In this Spotlight, we spoke to Ratchel McGuin, also known as The Colour Witch. A publisher and painter focussed on emotions and inspiration for people of all ages. She also has published a journal designed to help you align your intentions, reflect on your experiences and harness the moon's energy for personal growth.
Tell us about your business!
I’m Raychel McGuin - aka The Colour Witch. I write, illustrate, design, and publish books that mix art, colour and emotional alchemy. My work is about helping people turn darkness into light and chaos into calm, using colour as a kind of everyday magic. It started with me constantly doodling and painting as a kid and grew into this lifelong obsession with how colour connects to our emotions. Now I get to share my knowledge through books, workshops and events.
What is your main challenge and how do you overcome it, what problem do you solve or what service do you offer customers?
My challenge is wrangling my busy brain, which thinks running three businesses, writing books and launching festivals all at once is a “great idea.” I overcome it by working with colour energy: each colour in my 12 step system is linked to specific emotions, so I use it to ground, reset or energise myself. For my readers and workshop guests, I help them find their own way through emotions with colour as their guide. It’s a different way of seeing ourselves and I find that it works.
What advice would you give to businesses like yours?
Stop waiting for the “perfect time” or the “perfect version.” It doesn’t exist. I once hand-painted a beautiful bag with the phrase ‘Done is better than perfect’ - and I spelt perfect wrong. The irony wasn’t lost on me, but it made people laugh and it reminded me that getting your work out there, even with flaws, is always better than hiding it away waiting for perfection. Start messy, start scared, start imperfect - but start. Print can always be reworked before the next print run, but you can’t reprint something that never made it out of your head.
How do you make your customers feel special and understood?
I keep it real. I tell the truth. If I’ve had a week where everything’s gone wrong, I’ll share that. Because life is chaotic and people need to see the messy as well as the magic. I know some people see themselves in my work and I want them to realise they’re not broken - they’re just human and their emotions are powerful tools.
What print products do you order from us and how have they brought you success?
Books - my biggest love. From a kids’ adventure story in The Adventures of Rayne-Beau ~ Soul Ranger to colour alchemy guides, instantprint prints them all - there’s at least another four books part written in my eighteen month publishing plan. Designing and illustrating my own work, then finally holding it in my hands - that’s the magic moment. My reactions have been anything from an excited ‘squee’ to full on tears!
What are your top print tips for other creators and businesses?
Proof everything carefully - mistakes glare at you once it’s printed! Don’t be afraid to invest in top quality, because readers can feel the difference. Also, trust your instincts - print is personal, it should feel like you.
Why do you choose to print with instantprint?
I visited the site recently for your Expo and was blown away - the scale, the professionalism, the people behind it. You’re fast, reliable, and you care about the detail. That matters when you’re trusting someone with your life’s work in book form.
Why do you use print marketing alongside digital marketing?
Because print has presence. Online is quick and convenient, but it vanishes. A book, a flyer, a postcard - they stay. They get picked up, passed on, stuck on a fridge. Print awakens the senses - you can touch it, smell it, keep it. You can’t do the purely on digital media.
Is there anything else you’d like to say?
Just that what you guys do matters. You don’t just “print stuff” - you help ordinary people like me bring whole worlds to life. Without you, my books would still be stuck on my screen instead of being out there in the hands of readers. Plus, there’s nothing quite like the smell when you first open a box of new books. After years of scribbling, editing, doodling and swearing at my laptop, suddenly there it is in my hands. That’s the moment the dream becomes real.
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