We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Simon Abranowicz. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Simon below.

Hi Simon, thanks for joining us today. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?

Being your own boss sounds like a dream, and in many ways, it is. You’re free to shape your own path, choose your own projects, and decide where your energy goes. I remember vividly the day I first stepped away from my 9-to-5, fueled by visions of a life spent following my true passions without the limitations of someone else’s schedule. But while being your own boss gives you independence, it brings along some serious challenges, too.

For instance, there was this time I was offered work with a well-known company. They offered a solid project with a high-profile name that would’ve looked incredible on my portfolio. It was a huge opportunity—one that could’ve easily bolstered my career. The sensible choice would’ve been to say yes. My financial side told me, “Take it; you’ll be set for a few months,” but another part of me hesitated. Deep down, I knew it wasn’t the work that lit a fire in me. I had this vision, this specific path I wanted to follow, and somehow this project didn’t quite fit.

So there I was, struggling to decide whether to take the work or pass on it. Turning down a good-paying job is terrifying. I worried about looking ungrateful or even reckless. It’s one thing to have a vision; it’s another to pass on good jobs while pursuing it. The fear of inconsistency is real because, when you’re self-employed, you’re responsible for your own income flow and the well being of your family, and you know that this week’s work isn’t guaranteed to repeat next month.

In the end, I turned it down, and it was one of the scariest but also most rewarding choices I’ve made. The act of passing on something safe in favor of something uncertain meant I could pursue projects I genuinely loved. But I also had to grapple with my choices, embracing the realities of inconsistency and sometimes overworking myself to make it all work.

Every self-made path has that fear lurking in the background—that voice asking if you’re making the right choice. But that fear reminds me that I’m choosing this life because, at the end of the day, it’s one that I create on my own terms. And even when I’m overworked, uncertain, or a little scared, I know I’m building something that’s true to who I am.

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

My name is Simon Abranowicz. I’m an art director at Abbreviated Projects, a strategic design studio I operate along with my older brother, Zander. We are an industry agnostic duo, choosing to work across a full spectrum of businesses, brands, and organizations. My background is in editorial. I’ve worked at Bloomberg Businessweek, Esquire, GQ, and Wired Magazine. I’ve always pursued visual identity design and running my own studio. I launched my first studio in college along with my four best friends. After college when we went out separate ways, my brother and I peeled off from a larger collective of creatives to start Abbreviated Projects. We help brands and businesses like Nike, Apple, Remedy Place and Kaplan Martin, evolve faster, compete stronger, and survive longer. With every project, we aim to prove that creativity can make a more intelligent species and beautiful world.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on NFTs. (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice

The idea of NFTs is cool, though I don’t understand what it has to do with art. Personally I’ve never been keen to purchase or sell one.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I love the first design presentation, when a client has no idea what to expect, and I get to watch them begin to connect the dots between the insights and strategy work we’ve done and the visuals they’re seeing. There’s something incredibly rewarding about that moment when they start to understand why they’re seeing what they’re seeing, why each decision was made, and that there’s real, tangible reasoning behind it all. When that connection happens, they begin to love the work, and that’s the best feeling. It’s not just about showing them something pretty; it’s about making them see the value and purpose in the design.

Contact Info:

• Website: abbrprojects.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/abbrprojects

Image Credits
Abbr. Projects