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

Alright, Dannah thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

There’s not many people out there who haven’t walked into a store and purchased a greeting card to give to someone for a holiday, a birthday, or just to brighten their day. Giving someone a card is one of the most thoughtful things you can do and can really lift people up in hard times. Over the years I have saved countless cards that were given to me because they mean so much to me and I view it as one of the most beautiful forms of human connection. So, why not make that connection even more special with a greeting card hand-made with love? That’s my mission with my small art business, Lucky 7 Creative, to create hand-made art and greeting cards for people to bring love and good fortune to their friends and family. It’s also what makes Lucky 7 different from other people in the greeting card industry. While I admire industry-standard greeting cards for their accessibility and diversity of art style, the mass-produced quality can sometimes dampen the special connection. Almost every aspect of my art prints and greeting cards are hand made with love. All designs are hand-drawn on paper, then hand-carved in linoleum or rubber, and hand-printed on greeting cards that are cut and folded with care. One of my goals is to eventually have everything be hand-made, including using scrap paper to make my own paper and envelopes. Using recycled materials and creating things by hand is also an environmentally-conscious business model, which I feel is especially important for today and the future. In these rapidly-changing and increasingly digital times, I think it is extremely important to embrace the incredible human connection that comes from supporting artisans and their hand-made works. Even though technology can and has brought us wonderful things, there is truly nothing out there that can replicate the beauty of human touch.

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?

My name is Dannah, some may know me as Sevyn, and I pride myself on being a multi-medium creative. I have been a freelance graphic and web designer since 2016 and hold a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism with a focus in Graphic Design and Public Relations. I love to create in all mediums and enjoy the challenges that come with taking an idea from one medium to another. My small business, Lucky 7 Creative, serves to be your one-stop shop for all things creative. Whether you are needing a logo or website for your business, a mural designed, custom hand-made artwork, or something in between, Lucky 7 has got you covered. One of my biggest passions is building brands that easily navigate both the physical and digital landscapes of today. A successful brand is so much more than a logo with some text, it has the ability to create an entire world for your customers to fall in love with. Lots of folks in the creative world will tell you that it is important to niche down and find your specialty. And while that is good advice for some, I encourage you to not let yourself be limited by a medium or niche. There is something so beautiful about being able to pull from the different parts of your artistic perspective to create a one-of-a-kind work.

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

Unfortunately for me, I graduated college into the 2020 COVID pandemic which presented its own challenges and changed the trajectory of my creative career. Prior to graduating, I had huge dreams of becoming a creative director at a branding agency and working with large corporations on their brand and strategy. However, the pandemic drastically changed the amount of opportunities available and how businesses operated in general. Fortunately, a few months after graduation and hundreds of job applications, I was able to get a job working as a Graphic Designer for a small marketing agency based out of Kansas City, WordWell Creative. I still have a fantastic partnership with WordWell Creative and have fostered a great relationship with our clients in the mental health industry and beyond. Like a lot of folks, 2023-2024 caused a lot of change in the realm of work due to the state of the world, the economy, and the boom of artificial intelligence. My hours at WordWell Creative were cut and I was forced to look for another way to bring home the bacon. The job market in late 2023 and early 2024 was pretty bleak in the wake of the massive layoffs in the tech industry. However, I was able to get another graphic designer job with a small agency based out of Utah. Unfortunately, this job turned out to be a complete mismatch. The work environment became increasingly toxic and it became clear to me that my skills and creativity were not welcomed. So, even though the job market was even worse at this time, I decided that it was best for my mental health and career to leave the position and pursue my own creative endeavors. Even though I was actively applying to jobs (and getting no bites), I knew deep down in my gut that it was time to pursue the dream I’ve had since childhood. So, I got a part time job to keep things afloat and decided to officially take the plunge in starting Lucky 7 Creative. The ripple effect that the pandemic had on my career projection is something I think about often and I wonder what my life and career would be like if it never happened. However, I am very thankful that it pushed me into pursuing the dream that predates all other dreams, owning my own creative business.

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

There are many rewarding aspects of being an artist, but for me the most rewarding part is being able to see my ideas come to life and into someone’s hands. Having an idea in your head and being able to put it down on paper and turn it into something for the world to enjoy is truly something special. Since I have been extremely creative ever since I can remember, I used to think that everyone had this skill. But as I’ve gotten older, I realize that it is a unique talent that can really make a difference in the world.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lucky7creative.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luckysevcreative/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannah-schmidt/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@lucky7creative