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

Amber, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

I feel like my creative career formed exactly when it was meant to. While it may be very tempting sometimes to wish that I had started earlier (especially as someone who didn’t begin practicing art until well into her 30’s), ultimately I know that I’m where I am now because of the choices that I’ve made, and I wouldn’t change that journey for anything.

My creative career started during the pandemic. I had recently left my decade-long career in the film industry to pursue being an aerial instructor. I had only been teaching for a little less than a year when all the studios shut down, but I had already seen the writing on the wall. I knew this was a job that I could only do for a few more years and would need to soon shift to something that was less physically demanding. So, when everything shut down, I took the opportunity to learn new skills. I feel like this pause in our day-to-day lives made everyone sort of reevaluate their work/life balance and what made them happy, and I was no exception. I started taking courses online and discovered a love for Graphic Design. I especially gravitated to hand lettering and that eventually transitioned to learning about type design as well.

It can be very easy to feel like I’m behind or started my career “too late”. Especially with social media constantly showing amazing work from people far younger than I am, but my journey is my journey. It’s unique and this process of exploring different art styles that I’ve gone through has led me to where I am today, and I’m quite happy with the work that I put out now. I wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t gone through that process, so no, I do not wish that I had started my career sooner or later.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Hi! I’m Amber, I’m a lettering artist and the owner of Evoke Type Studio. I craft custom drawn letters and combine them with travel-based illustration to evoke the experiences of places visited and memories made. From Charleston to LA to Boston, I’ve lived in several amazing cities around the US, and I wanted to share my love for those favorite spots.

I believe home can be found anywhere, memories should be seen outside our photo app, and experiences make the best art. After years of traveling and living a nomadic lifestyle around the United States, I decided to draw upon the experience of my favorite locations and turn them into art prints. Now that I’ve settled down, I have a visual reminder of the places I love as a gallery wall in my hallway. It brings me so much joy to walk by them every day.

As a lettering artist, I use the shape of the letterforms to express the personality of that particular location. For example, Santa Monica has a fun and funky vibe to it, while Beacon Hill feels like stepping back in time. My work focuses on allowing the letters themselves to evoke the feel of the area they represent. The current collection focuses on cities I’ve lived and loved in the past, with plans for many more to come.

I also now offer bespoke art prints. From the very first art piece I created showcasing my favorite restaurants in Charleston, SC, I knew I wanted to create an option for people to display their own best-loved spots. I’ve been working hard for months on building a system for customers to request their very own unique lettering art and I’m so happy this exciting option is now available!

Have you ever had to pivot?

I’ve had to pivot so many times. I feel like that’s a bit inherent in the creative world. Even starting this career was a pivot. After years of very physical jobs and multiple injuries, I knew that I needed to shift to a career that was less labor-intensive. Then when I first created Evoke Type Studio, I was solely focused on designing typefaces. When I was thinking of names for my business, though, I knew I wanted to call it a ‘Studio’ and not a ‘Type Foundry’ because I wanted to leave the door open for something else, even if I wasn’t exactly sure what that was yet.

Over time, I found that while I still enjoy creating typefaces, I really love the freedom that lettering art offers so much more. Type design takes months and it’s more about building a system that looks consistent across all iterations, while lettering can be unique and as stylized and flamboyant or as toned down and simple as the artwork requires.

After years of designing typefaces that always inevitably felt like a slog, I reached a breaking point where I just wanted to make some art. I needed to make some art. We were in Charlotte, NC at the time, and I knew we would be traveling to Charleston, SC soon – one of my favorite cities. There are so many amazing restaurants there that I absolutely love and must go to when we’re in town. So, I decided to make artwork that would reflect my favorite spots. I reworked their logos through my own interpretation of how I would letter the names of the restaurants, almost as if they were a re-brand. This work is what inspired my neighborhood matchbox series and created the basis of what Evoke Type Studio is today.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

There are two parts of my work that I find most rewarding. First is when I’m working on a new art print, and it feels off at first (it always does), but then I keep working at it until I eventually reach a composition that I really like. It’s like fitting all the puzzle pieces into place and it all just clicks. That’s very rewarding on a personal level. And secondly, nothing beats the thrill of getting feedback from a client that they absolutely love their custom art. I really enjoy working with people to celebrate a trip they’ve taken or a gift they’re planning for a loved one. It’s like I get this little sneak peek into their travels, and I get to help them bring it back to life in the form of an art print. They’ll always have that visual reminder of a time that brought them joy, and being able to create that for them and know that they’re so happy with the final artwork is incredibly rewarding.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://evoketypestudio.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evoketypestudio/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evoketypestudio/
• Other: Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/evoketypestudio