D155 Workforce Wednesday Feature: Lettering Works
I returned to Cary-Grove High School last November to share my journey and successes with CG's art students. My hope was to instill in them a sense of possibility with pursuing art as a career. While there, I recorded an impromptu podcast with District 155’s communications department that evolved into this D155 Workforce Wednesday feature. Multimedia Communications Specialist Alex LeMoine came with D155 intern all the way to my apartment studio space to record a video for the feature.
At the Cary Grove art classes, I shared about personal and client projects including the Bradley University mural, Just my Type of Lettering book, Chicago Style Postcards, and 100 Days of Chicago. I showed examples of logo design, t-shirts, and posters to expose students to real-world applications of the skills they are currently learning in their art classes.
I shared my best advice including the importance of “investing in yourself.” I made a point to differentiate between working for free and working for free for yourself (hint: working for free for yourself is actually a really important thing). Passion projects and investing in developing your skills can be a powerful tool to land you the work that you most want. I also shared a piece of advice I wish I knew sooner, which was to “work with people you like.” While this might sound simple, it can be hard to say no to projects that offer the promise of income. Students enjoyed hearing some insights about entrepreneurship and asked many questions about finding your style as an artist and how to stay motivated through creative block. Most of which could be answered with passion projects and just continuing to make art.
When I am reflecting on my experiences with high school art and its instrumental role in my current creative business, some distinctive memories stick out in my mind. The most memorable experience I had in high school in relation to my career was an honors English field trip to Leo Burnett’s advertising agency office in downtown Chicago. It was at the same time I was enrolled in my first graphics class through the art department at CG. That field trip really sparked my interest in advertising and pulled back the curtain on all the details that go into developing media and ads. It was one of the first times I truly understood that I could build a career around being creative and using my interest in graphic design.
Other memorable experiences from high school were my involvement with the Art Department’s Senior Design class - where I was able to work on real projects for different “clients” around school - these could be clubs, projects for teachers, or events happening. Creating so many designs that were actually used provided me the experience of working with clients and taught me how to communicate effectively.
So many businesses start by just doing. Lettering Works truly traces back to my love of art and newfound love of design in high school. I’ve been creating ever since and can honestly say that having a career in the arts is so fulfilling. I enjoy the challenge that being a creative designer brings and love that I can use my passion to help other passionate businesses.
If you think Lettering Works would be a good fit to take your business or brand to the next level, send a message via the contact form to get started.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Chelsie Tamms is an award-winning lettering artist and designer based out of Chicago. She is the owner of Lettering Works, a branding studio that connects businesses to their audience through creativity and strategy. With over 10 years of practice of lettering and design, Chelsie is passionate about craft and intention. When she’s not designing, she can be found eating ice cream, traveling internationally, or starting a new passion project.
