We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tami a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Tami, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

Ultimately in life, I want people to know they are worthy of being who they are and that they matter. My work as a graphic designer helped me create one of my most meaningful, important projects to show my full support for my daughter and her LGBTQIA+ community. My husband and I were asked to donate a silent auction item from our laser cutting business, I Burn For You, for the RECLAIM Celebrate the Love 2025 Gala; we designed the Pride flag set within the state of MN outline. These 5″ magnets represent a symbol of solidarity, love, and affirmation for the LGBTQIA+ community and their allies.

Each magnet is handcrafted, hand-colored, and infused with the belief that everyone deserves to be seen, valued, and supported. As pushbacks continue to challenge LGBTQIA+ individuals, these magnets serve as a small but mighty statement of resistance and hope. A percentage from the sale of each magnet, goes to organizations that spread hope and support for the LGBTQIA+ community, such as RECLAIM. RECLAIM, is a MN based organization that offers mental health care for queer and trans youth, and they have helped our daughter feel more confident about who she is, and how she shows up in the world.

I will never stop working towards a more just world that embraces individual expression and through my art I will continue to raise awareness.

Tami, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I have been in the design industry for over 20 years, getting a lucky break right out of college to grow and thrive as an in-house designer for Xerox Corp. I have always taken on freelance work outside of my full-time jobs because I live and breathe the creative world; digitally and physically. It lights up my brain to be able to explore the design world, to brainstorm with other creative peers and see what kind of solutions we can bring to life. My core work is Graphic Design/Marketing, for both digital and traditional. I create e-mails, curate and design social media content, website design; design print documents, such as brochures, postcard mailers, etc. I can also take a peek behind the scenes and look at reach and growth for my clients on Google, and social media analytics.

My approach to solving problems for my clients is asking questions, being curious. What are they trying to accomplish with their idea, who is it intended for, what are their needs, what problem are you solving. Helping my clients think outside their own personal view to understand their audience and their needs.

My work in the physical creative space includes beading jewelry honoring my indigenous roots, and using a laser cutter in my I Burn For You business, to produce wood and acrylic projects ranging from a small 2″ sun cutout to large 28’x22″ wall decor. Finishing these laser cut pieces include, staining wood, spray painting, and using acrylic paint pens to fill in fine details.

I am someone who is always willing to help others. My design portfolio reflects work that spans corporations world-wide to non-profit industries down to small businesses.

I would love people to understand that I will always take a challenge head on, if I do not know or understand a problem, I will go research, figure it out and help in the best way possible. I have a wicked sense of humor and love to connect with others.

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.

Being in the creative industry is so subjective. Having your work scrutinized can be hard to hear. You pour your heart and soul into a project to present and then it gets picked apart. Don’t get me wrong, that is part of the process, and I do appreciate another perspective. However, it can feel quite personal and that’s a huge part of separating yourself from the creative process. It’s a fine balance of pouring your soul into hours of a project knowing that it may not be accepted or not what a non-creative has envisioned and then I may have to scrap it and try to pour just as much heart into a new version of the same project.

It is so helpful for a non-creative professional to understand that the process and time it takes to reach a final design, even mockups, takes a lot of brainstorming, edits and scrapped designs before the presentation of something that looks like it took a few hours. Value the time it takes to think of designs too. Some non-creatives don’t quite understand just how long great content and design work takes.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Bringing beauty into the world. Creating something out of nothing and having people see what your brain thought of and you were able to produce it for others to appreciate and enjoy. Being able to bring to life what others have envisioned but are not able to produce themselves.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://iburnforyou.square.site/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iburnforyou.shop/

Image Credits

Headshot: Tracy Walsh Photography, Maple Grove, MN