Why Watercolor Classes Make Me a Better Designer for B2B SaaS
On weekends, I paint with watercolor.
Not because I’m trying to sneak delicate details into your sales one pager, but because it’s a place I let myself create without KPIs, deadlines, or Slack pings.
Just paint, water, and curiosity.
And it matters. Because come Monday morning, when I open a fresh InDesign doc, I’m not approaching it like art, I’m approaching it like strategy.
Design isn’t self-expression. It’s problem-solving. It’s making sure the CTA is impossible to miss, the layout is skimmable for a distracted reader, and the message moves someone from “maybe” to “yes.”
That kind of clarity and conversion-focused work doesn’t come from chasing inspiration, it comes from discipline. But keeping a personal art practice alive, separate from design, keeps the creative muscle strong so I can bring fresh energy into solving business problems.
Here’s the distinction that often gets missed:
Art is for expression, curiosity, experimentation. It’s not meant to answer to metrics.
Design is for strategy, clarity, and conversion. It has a job to do.
When those two stay in their lanes but fuel each other is where the best work happens.
This is also what I think about when B2B SaaS companies are hiring freelance senior graphic designers. You don’t just need someone who’s good in Figma or who’s executed a campaign like yours. You need someone who understands the difference between art and design, and respects both.
Because the goal isn’t “pretty,” it’s performance.
The designers who know how to balance creativity with the strategic design can turn every one pager, pitch deck, and campaign asset into something that actually drives revenue.
Ready for the CTA?
If this got you thinking, let’s keep the conversation going. I share more on design for B2B SaaS over on LinkedIn, and I’d love to hear your perspective. Follow me there and let’s swap ideas on what’s really driving revenue.