Business Journal: a place to celebrate wins & reflect - 29th Edition

May’s highlights included designing and revealing a new logo, launching a new LGBTQ+ collection of stickers, seeing a spike in wholesale orders, and settling into a new apartment.

The Big Wins

• Launched a new LGBTQ+ sticker collection. As an independent artist, I know the value of creating designs that you believe in and want to see in the world. View the whole collection here.

• Designed a new logo for More Than Just Podcast. Mel McSherry came to me looking for a designer to create a logo as well as an episode template for social media posts for her new podcast. She was a dream to work with and I had the opportunity to bring a rainbow couch into the mix!

• Settled into a new apartment in Logan Square! Moving is no small feat, so it felt good to both get settled and be able to get back into a more normal work mode. I also got a new PO box set up for Lettering Works.

General Updates + Accomplishments:

• Started to create custom merchandise for a new museum. I am also in the process of developing two new designs for the Field Museum as a result of my Sue illustration being the most popular sticker and already selling out.

• Saw a spike in Faire orders and wholesale restock requests. Alongside several of our smaller, independent shops, Garfield Park Conservatory is now fully restocked with lots of plant stickers and a new Love in Full Bloom pride design.

• Awarded several scholarships to the next cohort of Self-Made Artist Academy students. The fourth cohort of SMAA will be kicking off June 1st.

• Enjoyed Chicago and our new neighborhood. We enjoyed a farm dinner at Lula Cafe, celebrated Funeral Potatoes’ 100th week with some of the best food, as well as tried a couple new favorites: Funkenhausen and Chef’s Special. We also loved walking to the Logan Square Farmers Market that opened back up for the outdoor season and I attended To Kill a Mockingbird downtown with a friend.

• Presented at AIGA Chicago’s Ask + Give. Key takeaways from my talk included recognizing the power of trades beyond “exposure” and outlining any discounts clearly to set accurate expectations for current and future projects.

• Recorded a podcast episode with the Chicago Graphic Design Club and was selected to be an event moderator for an Emerging Leaders event at the Airport Minority Advisory Council (AMAC) Conference happening in Chicago in June.

• Spent a staycation day in Rogers Park. Highlights included getting lunch at SmackDab, exploring the Mile of Murals on Glenwood, walking throughout Loyola’s campus, catching happy hour at Rogers Park Social, and meeting friends for dinner at Beard & Belly.

• Worked on miscellaneous design projects including a new promotional postcard for CandleTit, a new promotional postcard for Lettering Works, and some custom merchandise designs for Outshine Labels.

• Visited friends in Peoria over Memorial Day weekend. It’s always great to make a trip back to Peoria to see friends. Some highlights included catching up with friends and clients at the Peoria Riverfront Market, celebrating a friend’s 60th birthday, and enjoying multiple vegan meals from Radish Kitchen.

May felt like such a busy and exciting time between getting settled in the new apartment and seeing more projects and opportunities come to life.

In June, I am most looking forward to starting the fourth cohort of Self-Made Artist Academy, attending the AMAC Conference in Chicago, and continuing to work on some cool projects.

Thank you for being here, for supporting me, and for following along with my entrepreneurial journey.

PS - Have a project you’d like to chat about? Grab your free 20-minute project consultation + ensure your project gets on my calendar in 2022. Bring on all the logos, branded merchandise, + brand identity projects… let’s make some beautiful + impactful things together.