Posts in category: Interviews and Spotlights

It’s tough to make friends in adulthood. Without the confines of a classroom to force you together, forging new friendship relies on extending out beyond your comfort zone. Enter Vancouver Neatos interviews, where I introduce you to a new face in Vancouver every week (ish). Want to take part? Drop me a line.

Tell us about yourself.

I always have the hardest time answering this question. I always feel like there is so much to boil down. I do a lot of things. My name is Ciele, and I am a maker of things and a creative thinker. I spend a lot of my time making music (under “Ciele”). Right now I am dabbling in writing for electronic producers, but also working on my own music which could be defined as electronic alternative-pop.

When I’m not making music I split my time making art. I am a professional painter, graduating in 2013 with my BFA from UVic, majoring in Visual Arts. I am currently working a lot with my experience of synesthesia; a condition where the stimulation of one sensory pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory pathway, for example I experience colour when I hear sound. (Examples and further explanation can be seen here). I also started my own art and design company this year, Honey and Heart Co., which focuses on freelance graphic design and illustration, as well as an etsy shop! I opened up my etsy shop a few months ago, so you can check out some of that either on Etsy or on Instagram. I am currently attending Emily Carr University, getting my 2D Design certificateto brush up some skills, which I will hopefully have completed in the next year.

What drew you to becoming a musician and creator?

Ever since I can remember I have been creating, constantly doing crafts and drawing, and singing at every waking moment. My friends call me the walking jukebox because I often start singing whatever song reference comes to mind based on a single word someone has said. I grew up being very shy, and introverted, and relatively private when it comes to my emotions and feelings, so I found a great space for expression in art, of every medium. I have been striving to make my art my main profession in my adult life because that is what makes me whole. For a few years after graduating university, I was working some minimum wage service jobs and found myself getting really depressed because not only was I broke, working full-time, but I also didn’t have a lot of energy for my creative passions, and what I actually wanted to be doing. So the last three years especially has been a journey of getting to a place where I can work creatively and be more fulfilled in my life doing things I love.

Is there anything that particularly influences or inspires your work?

I’m very influenced by the condition of the human heart, and the way we connect to each other. Ideas of acceptance, diversity, honesty, and the meat of human emotion and what rocks us. In my music I write a lot about the human condition, and from experiences I have been in. I try to be as honest as possible so people can relate to something real. In my art I try to do the same thing but in a bit of a different way. While my music is a bit more serious, my art is bright and poppy, and I use a little dark humor here and there to get my point across about something I’m feeling or an issue that’s important to me. I’m influenced by nostalgia, and being present. By small moments, and quiet conversations. By loud colours, and natural phenomena. By people’s laughter, and by their tears. By the human bond that moves between each and every one of us.

What advice would you give someone who wants to start being an artist?

This advice seems a bit cliché, but honestly you just have to keep working hard and truly believing that you’re on the right path. The arts, in general, can be an “off the beaten path” profession regardless of which creative avenue you’re following, but if you believe it’s what you’re meant to do, and you can find a way to express yourself authentically , than GO FOR IT. I read something a while back that talked about how often times its not about how talented you are at something but how long you committed to doing it, because along the way, no matter what, people will give up, and it’s the people who stuck it through that end up “making it” (whatever that means to you). So, keep at it. Allow yourself days when you simply feel like shit and don’t have energy for anything else, and then pick yourself up the next day, and get back to the hustle. Stay curious, and inspired by the small things around you, and the people you see every day. You don’t have to fly halfway across the world to get inspiration (but if your work takes you traveling, hallelujah! ENJOY IT!) And, most of all, remember to play, to keep things fun, and try not to take yourself too seriously.

What are the biggest challenges for artists? How do you think we can overcome those challenges?

A huge challenge for artists/musicians/freelancers is the common expectation of working for free. Which I think is pretty ridiculous. I’m sure many of you have seen a meme or video on the internet showing what it would look like if you asked professionals in other fields to work for free and how silly that looks. I think in all professions there is a point and time where you are the “student” and you need practice, so sometimes you do it for the experience. I would say in situations like that, if you don’t want to charge money, perhaps it could be an exchange of services with the other individual, or something that makes it an energy exchange versus a financial exchange. At a certain point though, you can’t just be doing jobs for free–you’ll never actually make money if you aren’t charging for your services/paintings/vocal features.

How can we overcome this? It’s such a hard question. If you’re a non-creative person who ever requires the assistance of someone creative, please pay them. Value their time, and skill set, and put a monetary value on it. Creativity isn’t all about monetary gain, but like anything it’s a job and these wonderful, magical, creative people have rent to pay and families to support. If you are a creative type–I want you to think about this. If someone asked you to sit in a room for an hour, doing nothing, how much would that hour be worth to you in dollars? 20? 50? 100? Now try applying that to how long it takes you to make your art, or write a song. I bet the amount is a lot higher than you would arbitrarily charge someone for your craft. Don’t be afraid to charge for your time and your work. You are valuable. You are worth it. You are a unicorn.

Where’s your favorite spot in Vancouver to set up a laptop and get shit done?

I live off Commercial Drive, so within that area, I am a regular at Continental, as well as Moja (which has great tables for setting up camp and working). I also really love Elysian near 7th and Quebec. It’s tucked away, and usually pretty quiet. And Kafka’s on Main and Broadway. I could go on… but I also really love coffee so… that’s a different conversation!

Can you share any resources you’ve found most helpful in your career?

Hm.. a lot of my resources have come from online communities, either through Facebook, or Soundcloud, and even Instagram at times. And most often through the people around me. I haven’t had a lot of outside help from bigger organizations, or grants. One artist I have found particularly inspiring is Lisa Congdon. She is an artist based out of Portland now, and she wrote a book called Art Inc. which I found helpful and a great resource on how to make it as a painter/fine artist especially. Look it up! Also the book “Big Magic” by Elizabeth Gilbert, if you’re in need of a major pep talk. That book is now highlighted and dog-eared like nobody’s business.

What’s in the works for you right now?

Music-wise, I just released a vibey electronic-pop version of Work by Rihanna (on Soundcloud & Spotify), and am recording a lot of demos at the moment in preparation for an EP of some kind. Art-wise, I am putting together some proposals for art grants and gallery shows, and also creating a new painting series of works based on the discomfort and stress of every day life pressures. And coming up with some new illustrations to add to my Etsy shop!

Did you connect with Ciele? Check out my interview with Zoe Welch, a Vancouver visual artist, or drop me a line and join the party. Here’s how you can get involved.

It’s tough to make friends in adulthood. Without the confines of a classroom to force you together, forging new friendship relies on extending out beyond your comfort zone. Enter Vancouver Neatos interviews, where I introduce you to a new face in Vancouver every week (ish). Want to take part? Drop me a line.

Tell us about yourself.

I’m a Vancouver “orig-i-nal” who gets far too excited about Indian, Filipino, and Thai food. I’m passionate about accessibility, girls’ rights, travelling, design, and dogs!

I’m hard of hearing and wear two hearing aids. People ask me all the time where I’m from. They say “I can’t quite pin down where your accent is from.” They’re always surprised when I say I’m born and raised here. I love the stories and artwork that come out of the Deaf community, and I wish more people knew sign language so they could have the same appreciation. On the other hand, I’m a huge music fan with too many instruments for a person who can’t play a single one. I’m trying to learn the harmonica but my dog hates it. Music is cathartic and healing and I’d like to start a project to make music accessible to anyone who wishes to learn by creating a skill-sharing and instrument lending community (Hit me up if you’re interested in getting involved)!

What drew you to become an advocate for the Deaf community?

I was born hard of hearing, and while I was fortunate not to be teased by my classmates about my hearing aids, I knew I was different from my peers and that I had different needs—I also had the superpower of being able to lipread, so that gained me some serious cool points!

In grade nine, while working at my first job as a bus-girl at a restaurant, a deaf family came in and I practically abandoned my work to eat dinner with them—I felt like I had met my “people.” From that day on, I did everything I could to learn more about deafness and American Sign Language (ASL). I also quickly recognized my privilege in being able to step out of the Deaf world and back into the hearing world when it suited me. It bothers me.

In my high school, we could learn French, Spanish, or Punjabi, but ASL wasn’t an option. I teamed up with another young man who was on a mission to add ASL to the British Columbia education curriculum, and together with some friends, deaf and hearing, we collected thousands of signatures and took them to Victoria. The Government approved it and today students can choose American Sign Language as an elective course. My activism began when I was 15 years old.

Is there anything that particularly influences or inspires your work?

Anyone who is a Dancing With the Stars fan, or perhaps enjoys America’s Next Top Model, will know the name Nyle DiMarco. Nyle is a phenomenal role model for the Deaf community in that he celebrates his deafness and takes pride in his language and culture. And he’s done really well. His exposure on these two widely-watched shows has given him a platform from which he can educate hearing people on the Deaf experience of stigma and oppression. But his message is very positive in that the more we know, the more we can all come together to support one another.

In the Deaf community, there are many Nyles. Some of the most intelligent people I know are Deaf and it’s so frustrating to see limits placed upon them. I’m a big believer in accessibility and equity and I would love to see Vancouver become an inclusive city for the Deaf community.

What advice would you give someone who wants to learn American Sign Language or more about Deaf culture?

Do it. There are tons of ways in which you can learn sign language but please know there is a lot of misguided education coming from hearing teachers who have no business teaching a language that does not belong to them. Be an ally—support the Deaf community by learning from a qualified Deaf instructor. Vancouver Community College has some intro courses as well as the ASL/Deaf Studies program, and QueerASL is a queer and transgender positive space to learn with awesome, fun instructors! You won’t regret learning, I promise.

What are the biggest challenges for the Deaf community? How do you think we can overcome those challenges?

We live in a phono-centric world, which means we place a lot of value on the ability to hear. The way hearing people take in the world, the way they navigate it and communicate is through sound, so they pity those who can’t hear because they can’t imagine life any other way. But deaf people are in no way missing out—the biggest hurdle for them is not that they can’t hear, but the world refusing to meet them halfway.

I think if more people were open to learning from the Deaf community about what it’s like to have important decisions made for them, have opportunities taken away, to be kept out of conversation, and always told “no,” we could begin to make some real change. And I would love to see more people making an effort to communicate. Lipreading is not dependable, so using your phone or pen and paper is best. Hey, try gesturing!

Where’s your favourite spot in Vancouver to set up a laptop and get shit done?

I have a dog and I would give anything for an office that would allow me to bring him in with me. Until then, I can be found working at home with him and my computer on my lap.

Can you share any resources you’ve found most helpful in your career?

+Acumen! The first course I took was the Design Kit: The Course for Human-Centred Design and it’s changed the way I approach problem-solving and solution-finding. They have some great courses on leadership, storytelling for change, marketing, social enterprise 101, and business models—just about everything for anyone looking to create social impact in their communities.

I was also a cohort member of Groundswell, which gave me an amazing opportunity to collaborate with some of Vancouver’s biggest hearts and brightest minds. You need mentors? They have’ em. Also Groundswell is a social enterprise café with a really great working space if you need a place to work and get caffeinated.

(Also, Girl Gang – holla!)

What’s in the works for you right now?

I just got True Work up and running. I have a vision for a new workplace, one that is inclusive and embraces new ways of communicating. True Work is an initiative to showcase professionals in Vancouver’s Deaf community and highlight the work they are doing and their personal projects. I want businesses and organizations to have an opportunity to get to know these incredible individuals, and have my website be a way to connect employers to highly qualified candidates.

I also want to have it be a catalyst for learning about the Deaf community and its vibrant culture, by sharing news and current affairs happening in Deaf communities worldwide.

Anything you’d like to add

If you or someone you know has an organization with a mandate for inclusive hiring, I’d love to chat! If you’re interested in learning more about ASL or the Deaf community (or travel, dogs, music, Indian food – anything really), I’d be thrilled to meet you.

Did you connect with Heather’s story? Check out the rest of the interview series or drop me a line and join the party. Here’s how you can get involved.

It’s tough to make friends in adulthood. Without the confines of a classroom to force you together, forging new friendship relies on extending out beyond your comfort zone. Enter Vancouver Neatos interviews, where I introduce you to a new face in Vancouver every week (ish). Want to take part? Drop me a line.

Tell us about yourself.

I’m 34, the President of Conscious Public Relations Inc., a transcendental meditation practitioner, yogi, runner, self-development junkie, and film buff. I also like to dance to old-school hip hop, bake, watch HBO + Netflix original TV series, and am an aspiring vegan. I love sweets but I am making the effort to cut refined sugar out of my diet this year. Also am taking up hiking, French, and getting married in July.

What drew you to becoming a PR practitioner?

I graduated from English literature and film studies in 2005, and was interested in film communications at the time. The administrator of the film department at UBC passed me an internship for a PR firm that specialized in events for the film industry, so that really intrigued me. After the internship, I got hired at the company, and pretty much learned everything about PR on the job. I ended up going back to school and taking some courses at BCIT, but felt that what I was learning in school was already becoming outdated. After I left the company in 2007, I didn’t feel like applying to other PR firms, so I opened my own business in 2008.

Is there anything that particularly influences or inspires your work?

I’ve always had a love for language since I was a child, though I didn’t admit it until later in life. I was reading and writing from a very young age and I think that’s what’s carried me through to corporate communications. In 2012, I rebranded to Conscious PR Inc., which specializes in PR for socially and environmentally responsible companies and individuals who are changemakers and disruptors, so people who are actively changing the world for the better are who inspires our work. I also am in awe of marketers who are ahead of the industry and leading the charge, because associations are so slow to see the changes happening in the marketing world. So people like Gary Vaynerchuk, Mitch Joel, and Sunny Lenarduzzi inspire me because they share their knowledge so openly so that the rest of us can follow suit.

What advice would you give someone who wants to start public relations?

Know that you’re a good writer and don’t stop practicing. Blogging is an easy way to do that. Also, internships are the best way in to getting work experience, and most PR programs in the Lower Mainland have practicums as part of their programs. Even if you go the traditional route and get a degree first, you can still supplement your education and volunteer or get summer internships so that you’re ahead of the game when you graduate. Have a thick skin (don’t take your work personally), and be prepared to offer service with a smile, even though you might be gritting your teeth behind it!

What are the biggest challenges for Public Relations? How do you think we can overcome those challenges?

I think the biggest challenges are the new developments, tools, and methodologies that the digital world and social media have hammered down on the PR practice. I don’t want to say that schools are behind, but they’re certainly not ahead, and neither are industry associations. Everything is changing, and you have to look ahead to keep up. At Conscious PR, we have a no news release policy because it’s so old fashioned and media don’t tend to read them.

Trying everything out to see how it might benefit our business or our clients is what we have to do to stay ahead of our practice. This is why I’m on Snapchat now! (Plug: Follow me @sandragarcia604!) For people who aren’t PR practitioners, there are SO many resources out there and we often share a lot of those on our Facebook and LinkedIn accounts.

Where’s your favourite spot in Vancouver to set up a laptop and get shit done?

Before moving to Main Street, I would have said any café on Main Street. But now that I live here, I love my office and getting shit done at home. My office has natural light and if I need to unplug, I can go for a walk in the park. If I do want to post up in a café, I walk to my neighborhood Roots Café on Main at 49th.

Can you share any resources you’ve found most helpful in your career?

Mentorship programs all the way. Early in my business, the mentor I received from Women’s Enterprise Centre’s Mentorship program, Cathy Kuzel, was hugely instrumental to me. She helped me create my first sales funnel and we overhauled everything from my business plan to email templates and business cards. Two years later when I rebranded, I was a member of the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs (FWE) and had a mentor, Dawn Bowles, through their program, who taught me the ropes of where to network with social ventures, enterprises, and green businesses. She helped me a lot when we started offering social media management as a new service.

What’s in the works for you right now?

I’m finding the competition for public Relations clients is rising, so I’m moving to more of a tiered vs. full service model whereby we can offer a DIY online course and offer a combination of online courses and coaching. I am also excited to bring on our first Director of Good Media who will be solely responsible for managing client projects and other staff. We’re also waiting B Corp Certification and are excited to join the 1600+ companies around the world who are committed to ethical business.

I’m also planning my wedding in July and having a lot of fun with that. It helps when your fiancé also has event planning experience!

Did you connect with Sandra’s journey? Check out my interview with Lucy of Salt Design Co. or drop me a line and join the party. Here’s how you can get involved.

It’s tough to make friends in adulthood. Without the confines of a classroom to force you together, forging new friendship relies on extending out beyond your comfort zone. Enter Vancouver Neatos interviews, where I introduce you to a new face in Vancouver every week (ish). Want to take part? Drop me a line.

Tell us about yourself.

My name is Navi, I am 28 and just starting up my practice as a holistic wellness coach in Vancouver and India, and soon, globally. My training is in Ayurvedic healing, yoga, meditation, as well as being a certified life skills coach. I’m currently navigating my way through the scary, exciting world of creating my dream life where I get to help people, travel, be connected, and be financially free enough to do bigger, badass philanthropic projects through my organization Global Girl Power :)

What drew you to becoming an entrepreneur?

My family is full of entrepreneurs including my father, so growing up I saw it as a way to really be in control of my destiny and create a life of work that I was passionate about. My dad always had the motto that you should be your own boss and even though I hated how much he worked as I kid, it stuck with me in many ways. As I got older, I saw the value of the choices you have when you run your own business, and with the type of work I do and the hobbies I enjoy, I need a career where I have the freedom and flexibility to play with my schedule, my income, and where I work.

My many trips to India were also very inspiring for me to build up my own business because almost everyone there is an entrepreneur of sorts, from the street flower vendor, the tea stall boy, the saree shop uncle or aunty, and I loved seeing their hustle. The way they have a reverence for their work because it is not only their livelihood but something they created through dedication, hard work, and of course more often than not, survival.

I went through the pretty standard operating procedure of what we are taught in high school of getting an education at a post secondary institute in the so called glamorous marketing industry and thought I was going to be set for life. Little did I know how important it was for me to be in an industry that I was not only passionate about but one where I was heard, seen, able to connect to real people in authentic ways, and where I felt like I was making a difference in the world. I absolutely hated the shark tank we call the corporate world and dreaded the idea of working to make someone else successful by exchanging my time, energy, and ideas for dollars. As I build my wellness practice now, I see that I was born to be my own boss and create my own “normal.”

Is there anything that particularly influences or inspires your work?

People and their stories. We spend a lot of time defining ourselves by our stories and also using them to either separate or unite us with others, for me hearing and being a part of people’s stories connects me to this world and brings me closer to myself. I don’t feel like I am one particular way and belong in one place. Through connecting to the hearts of the people I work with and meet, I feel like the whole world belongs to me and I belong to it. When we connect at the heart we can drop our stories and barriers and come to the core of who we are, and in that there is profound strength and healing.

The varying degrees of suffering I see on a daily basis, like people having road rage, or getting irritated in the coffee shop line up, or not being able to sleep, or chronic pain, or emotional imbalance shows me that everyone is in need of some type of healing. With a few changes to someone’s lifestyle choices, they can dramatically change the quality of life they are living and being able to facilitate that is deeply rewarding. Having done my own internal work to get to this point, I really see the value of the work myself and other healers and teachers are doing, the world needs it.

What advice would you give emerging entrepreneurs?

Well, I am one of them so I am also learning as I go, I would say ask for help and reach out to people who are operating personally or professionally in the way you would like to be and ask them if they can meet face to face for a coffee and pick their brain. For me, it always helps to know that the super successful people didn’t get that way overnight and they also had struggles, fears, and doubts, but made it out alive.

People always say networking is the key, and to a certain degree it is but as a budding entrepreneur sometimes I would get so overwhelmed by trying to be everywhere at once that I had no energy to actually put into my business. So network but in the right places and build a solid tribe of supportive people in the community who you can learn from and also support your fellow entrepreneurs, if you align with someone, go to their events, buy their stuff, promote them, collaborate with them, because that is how you build long lasting relationships, by supporting each other’s growth.

Also, don’t be afraid to get messy and fall on your face. I am one of those people who loves having everything about my work composed, beautiful, and perfect. I realized that by preserving it on this pedestal is not allowing me to grow and learn important lessons that I would learn by just getting into the thick of things and making mistakes. Another important one is, don’t compare yourself to others, it will subconsciously kill you and drain of your energy that you could be spending learning new things that will elevate you to what you want to be, instead maybe reach out to that person and ask them how they did it!

Leave time for your own healing and health, as rewarding as starting your own business can be, it is also very stressful at times, so it’s important to know when to slow down, ask for help, take a break and regroup. Have time outside of your work with non work related friends to let loose, be vulnerable, and share the scary or exhilarating things happening in yourself. When you can recharge yourself, you will be that much better with your business, it’s like a little golden circle.

What do you like best about the entrepreneur community in Vancouver?

I really love that there are so many of us! It is amazing to see how many young entrepreneurs and female entrepreneurs are bringing so much talent and innovation into the world and really following their dreams. I love listening to the stories of entrepreneurs and how their work has shaped their lives. I think the older generation of entrepreneurs I grew up around was a lot more focused on just financial independence and there was not a lot room for dreams and right now, we have the luxury to dream and create our own realities. I also rarely saw any south Asian female entrepreneurs growing up, it was always a male dominated career path, and now I see women just taking charge and owning shit, I love it!

What are the biggest challenges for female entrepreneurs in Vancouver? in Canada? in general? How do you think we can overcome those challenges?

Some of the challenges I can think of are the lack of resources that are available in cities outside of Vancouver. A lot of events, workshops, and educational resources are available in Vancouver but as someone who doesn’t live in downtown Vancouver, I have to invest a lot of time and energy to get those things and be a part of the groups that align with my business. Vancouver also can feel really small sometimes and if someone is already known for a particular business or industry, I sometimes find it can be challenging to find support and break into that industry without stepping on peoples toes and still holding value for what I am offering. I have had the good fortune of meeting some very supportive female entrepreneurs like Glynnis Osher, Madeleine Shaw, and Suzanne Siemens in Vancouver very early on, and through them I was introduced to a whole world of resources and business acumen, so I wish more people would be open to just giving others a chance and share the space.

Over the last few years I have found it very interesting that many of the events I have attended, I am usually one of the only South Asian females in attendance and I am not sure why that is but I would like to see more diversity and inclusion and room for collaboration ( also, especially amongst other female south Asian female entrepreneurs).

Where’s your favourite spot in Vancouver to set up a laptop and get shit done?

I would say a nice coffee shop but honestly I get too wrapped up in my coffee, pastries, and people watching so I would say my home office is the best place when I am not sharing it with my Dad!

Can you share any resources you’ve found most helpful in your career?

I would say that SVI women is a great event to attend, I was a part of it a couple years ago before I started my practice but the connections I made with some incredible women will really be useful to learn from and gain support from while I grow as an entrepreneur.

Karma Teachers where I did my yoga training is an invaluable resource for me because of my dear friend Emerson and the work he has put into creating a community where anyone from any walk of life has access to yoga, resources, teachers, and high quality training. It really brought together and opened up a community that can often be intimidating and exclusive for newcomers.

Girl Gang Vancouver is my favourite resource right now, it’s a Facebook group that has over 4000 female entrepreneurs from all industries in Vancouver and you can post questions, ask for feedback, throw out ideas, share what you are doing, and there is a whole community with a wealth of knowledge that responds. Through Girl Gang I found Stylings + Stories!

What’s in the works for you right now?

I have some more trainings I am doing this year in Ayurveda, yoga, and body work to add to my repertoire, I would like to actively be a part of some community business activities and groups this year. I would also love to create a physical shared studio space for healers to work out of in the South Surrey area so more people can benefit and more people like me have a place they can offer their services out of. Other than that, just putting myself out there, getting messy, offering what I know and hopefully whoever is looking for it, comes!

Did you connect with Navi? Check out my interview with Natalia Chouklina or drop me a line and join the party. Here’s how you can get involved.

It’s tough to make friends in adulthood. Without the confines of a classroom to force you together, forging new friendship relies on extending out beyond your comfort zone. Enter Vancouver Neatos interviews, where I introduce you to a new face in Vancouver every week (ish). Want to take part? Drop me a line.

That’s Lucy on the right.

Tell us about yourself.

I am a young entrepreneur with roots around the world. I was born and raised in England but visited British Columbia a lot as a child and teen, as I have dual nationality and family here. I moved here to attend UBC in 2009 and have since completed various art and design qualifications, lived in New Zealand, traveled Europe and South East Asia extensively, and then found myself (in more ways than one) back here in Vancouver. I’m now working as a self employed Graphic Designer–I work freelance for Flipside Creative, an ad and marketing agency here in the city, plus I co-own Salt Design Co., a graphic design services studio.

What drew you to becoming a graphic designer?

As someone who has always been creatively driven, I’ve dabbled in and learnt a lot of art forms. I’ve studied textiles, surface pattern design, photography, and graphic design. Whilst working as a lead barista and event planner in England I found I needed a way to combine all of my skills, plus I needed to broaden that skill set even more and improve on my design knowledge rather than my art knowledge. Graphic design was the perfect medium for all of this, as essentially it’s visual communication, combining all of my skills into one slightly more flexible role.

Is there anything that particularly influences or inspires your work?

My main inspirations for art work and designs come from being out and about in the world. Nature, plants, other people–it all acts as inspiration for me. I also draw inspiration from the work of others, which is nothing new or exciting to state. Learning art and design history, the reasons behind art movements and the people involved in them is so interesting to me. There was so much behind art and design in the past, much more than there is today–art was influenced by society, politics, everything! To see that and learn about it, and find ways in which to apply it to your own work adds depth and purpose for me.

What advice would you give someone who wants to start doing graphic design?

Find your niche, your passion. It’s been said before and it will be said countless times again, because it’s so true. The only way you will be successful as a designer, or entrepreneur, if you are doing what you are best at. Hone your skills to find what it is that you are great at, and then keep doing that. This is tough though–it’s something I’m still working on for sure!

What are the biggest challenges for graphic designers? How do you think we can overcome those challenges?

For graphic designers, the biggest challenge I’ve found is in having actual work. Studios and agencies are very select about who they hire, and working freelance tends to be the majority option for designers. There’s a lot of work to be involved with but you really have to go out there and get it. Having the initiative and drive to pitch to clients and take on those business roles can be tough, and isn’t part of every designer’s skill set. It also often means working other part time jobs to pay the bills and allow you some time to create these pitches. A lot of the work we do is un-billable; it’s prep for future paid work, and I don’t think many new or aspiring designers expect that.

Where’s your favourite spot in Vancouver to set up a laptop and get shit done?

As a freelance designer I’m constantly coffee shop hopping, jumping from one team and one location to the next. What I’ve found works best for me is having a few select spaces that have big windows for lots of light and people watching, decent music selection and the ability to be cheeky and eat my own food! In Vancouver, the best places for that (for me) are Prado in Gastown, Lost and Found, and the Blenz on Granville and Davie. The beauty of a lot of spaces in Vancouver is that they are now recognizing the freelance life, and have communal work tables. Plus a few are starting to host their own freelance work days–The Juice Truck opens their community space for co-working Wednesdays and other spaces across the city open up for Freelance Friday events. This is great for networking, but not always suitable for getting actual work done.

Can you share any resources you’ve found most helpful in your career?

There are almost too many list, but the main thing I would say is that most of my resources have come and been found through other businesses or people sharing them. It’s said countless times these days, but social media is your best tool for this. I’ve been following countless blogs, websites, and professionals in my industry for almost a decade now online and they’ve taught me everything I know–almost more than I’ve ever learnt in school! So make the most of the that!

What’s in the works for you right now?

Right now building my company, Salt Design Co., into a sustainable business is my main priority, but I also freelance with Flipside Creative, a wonderful team of ladies with whom I design and work with on some wonderful clients. Maintaining my freelance design life and building my career is my current focus, and I’m really excited to see where it leads! I’m also in the works of designing a product range with my business partner, under the Salt name, which should be launched later this year! Woo!

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