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

Aaron, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

The biggest risk I ever took was quitting my comfortable job with people I loved at a respected creative agency to bet on myself. Walking out the door for the last time was one of the scariest experiences of my life, but it was also one of the most freeing and energizing.

The goal was always to work for myself—to do things my way. I’m not cut out to have a boss and after 10+ years of designing at ad firms and creative agencies, I was done having my work beaten up and watered down without being able to hit back. Don’t get me wrong, I did some stellar work and I got some good stuff through, but I was done spending time and energy on things I couldn’t relate to or align with. I wanted creative freedom. I wanted to decide who I work with and who I don’t. I wanted control over my schedule and my mental health. But I couldn’t do any of that from behind a desk that never felt like my own.

I told myself I’d be running my own thing by the time I’m 35. Then just about 2 months before my 35th birthday, I realized I was out of time. Thoughts like “Can I really do this?” and “Who the hell do I think I am?” played over and over in my head. I had the talent. I had the drive. But I was scared. Then my wife said, and I forget her exact wording, but it sounded a lot like “Are you fucking kidding? You have to do this.” And she was right. It’s been almost 3 years and it’s proven to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

Aaron, 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’m a graphic designer/artist/creative—whatever you want to call it is fine. I’ve been getting paid for this for over a decade now and I love what I do. I’m pretty damn good, too. I’ve picked up a few awards here and there, but that’s not really what it’s about. It’s about creating smart, memorable, cool-as-shit work with ambitious and courageous brands.

When becoming a rock star didn’t work out, I learned that graphic design was a thing I could actually get paid for. Since I was a kid, I was always creative and artistic, but the idea that someone would pay me to do something I loved was absolutely wild to me.

I’ve been freelancing for almost 3 years now, and I do a lot of branding, packaging, print design, and illustration. There’s an occasional website in there, but that’s not really my thing. I help my clients discover their voices and present themselves with confidence and courage. I’m so damn proud that there are things I’ve designed out in the world that are part of people’s everyday lives—a bottle of bourbon, a coffee bag, the shirt on their back. It never gets old.

I don’t really treat art and design very differently. Sometimes I do it for clients, and sometimes I do it for myself. And I’m always blurring the lines. That’s what makes me the artist/designer I am. I think that’s why people come to me.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

There is no shortage of wildly talented artists and designers in my market. But I think what has helped build my reputation and my brand is staying authentic to myself and to my work. Art and design are so subjective and if you’re not being completely real, clients and prospects can smell the bullshit, and you lose. I’d be doing myself, my clients, and my work a disservice by pretending to be something I’m not just to trick someone into giving me their project. My work isn’t for everybody, and that’s a good thing—I feel like I’d be doing something terribly wrong if it was.

Also, kindness. It takes chemistry and respect to create something really great, and I mean that in terms of the work, but also the relationship. I have no interest in working FOR my clients, I want to work WITH them. The people behind the brands I work with are just that—people. I always say that design is personal and that it has to be because I have an obligation to my clients, to myself, and to the work to put my disposition, my energy, and my empathy into creating something meaningful, effective, and beautiful.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I used to place so much importance on likes and comments and views and impressions and all that shit. I saw it as a measure of my value as an artist and I gave it the power to either lift me up or break me down. But the truth is, I don’t have a lot of control over what Instagram decides to show my audience and I don’t have a lot of control over gaining a larger following. It can be the difference between posting now or 10 minutes from now whether or not the algorithm decides to actually show people what you’ve created. And I refuse to dance.

That said, I’m no expert. I don’t have a massive following—a bit over 2K. But I think 10 engaged followers are far more valuable than 100 passive ones. So I believe being consistent and authentic is the move. Also, try to use the right hashtags.

Contact Info:

• Website: aaronmccall.net
• Instagram: aaron_mccall

Image Credits
Joseph Matteson Lance Nelson Brad Bruce