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

Beth, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear the story of how you went from this being just an idea to making it into something real.

I have been lucky in that my journey has been very organic. I am a big believer in “following the bread crumbs” and saying yes to opportunities. I began as a very green graphic designer at a cutting-edge marketing company. I worked hard, delivered good work and took initiative. Gradually, as colleagues moved on to other opportunities, they would reach out with small projects here and there. I worked my full-time job by day, and well into the night on freelance opportunities.

As expected, I was exhausted and knew I needed to choose. At the same time, my husband and I were offered the opportunity to move to London for a few years. This was just the push I needed. I left my job a few months prior to moving and worked to build a solid freelance client roster. I was able to work as a full-time freelancer after that with both my own clients and various design agencies. I have learned that clear communication, great product and timely delivery go a long way in solidifying relationships. To this day I still get calls from some of the first people I ever worked with.

Life took another turn during the pandemic. In a familiar story, my 3 young children were sent home from school for an unknown amount of time and I was forced to make a choice. I put my clients on hold and focused on keeping the kids tracking with school. However I still needed a creative outlet… probably more than ever. It was during this time that I found solace in fine art. Painting, sketching, and illustration filled that need.

With life back to normal, I have decided to continue pursuing the arts and creating to bring joy. I still love branding and packaging design, but I am more selective in my projects and lean toward startups and not-for-profits. I find the balance more fulfilling than ever.

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.

I am a designer divided! First and foremost I am a packaging and branding designer. I LOVE bringing a brand to life with unexpected, but clear, communication and design. I firmly believe in consistent materials and I work diligently to create an all encompassing brand voice and experience.

In my other life, I am an abstract artist and illustrator. I love bringing joy to people through art. I sell my originals and prints, along with several products featuring my art. This is a world I am learning to navigate and it is an interesting journey.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I touched on this in the previous questions. There were 2 pivotal moments in my career. The first was when I made the jump from being a full-time employee to being fully independent in my design career. The second was when the pandemic shuttered everything. I could not balance my client work-load and my children’s schooling needs. They were so young and needed a lot of guidance. So I began experimenting with fine arts again, and rekindled my love of getting my hands dirty and making a beautiful mess!

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish I put more time into learning to make social media work for my career. This is a lesson I am still working on. It feels overwhelming at times, but I know it will benefit in the long run.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.noristudios.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nori_studios/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/noristudios
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethnori/