Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Amber Andersson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Amber, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

There is a book called the “Accusation” which was written by an author that goes by the pen name Bandi (Korean for Firefly). “The Accusation” is special in many ways, but the primary reason is that it is the first book to be smuggled out of North Korea. It is a collection of seven stories, which tell of seven different families charged for a “crime” in North Korea, and how their experience revealed the lies they were sold by their country and its rulers. The stories were beautifully written and harrowing, but what moved me the most was the author’s courage to pen such words and then to have them smuggled out of North Korea. All of this broke me inside for North Korean people, but also put a fire in me to do something for the author. I wanted his book to become more known; I wanted to pay homage to him and what he risked. And so I did a redesign of the book’s cover as a personal project and used the project as a podium to talk about Bandi’s work.

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

Art, and being creative in general, has always been something important to me. As a kid it was just something I enjoyed; as a teenager it became therapeutic and a way for me to process what was happening around me and my emotions; and now it is my career and passion. I started on the fine art side of things, getting my Bachelor in Studio Art. I learned classical forms of painting, fell in love with watercolor, learned the traditions and techniques to drawing, and discovered illustrations. My undergraduate years were a time of discovery, first of illustration and then of graphic design. However, I didn’t discover graphic design until my senior year and final semester of my undergrad, and I was hooked simply from learning visual communication theory. So I pursued a Masters in Commercial Art, which combined my passions of illustration and graphic design.

I like that graphic design has a purpose outside of the designer; I like how it pushes you to learn and research about various topics and career fields as you design for a myriad of clients; and even though you must design with the purpose and message in mind, I like how it’s impossible to not put a little bit of you in your work, because whether you try or not, all your life experiences, your perspectives, your interests…all of that comes to play as you work.

I think that’s why it is difficult for me to work on something if I don’t believe in the purpose or meaning of it, which has resulted in a limited types of jobs I feel comfortable taking but I feel as though the Lord has blessed that and has always provided a way. My favorite projects are when I get to walk alongside a client and help take some of the anxiety away, say if they are starting up a new business for the first time and haven’t the faintest idea about brand identity, and if that relationship forms into a friendship even better.

My biggest source of inspiration in my work is culture. My passion for cultures started when I lived in India for a time, and so I love projects that allow me to learn and be inspired by all the different ways people live and be creative. FFor instance, I recently worked with I Am Second on a film launch for Wande, a Nigerian-born, US raised rapper. For that project I researched Naija graphic design and designers, looked at cultural patterns, what colors signify and are prominently used, what does the typography look like, etc.. I also took a dive into what aesthetically draws Gen Z, since that was the target audience of the film, and we also wanted to highlight that Wande herself is a Gen Z. And currently I’m working on a project that is Middle Eastern inspired, and I’ve loved learning about Arabic typography and Islamic art.

Types of projects I’ve worked on is rather wide ranging. I’ve done anything from poster design to whole event campaigns; I do email and social media graphics all the time; I do branding and logo design; I do layout design whether for a more magazine-like vibe or a traditional published book.

Other things that take up my time besides graphic design: I’m an adjunct professor at Dallas Baptist University; I am on the board of the Dallas Society of Visual Communications (DSVC), currently chairing the National Student Conference; my husband and I are slowly traveling to all the national parks in the US—we are big hikers and rock climbers and have visited 20 so far.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

“You have to be talented to be successful in this field.”

I don’t know if people say that right out, but it’s the attitude that society has and that the creative field has adopted. I’m not sure which came first, but I have to say, I really don’t agree with that statement. As a disclaimer, most of my thoughts on this subject have to do specifically with the graphic design field, because the fine art field operates rather differently.

If you are what the world typically calls a “creative” person, then you most likely are familiar with this scenario. You’re in a new environment, surrounded by people you’ve never seen before (rare sight, I know, and very uncomfortable). Maybe someone walks up to you or maybe you are being introduced by someone you do know, but one of the first things you’ll be asked (which I hate, but that is a tangent for another time), “What do you do?” Which you’ll respond, “I’m [insert whatever creative thing you do]”, to which they say, “Oh, you must be so talented. I can’t even draw a stick figure.” And you just give an awkward giggle or laugh. I really do believe it’s done innocently, with no harm intended, but somehow we’ve warped our thinking into creativity is a talent and not a skill. What’s the difference? Talent you are born with; a skill can be learned.

Practically every child draws, every child is brimming with creativity and imagination. What separates them as adults is one group honed that creativity and the other did not—or that we have a flawed view of what creativity is, which is actually my thoughts but I won’t get into that. My point is that we are all born with creativity, and some of us have chosen to exercise that “muscle”, and for those who haven’t, they gawk at what we can do. This is all perfectly fine, I have a job because of it. But the issue I see is young designers and students in the creative field struggle with confidence because they are rooted in the belief that creativity is talent-based and you’re only born with so much of it. “Do I have the talent?” they ask. When in actuality, 1. Creativity can be exercised, because 2. Creativity is a skill, and in reality it comes down to hard work and patience to learn that skill. I do believe that some are more talented than others, and they will find it easier, but that does not mean you cannot make it if you are on the lower end of the “talent scale”.

At least, that’s how I see it.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Seeing the final outcome. What I mean here is the end result, not whether KPIs were met or if the project was “successful” by established goals. I just love seeing what you started with, where that took you, and where you ended up. I love seeing all the symbolism and informed creative decisions and hours of hard work unite together to make my absolute best. And next time I’ll find a new best.

x  

Contact Info:

• Website: https://amberandersson.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andersson.designs/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amber-andersson-02a242113/
• Behance: https://www.behance.net/amberssonart

Image Credits
Portrait Image: Abby Bengs