Seriously, every day I cry because people say things, they message me or they email us or something, and they say, 'How did you know that I needed that quote right at that time?' or 'The things that you said in your post were exactly what I needed,' and it has over and over again re-emphasized the importance of if we feel the prompting or the idea come into our head that we need to post something good. Don’t hesitate. Do it because somebody out there needs to hear it. – Rhonna Farrer
OREM — For the past 18 years, Rhonna Farrer has tried to incorporate her mantra, "uplift and inspire," into her work as an artist.
Now she shares positive messages with more than 60,000 followers on social media, as well as through her app, Rhonna Designs.
But Farrer's opportunity to uplift and inspire thousands didn't come quickly or easily. After graduating from Brigham Young University with a degree in art education, she taught school for a year before she and her husband, Jeff, had their first child and moved to Minnesota in 1996.
Although Farrer enjoyed being home with her new baby, she also felt impressed to continue using her artistic talents, which she often did at night while her daughter was asleep.
"It really ages me when I say the Internet was just starting to boom," Farrer said. "I kind of taught myself Photoshop because that was pretty new as well and started designing and putting my art in digital form."
Shortly after Farrer had her second child, she wanted to enhance her professional portfolio, so she began applying for any freelancing jobs that would allow her to work from home.
"I was applying to different greeting card places and really trying to get my work out there," Farrer said. "I just got rejection after rejection after rejection. And there was a point where I just thought, 'I can’t do this anymore. These rejections are killing me.' "
Though the critiques she received in college helped Farrer develop a thick skin, the rejections took their toll.
"There was one point where I was sitting on the back porch with my kids, and I knew that they were the most important thing, but I also just kept feeling like I needed to do something with my art," Farrer said. "I had got another letter in the mail, and I thought, ‘If this is another rejection, I’ll take that as a sign that maybe this isn’t what I’m supposed to do.’ So I opened up the letter, and, of course, it was another rejection. I just started crying, and I thought, 'I can’t do this anymore. It’s too hard,' and I got this overwhelming, strong feeling: ‘Do not give up. Somebody will love your art. Just keep trying.’ "
Farrer, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, believed that she had received inspiration from God. She continued to work on her art, always relying on prayer to direct her decisions.
"I really truly just prayed before every step that I took to know which way to go," Farrer said. "When people ask me, 'What’s your advice? What do you have to tell me?' I’m like, 'No. 1, pray that this is the direction you need to go, and No. 2, just plow through and work hard, and just don’t give up' because if I would have given up back then, we would have lost so many opportunities, so I’m thankful that I got that strong feeling."
For several years, Farrer found success freelancing for greeting card companies, but she felt impressed to look for other opportunities. In 2003, Farrer and her family moved to Utah, where she entered a scrapbooking contest and won a contract with Creating Keepsakes magazine.
Shortly after, Farrer was approached by another scrapbook manufacturing company and tasked with creating her own line of scrapbooking products. As she designed paper, stickers and more, Farrer found ways to implement her mantra, "uplift and inspire."
"Anytime I would do a design or I would create a scrapbook page or I would make visual art, I always thought, ‘OK, will this uplift or inspire people?’ " Farrer said. "It was really fun to see my art in a different form, plus I was able to use it to make memories with my family."
Farrer worked in this position for several years before she felt the need to evolve again. She was interested in apps and recognized that she often used her phone to document her life. As apps became increasingly popular, Farrer and her husband decided to create their own.
The Rhonna Designs app was launched in the summer of 2013, and it earned the Apple's App Store Best of 2013 award for stylish photo-editing apps that winter. Farrer's app provides tools to edit and design images, but it also allows users to share their images on social media.
"Social media is so awesome because you can share so much goodness with the world," Farrer said. "So when I had the idea for the app, I said, OK, this is what I want to do. I want to make sure that it uplifts and inspires people and can help them create something that will not only uplift and inspire themselves but others around them."
Farrer created an Instagram account and began posting uplifting images and messages daily. As her Instagram following has grown, Farrer has had opportunities to answer questions about her faith and the LDS Church.
"I’ve had questions about the temple or women and the priesthood, things that are out there in the media," Farrer said. "I read it, and it’s on my feed, and I pray about it ... and I go back and I answer it. ... I love to share it with people because that’s what it’s all about."
Farrer's Instagram account now has nearly 60,000 followers. Farrer also has accounts on Facebook and Twitter. On all of these accounts, Farrer encourages her followers to use the hashtag #RhonnaDesigns when they post the images they created with her app.
"When I get on that hashtag, and I see what people are doing, to me, it just makes everything worth it because that is exactly what I envisioned — is that all these people would be creating their own, using their creativity and their creative tools to come up with things that just make them happy," Farrer said.
Last year, Farrer's desire to share positive messages only increased after she listened to Elder David A. Bednar, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, speak in August at Brigham Young University's Campus Education Week and encourage LDS Church members to use social media to flood the earth with faith-based messages.
"I was sitting there with my husband and my daughter, and I was just saying, 'Yes, yes!' because he was saying exactly what I feel so passionate about," Farrer said. "The Internet can be so scary, but one of the things he said is that it’s created for a divine purpose, and when we use that it is a creative tool and a powerful tool, we can touch people all over the earth that you would never have a chance to meet. It makes me so happy to see people use the app to share goodness."
Several owners of other faith-based Instagram accounts use Farrer's app to create images.
Macady Haws, a 13-year-old from Tooele, is grateful for Farrer's app, which she uses for her Instagram account Child of God.
"I have the capability of sharing the gospel through beautiful edits right at my finger tips," she told the Deseret News. "It is so easy, and I love the reward of happiness I get from uplifting and inspiring people."
Macady has learned how important it is to share the gospel on social media.
"One of the most important things I have learned is that I can be a missionary while in my youth," she said. "I can help change people's lives one post at a time, which is important to me. I think it is extremely important to share the gospel whenever and wherever we can. ... I hope I have inspired people to become better every day. I hope that through my account I will help people to overcome trials and to find peace and happiness."
Farrer enjoys seeing teens use technology to share inspiring messages.
"I’m blown away with how many youth have started these Instagram accounts where they share the gospel," Farrer said. "At conference time, they were cranking out their favorite quotes, and they were spreading goodness, and I was just amazed. I’m so proud of them to see how they were using the app. It blew me away. It definitely far exceeds my every dream about the app when I see things like that."
Farrer especially enjoys receiving messages from her followers about how her posts helped them in their lives.
"Seriously, every day I cry because people say things, they message me or they email us or something, and they say, 'How did you know that I needed that quote right at that time?' or 'The things that you said in your post were exactly what I needed,' and it has over and over again re-emphasized the importance of if we feel the prompting or the idea come into our head that we need to post something good," Farrer said. "Don’t hesitate. Do it because somebody out there needs to hear it."
While Farrer's professional portfolio and social following has grown, her family remains her first priority.
"I think I’ve learned that I’ve got to keep my family and God as No. 1, and then whatever else I can fit in, I’m able to do," Farrer said. "But I also feel like because I really am trying to do what’s best, God has definitely helped me use my time more wisely and just kind of give me ideas. ... I think it’s a give-and-take thing. If I promise the Lord that I’ll give him my everything, then he definitely blesses me and I feel that."
Farrer continues to uplift and inspire by speaking at many Relief Society and Young Women meetings, and she will present at RootsTech on Feb. 12. She is also teaching a 12-week social media course in Orem, and the related materials can be downloaded for free on her website.
"My thing is, everyone of every age can do this," Farrer said. "I just hope it spreads. ... To me, it’s like. ‘OK, guys, we have got to get on this. This is our responsibility, and it can be fun. It can be wonderful if you just learn how to do it.’"
Email: spetersen@deseretnews.com | Twitter: @Sarah_DNews