they can be made unique. After that, I work on composition and developing roughs, refining my sketches until I’m happy with the overall layout.

Then comes the fun part—media and colour experimentation—where I test out different colour schemes and techniques to bring the design to life. Finally, it’s all about completion of finals—putting everything together and polishing the artwork until it’s ready to be shared with the world!’

What advice would you give to girls interested in creating art that makes a difference?

Keep going, keep pushing yourself.'

‘And if you can, say yes to every opportunity that comes your way. Keep creating, even when you’re not happy and you think it looks bad—sometimes, it is actually about quantity over quality. Embrace your mistakes; they’re often where the best ideas come from.

‘Connect with other illustrators and artists, enter art competitions—you never know what amazing things might happen. Most importantly, stay true to yourself, keep doing what you love, and don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t. Remember, you are amazing!’