~ NOW BOOKING PROJECTS FOR OCTOBER & BEYOND ~ If you are interested in working together, I’d be happy to start the conversation and share more about how I can help you with your branding, design, and custom merchandise needs.

BUSINESS JOURNAL: A PLACE TO CELEBRATE WINS & REFLECT - 56TH EDITION

August’s highlights included being invited to Adobe MAX and an artist residency in Peoria, presenting at the Typism Summit, completing two artist trades, developing a new free resource, visiting friends and family in Portland and fulfilling wholesale orders.

The Big Wins

1. Invited to attend Adobe MAX in Miami Beach this October! I was also invited to participate in an artist residency in Peoria in September.

2. Shared a successful passion project case study by presenting at the Typism Summit. I also presented to the Warrenville Public Library on Charging Your Worth with Confidence. For a limited time, you can watch the recording here.

3. Completed consulting sessions with two artists as part of my Artist Trade Program. With Aimee’s help, I launched three new gifs (which are now searchable on Instagram). I also purchased a beautiful abstract painting from Elizabeth. Our trade (in addition to the agreed upon purchase amount) resulted in her getting significantly over her sliding scale asking price! I love being able to support artists in charging their worth and leveling up their business practices.

General Updates + Accomplishments:

• My submission was accepted for inclusion in the second issue of Faculty, which is the print publication of the Chicago Graphic Design Club. 

• Got my bloodwork done and went to my annual nephrologist appointment. We also celebrated my dad’s seventh anniversary of his second kidney transplant. 

• Visited family in Wisconsin for a nice lake weekend. Highlights included a boat ride, kayaking, a bonfire, and lots of cheese!

• Created a new resource around how to work with a designer. You can grab a free copy of the pdf guide here and dive into all my best tips and tricks for working with a professional designer.

• Enjoyed a long weekend in Portland, OR visiting friends. Highlights of the trip included exploring the interactive art at Hopscotch, Kickstand Comedy in the park, seeing the Portland Rose Garden in full bloom, late night chats, playing pickleball, and enjoying delicious food and drinks in the best company.

• Restocked Chicago postcards and several stickers. Wholesale continues to make up a large portion of my business and with tourism peaking in Chicago during the summer, I’ve had my hands full of orders. I especially loved restocking Garfield Park Conservatory with the sticker that came from my 100 Days of Chicago project!

• Co-hosted a Maker Meetup with Foxsy at the Kimball Arts Center as part of my Makers United Ambassador role with Nest. We will be hosting one more maker meetup for Chicago makers before our year-long term is up in October.

• Enjoyed summertime in Chicago by visiting the Museum of Contemporary Art, catching a free concert in Millennium Park, exploring the Bucktown Arts Fest, and attending the grand opening celebration of an Oaxacan restaurant in Logan Square. 

• Recorded two podcast episodes. I look forward to being on both Top Shelf Creator (my episode conveniently launches on my birthday, October 3rd) as well as The Cookbook by GasStoveCreative. I am open to being a guest on more podcasts if you or someone you know hosts a show that I’d be a good fit for! 

• Featured on Transformation Maps. You can read my interview with Jessica, “Self-employed and doing things her way” here.

August flew by (as most summer months in Chicago seem to do). I enjoyed a mix of travel and attending to wholesale orders in addition to frequent ice cream sundaes. I spent the last week of August prepping for some big wholesale opportunities and getting ready for our honeymoon vacation to England.

In September, I am most looking forward to unplugging from work while we explore London and spend time with friends and family abroad as well as returning to Peoria for a week-long artist residency! Reach out if you’d like to work together, I am continuing to prioritize new branding and logo projects as well as custom merchandise and wholesale.

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? Send me the details now to ensure your project gets on my calendar in 2024. Bring on all the logos, branded merchandise, + brand identity projects… let’s make some beautiful + impactful things together.

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