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

Adria, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

Earning a full time living from creative work is not as easy or fun as some people may think it is! There is this stigma against artists that we just “sit around and make art” all day, when really there are so many aspects to running a full time creative business! From day to day you’ll find me creating content (not easy!), working with clients, customer service, packing orders, accounting, working with 3rd party vendors, keeping my licences and permits up to date, paying taxes…. I could absolutely go on! That being said, I do love what I do and having the flexibility to work on my own is so freeing.

I started my business in March of 2019 with calligraphy services while I worked full time as an administrative assistant in the corporate world. I ended up quitting my full time job about 8 months later because I just wanted to see if I could make my business really work if I put all my time into it! I had money saved to fall back on and also got a weekend job hosting kids birthday parties. I’ve had TONS of ups and downs since then. Since the beginning, I marketed my business as a calligraphy service, but clients were reaching out and asking for logos! I wish I would have educated myself on branding design from that very first logo client, because it is ultimately what I decided to pivot to officially 3 years later as a more profitable service and something that I enjoy doing more than calligraphy.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Now that I’ve finally discovered what I’m meant to do with my platform after 3 years of being in business, I am a graphic designer specializing in brand design, an illustrator, a muralist, and a small shop owner! In my shop, I sell a system called Just in Case, which involves a clear phone case with interchangeable inserts that you can slip inside to change the look. Just in Case has really gained a great following and is something I’m most proud of! I developed the product myself and make each and every insert in my home office to this day.

I am always looking for new income streams and ways that I can continue supporting myself as trends and our economy changes. Due to high demand and my love for design, I rebranded my business this year to focus on brand design for other small businesses. I’m learning with each client I get, and I’m so glad I can continue to grow my business and help others grow theirs.

With my love for design, I also adore designing and painting murals! I had a huge goal for 2022 to paint a mural in my style and it literally landed in my lap. Once of the great things about using social media to market my own style is that other business owners that also resonate with my look trust me to create something perfect for them! I was able to complete 2 murals within a small pet store in a neighboring town, and hoping to get that same opportunity soon! Large scale painting is such a fun process!

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

I market myself on social media, and its SO important to only post the kind of work that you want to attract! I think this is something creatives often struggle with. – they may post about each and every project, even if they don’t like the way it turned out. I have found that if I post personal passion projects, stick to my own style, and advertise exactly the type of work that I’d like to get more of, I attract the perfect clients that know and trust my style. I absolutely still get a client here and there that hires me for other reasons (perhaps my pricing is within their budget or I’m the only designer they know of) and I’m still happy to work with them to create something perfect for their business. I think something that is super important is to learn how to say no, too. If I took on every single client, or had my pricing so low that everyone would hire me, I wouldn’t be able to serve my clients as well as I do and give them the attention their brand needs.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

My advice to anyone trying to build an audience on social media is to ultimately be yourself. If you are posting something because someone else is, or creating something that someone else already has, people will see that you are not being genuine! I’ve always shared my favorite projects so people can see what I’m truly passionate about creating. I make eye catching posts and make sure to focus on quality instead of quantity. My main product Just in Case gained its popularity from 2 viral videos I posted after working on my following for years. Patience and being your real self is key to gaining a following that loves you for who you are, not who you are trying to be.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.draftandink.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/draftandink/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/draft-and-ink-vista