We were lucky to catch up with Daria Stevenson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Daria, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.

Often, parents and guardians are an integral part of our lives. My parents were no exception, and they reserved a special place at the very top of the mantle of my heart. They always believed in, encouraged and pushed my sister and I to succeed. Failure, simply put, was not an option. We were expected to go to college, get degrees, have successful careers, and live respectable lives. I always wanted to make them proud. Becoming a business owner was a tremendous achievement on a personal and a professional level.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’ve spent over twelve years of my professional career in business, marketing, and graphic design. My profession was built firmly on my educational background in business and on my personal development in graphic design.

For anyone who knew me growing up, they would probably say that I was always drawing, coloring, or sketching. Art was a daily venture in my world, where I would create characters, draw patterns and craft stories. I pulled from fairy tales, enriching novels and classics, ranging from Shakespeare to Dostoevsky. My mind was full of ideas, waiting to fashion original chronicles that would bridge the gap between fantasy and reality and that would stand the test of time.

Art, however, was not my only love. Throughout my educational career, I thoroughly enjoyed writing, history, philosophy, foreign languages, human psychology and logic. While I tend to dwell on the creative side, I also like to think strategically. Seeing patterns within history and art is a skill I honed naturally over time. Every shape, stroke and line should have a purpose.

As far as my degree and background are concerned, they are in research, analysis and international business with an emphasis on Asian studies. Seeing from another person’s or culture’s point of view fascinates me. I really like to get to know my client’s vision and mission in order to illustrate the brand authentically. It takes time to get to know someone and to forge a deep friendship. The same can be said for an enterprise.

A business is personal to you, so why wouldn’t you want someone to take care of it with thoughtfulness and attentiveness? You nurtured it from a seedling. Surely, you want to see it grow in an organic way. Nothing should feel forced. If a story is carefully crafted from the beginning, it will endure many storms. One thing I enjoy on a deep level is this process of getting to know the personality of a business and bringing it to life with brand assets that fit the company like a glove. Branding, rebranding, logo creation, design elements, typography and brand themes are some of my favorite projects to work on. It is very exciting to me to see a story through all the way to the end. It’s like getting to know a life-long friend.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Honestly? I really want to help entrepreneurs and marketing teams bring their ideas to life. That’s my passion. It’s my creative mission in life. I love getting to know an owner and their dreams for their business and then, fleshing them out in such a way that makes the client say, “Yes! THIS is my story.”

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

A banker, lawyer, scientist, or engineer might look at my work as a designer and think, how did a person go from a degree in business to visually creating entire brands? The answer is: my appreciation for Strategy. Strategy is the bedrock of effective marketing. I’ve woven strategy and creativity into a fine tapestry. Ultimately, you need both in order to make relatable brand assets and persuasive designs.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.alopixels.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alopixels/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561908853567
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daria-d-stevenson/
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/DariaStevensonAlopixels/

Image Credits

Vera Djackova
Daria Stevenson