I have a confession to make.
After changing my major in my first semester of college, I wound up majoring in Graphic Design. All I knew at the time was: "hey, I enjoy making graphics in Photoshop for LiveJournal. I can TOTALLY do this!" Truth was, I didn't really know or understand what it was about, what it would involve and my revolving love / hate relationship with it over the next few, strike that, over the next several years.
At some point, okay no - let's be honest, closer to the end of my senior year, I asked probably the next to lamest question a training graphic designer could EVER ask: Why do I have to brand myself? Do I HAVE to brand myself?
I'll come back to the answer to this in a second.
At that point, I had made the decision that I was not going to pursue Graphic Design as a career after graduation and instead, I wanted to delve into Art Therapy (which likewise didn't last long, sense a theme here?). So, I'm sure my professors were equally face-palming and just as thankful that I wouldn't be pursuing a career in design.
Flash forward nearly six years when I realized that although design wasn't my career (and instead, I had gone into fundraising), it was an actual interest and dare I say it, passion of mine that I thought I had lost. When I made hand lettering and typography (basically anything revolving around letters and letter design) a daily habit, I wanted to see what it could become as a side hustle and with that, came the realization of: I should probably look into branding myself. Oh. Aha.
I mean. It didn't take THAT long to understand it but... it took awhile.
So, as a creative, should you brand yourself?
I would tell my naive early 20-self that 'yes, you should.' If you are starting your own shop, no matter if it's an Etsy shop or a brick and mortar shop, your focus is always bringing in clients and making that sale. Other than the product, your name and your brand say a lot about who you are, what you do and what you're selling. (That is, unless your job is in non-profit and still, it's a sale of a different kind.)
And let me tell you. Branding yourself is HARD and considering how stubborn I am on a daily basis... I was my own worst client. And, while it took several long months to determine what my look and feel would be (let alone the NAME), I learned a LOT! And frankly, I'm still learning a lot. There is no doubt in my mind that as I continue to learn and work on my style, this current design and concept will change to reflect who I am and what I do at that time.
So, what does this LONG story mean for you?
It means, I know how crazy the process can be and I want to make whatever you need as streamlined for you as possible, to give you the best and the one of a kind solution you're looking for. I will work with you to determine the best solution and have your vision come to life.
What I can help you with: Custom hand lettering and calligraphy, Envelope addressing and day of signs for your party or event, Custom food and flower illustrations, Facebook and blog headers, Branding
Interested? Let's talk!
Not interested? Let's still talk! I like kittens, chocolate chip cookies and rewatching tv-shows I've seen a million times!
-A