Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Elizabeth Bloom. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Elizabeth, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?
I majored in Graphic Design in undergrad at JMU and did so because I always wanted to work in fashion and marketing. While in school I interned as a designer in the summer and graphic design firms and worked at the school newspaper designing ads. After school I took a graphic design role at an architecture firm for about 2.5 years. About a year in I started thinking about how I wanted to move jobs, but wanted to move for the right role, one that took me more into the fashion space. At 25 I interviewed and was the 12th hire and first graphic designer at the e-commerce brand Tuckernuck. This was a pivotal time in my career. I always recommend young designers who are hungry to grow and learn to go work at a startup. I was there for about 6 years. There I learned not only so much about my own design and art director view, but also how to run a successful business. Outside of running the e-marketing, website designs, brand and graphic art direction I would also design prints for home decor product. I saw the opportunity and how well my art was selling on home decor pieces. While at Tuckernuck I was also getting approached by other lifestyle and fashion business to do branding and artwork, but didn’t have the time to dedicate to other businesses as being at a startup can be all consuming. In 2023 after starting to sell my original artwork in art shows around DC I realized I was ready to make the jump into starting my own business and leaving my full-time role. It was a hard decision to make because at one point I really thought wow, I have my dream job, I’m working in fashion just like I set out to do. But the truth was that my dream had changed, I wanted to sell more of my art, I wanted to help other entrepreneurs grow and scale their businesses, I wanted my name on my designs instead of always being under the label of another brand. I think working for a startup really showed me what I needed to do in order to be finically able to live off my creative work. I also have a large wheelhouse of creative services I offer which helped when I started out on my own that I was able to take on a mural project, and e-marketing project, brand design, or wedding suite at the same time and vary my work which made getting and retaining clients easier than if I only offered 1 service.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
My studio practice and business is broken into a couple different parts. I work with brands to build their brand identity systems, e-marketing and Creative Direction from fashion, to hospitality, I work with businesses to build out their brands style guide, websites, and sometimes even in store space (mural design).
I also work with Brides to create custom stationery for their wedding suite through day of paper needs. This part of my practice has really bridged the gap between my graphic design mind and fine art heart. Creating whimsical, hand done illustrations for brides on their special day has been so rewarding.
I have also dove deeply into my fine art practice, now that I am running my own business, full-time. I work on originals and prints that are sold through my website along with a couple other art curators such as Liza Pruitt. I have also begun to art license my designs to place my work on textile and home decor items. You can find some of my designs being released on dresses this fall!
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
While it is important to prepare and look ahead in your business and life it is also really important to be adaptable. I think my greatest strength was learning when to open up for change. Leaving my full-time role and allowing my dream to change was a huge lesson for me. I was unhappy in my role for that last year, yet had spent years before so happy. It was that I had outgrown my current job and needed more for my creativity and range than what that role could offer me. I had to learn that your dreams not only will change in life, but should and to not get to fixated on that.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
I struggled a lot when I was younger learning how to deal with the hard times in life. I found creating in general has allows been a positive outlet for me. I hate when people say “oh I’m not creative at all” Creativity is a muscle you exercise and can be such a good way for people to be able to express themselves or focus on something outside of their day to day. People can be creative in so many ways, cooking, decorating their home, playing a sport, in how they dress. I find it so rewarding to be able to sit down and think creatively and at the same time it be my job to do so.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.studioebloom.com/
- Instagram: @studioebloom
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560764885877
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-paterson-bloom-24270370/
