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

Brooke, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Some of the most interesting parts of our journey emerge from areas where we believe something that most people in our industry do not – do you have something like that?

Something that I believe is crucial for the creative industry is how well you can serve others. While I do think it is so important to have vision and inspiration and a well of creativity I think it’s even more important to know how to serve someone else’s vision. I try to make sure that the client or artist or business owner feels like I am there to help bring their ideas to life. I think sometimes that creatives can tend to go into a project with the idea that all the vision and ideas come through them. However, I have learned a lot of times if you ask the right questions you can tap into a more true and authentic vision that is the heart and soul of the person you are creating for. I also think this is the way you build a career and not just a few one off projects. Building trust with people so they feel safe to come back is more important than a one time dream project. I’ll leave money on the table in the short term to build something that last in the long run.

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.

My love for graphic design started my freshman year of high school when I walked into Yearbook class for the first time. I fell in love with layout design. I would spend hours on the computer arranging and rearranging text boxes and captions and photos. I would take as many photos as I could to try to capture the exact moment that freezes time in your memory. Packaging up all those words and moments and presenting it in a way that is pleasing to the eye for people to go back to for the rest of their lives was so powerful to me. I’ve tried to stay true to that feeling and concept throughout my career. Whether it’s a Holiday Fashion shoot for a client or a rollout for a new album for an artist I think the way you take all of those ideas and curate and package them is so amazing. I’ve heard it said that they will see you before they ever hear you and that to me is some of the essence of good branding. Good visual storytelling and problem solving is a powerful tool in a world filled with noise and distractions.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

My husband shared a thought we me one time that “people will choose unhappiness over uncertainty.” And one of the most rewarding aspects of being a creative is the pay off of faith and trusting yourself. I would rather choose the uncertainty of a paycheck or a set schedule to ride the wave of faith to see what is next. I will bet on myself to work hard and create something new and take care of people in the process. I have been so fortunate to get the bulk of my work off of word of mouth marketing from taking care of the people that I get to work with. I’m not always perfect at it and I make mistakes but I try to do what I say and say what I do. I try to be honest and humble. I try to make things right if I make a mistake. I try to take ownership and do the right thing. And in a world of fake it until you make it I actually think being real and humble is what gives me peace at night after a hard day of work. It’s what gives me purpose and reminds me that I’m just helping people help people. I’m just adding another brick to the wall. I don’t have to build the whole thing myself or carry the weight of the world on my back. And when I can keep that perspective it is so rewarding and fulfilling.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I sometimes think that the perception around creatives is very Type B, free spirit. It can seem like ideas and concepts just drop into their lap. And I do think that is the case for some people. But I also think that creativity and problem solving can be a mix of art and admin. I think a good plan and strategy can help put some boundaries in place for people to thrive. I think that just because you’re wired to be very Type A it can serve and help the whole team in unique ways. Sometimes the best thing you can do to help other artists or entrepreneurs is to just clear some room on their plate. To help build some space and margin into their lives for the ideas and concepts to come. And to model that yourself.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.brookecallister.com
• Instagram: @brooke_callister

Image Credits

Alex Faulkner, Claire Schaper, Zane Callister