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

Anna, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

Illustration and making art were early tools for me, learning visual expression as part of a process of emoting. There were quite a things I had questions about growing up in the wild city of New Orleans, smack dab in the deepest part of the South. As a creative, the big feelings were always there, and making art was the most accessible way to address them. Despite some intervals of societal progress during previous decades, the 90’s-early 00’s culture and environment was still teaching girls to be small, sit still, behave and listen. Playing it safe did not hold as much value for me as standing out and challenging things that peaked my curiosity. Most of my earliest work is bright, colorful and whimsical, with fluid lines, much like it is today. There is a focus on people, animals and food, intended to delight the recipient, but also, those are parts of life that I find most appealing. My work has remained the same in style and subject matter, save a few emo artist moments in high school and really weird explorations during my time at art school.

In high school I received formal training outside of my daily private, Catholic academia at New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA). This was life-changing for me. Connecting with other young artists from all walks of life while learning the tools of the trade was an invaluable period in my life that I will forever cherish. Feeling loved and accepted in a group environment, no matter what style, personality or skill level was nurturing. It was at NOCCA that friendly competition, fellowship and honest critiques were building blocks for a career in art and design. Learning different mediums and finding my style took years. It is still a work in progress, but it started with the encouragement from teachers and peers.

From NOCCA, I went on to attend Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in Savannah, Georgia, where I obtained a BFA in Illustration. My biggest obstacle at that time was the desire for a “normal” college experience which included excessive partying, which is inherent already in most New Orleanians. After moving back to NOLA in 2016, that desire remained a detrimental distraction from my personal relationships and overall happiness. Focusing more on my craft and personal wellbeing is something that would have sped up my learning process in a more traditional sense. Sometimes we learn best by falling flat on our faces and getting back up. In that regard, becoming sober was an excellent decision that has helped me both personally and professionally. With sobriety has come a release on what I view as developmental delays of my overall skill level, which still continue to improve with each project. I’m a lot more organized and level, aside from the usual bouts of passionate inspiration and wild hairs that spark new works.

Anna, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

The local community here in New Orleans has a way of bolstering local creatives through sensationalization of its own culture. Work that resonates and evolves with the local zeitgeist thrives here. As an illustrator, I found a way to touch on that by accessing the depths of my own heart. It is such a gift to be rooted in my own hometown within a fertile network of old friends, new friends and good friends who support my work. It is also a gift to be able to intuit what it is that they need.

There aren’t many stationery stores here, and I’m more of a hustle than a brick and mortar. Regardless, the art of sending a greeting card, handwritten note or traditional wedding stationery lives on. I am grateful for that because stationery is what I love to make. The pandemic gave my business, Sassy Banana Design Co. a boost when in-person connection dipped and other means of correspondence, entertainment and joy came into play. If my designs can inspire someone to think of a loved one, laugh, or feel sweet and jolly inside, I feel that too. It’s fulfilling on a soul level to feel useful in that way.

Designing wedding stationery has been my bread and butter as of late. It is such an honor to be a part of such a special moment in people’s lives. Weddings are beautiful by default so illustrating for them is an especially wonderful process. I love drawing buildings, flowers and handlettering for a more personal touch. Explorations of color, shape, lines and dimensions have me swooning. Favors are another aspect that I particularly enjoy, creating keepsakes for cherished guests and the couples. It’s fun to see the differences in dynamics between couples and their families, with the constant being human connection and joy around life’s most pivotal moments. Channeling love into my work is definitely my calling.

Recently I am most proud of winning an “art contest” for a mayoral campaign sign for Helena Moreno. Typically I shy away from contests because the time for money is not a guarantee; it’s more of a gamble and I end up feeling depleted. With this contest, I was determined for the design to win, for several reasons, the first being that I love this city and I believe this is the woman for the job, without getting “too political.” I do have strong opinions about many goings-on in the world at this time, which as an artist, I address in different ways besides broadcasting them directly from a soapbox. Y’all know what they say about opinions. I’m more underground-action oriented. Anyways, I’m over the moon that my work was selected and like to think that it has given her chances of winning a boost, and if anything, sparking joy through the little sign’s existence throughout the city. The title of the sign design is “New Orleans I Love You.” It’s true. I am and always will be completely in love with the city. It is a source of inspiration and I am constantly looking for ways for my art to give back to the community.

Another passion project of mine was starting an artist-run nonprofit in the wake of the pandemic with 4 other artists. It was titled Bayou Yacht Club, and the mission was to provide opportunities for local makers, musicians and the community to come together and rebuild, something that New Orleans does with pride. Ultimately the existing city permitting situation forced us to shut down when they got wind of how many art markets there were across the city. It seemed particularly disturbing to them that local makers could actually be successful and have such autonomy over their income. We shut down last summer, but many other popups live on. Mission accomplished.

Currently I’m managing the art market at Beignet Fest, a one-day local festival started by a family to raise autism awareness through bringing people together over the city’s love for beignets. Beignets are like French donuts, if you haven’t tried one. It’s been a great festival year after year, and I love the energy of community events. Facilitating opportunities for other local makers is an awesome feeling of strength in numbers. The festival also falls around my birthday each year in mid-November, so it’s a fun way to celebrate. It is a gift to get to set up a tent to sell my work and spread some radiant joy and connection.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

The biggest hurdle I’ve encountered as full-time creative is the business aspect. Not so much money-in/money-out but the paperwork, sales taxes, permitting, accounting, blah blah blah that takes away from the creative aspects. Admin-type stuff and creative stuff happen on different sides of the brain, and to use the whole thing at once results in system overload, also known as burnout. There are workshops and a plethora of information online, but what would really help is reducing the hoops local creatives must jump through to be considered in line with other businesses to make money as an artist. Maybe that’s not realistic and we should “get a job like everyone else.” For most of us, we’re not entering into a creative profession solely to make money. The focus is usually on the craft itself and the process first, then the abundance that comes from trusting the universe to provide. It’s an invigorating approach to life for sure.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

Creativity is not something that can be turned on or off. Part of my process from start to finish includes puttering around, yoga, walks, doodling, sleeping on it, talking about it, and looking at inspiration. There has to be space for the ideas to land. Sometimes inspiration and direction hit right off the bat, seemingly channeled directly from clients and intuited onto paper, but other times, mostly with my own projects, I have to really stew on something. There is a fine line of stewing and procrastination. If it gets to the point of procrastination and it isn’t for a client but a personal project, I have a tendency to abandon it. Worse, I’ll put it in Google calendar and bump out the task for literal years until “the moment is right.” Looking at you, wholesale catalogue. The other reason for that behavior is fear. Fear of imperfection, rejection and putting in work without any return and ending up energetically drained. It’s a very defeating feeling that I avoid at all costs, despite knowing that something will *likely* pay off in the long run. If something doesn’t seem worth my time, I try not to begin it in the first place, knowing that something more fruitful will eventually come along. When those windfalls come, I go all in.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sassybananadesignco.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/sassybananadesignco
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-s-wilson

Image Credits

First headshot (white top and jeans) – Jordan Blanchard
Birday Card – Claire Fontana
Pink Stationery Flat Lay – Xistence Photography
Portraits with Cards fanned out – Tiffany Bailey / Lush Boudoir Photography