We were lucky to catch up with Elicia Castaldi recently and have shared our conversation below.

Elicia, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

Since earning my BFA in Illustration from Rhode Island School of Design I’ve been lucky enough to have always held creative jobs. From a brief internship at HarperCollins, to working as a fashion Art Director at Macy’s Department Stores in NYC, to my decade-long freelance children’s book author/illustrator career, I’ve never strayed from my creative path. That is something I’m very proud of, considering statistically the odds are stacked against you being able to “make it” as an artist. Given that, finding a creative, well-paying job that aligns fully with your artistic expression and purpose is quite rare. What fulfilled me in my career in advertising was my love of fashion, my eye for composition, photography and typography, but it wasn’t necessarily my dream. My dream was to be an illustrator, which is where my career in children’s books came into play. After having illustrated four published books, one of which I authored, I still felt like something was missing. I wasn’t able to express all parts of who I am as an illustrator, a writer, and a cosmopolitan, snarky, shoe-loving, gal about town.

In 2017 I decided to shift away from children’s books after a painful lull where I felt uninspired and drained. I decided to paint for the sake of painting, diving into the creative unknown without any strings attached. What emerged from that process was an illustrated paper and lifestyle line that encapsulated all of the pieces of my career that I loved — on my terms. My passion for illustration, typography, beautiful places, fashion and my sense of humor finally converged in an authentic and effortless way. I founded the brand Girl w/ Knife, which became an instant success. I’m proud to say that I not only earn a living from my line of luxury paper and gift items, but I support my staff of five fierce female employees as well. After launching in December of 2018, Girl w/ Knife is now sold in hundreds of retail stores across the country and around the world. My skills learned at Macy’s in the early days of my career come in handy all the time, since I’m constantly photographing products, creating social media content, and building Girl w/ Knife catalogs. As the Creative Director, I have my hands in every single detail.

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

Girl w/ Knife is an illustrated luxury paper goods and lifestyle brand. What started out as primarily a greeting card line has expanded into lifestyle categories, such as scented candles, art prints, throw pillows, with more exciting things to come. The name of my brand is taken from myself and my tool of choice, the X-Acto knife that I use to create collage details of my illustrations. My process is unique in that I paint lots of different elements on white paper, scan them, and use Photoshop to create digital collages merging everything into finished designs. It’s very time consuming, but I love it. The process is definitely all my own, which makes my illustrations recognizable. I am most proud of launching a brand that truly is a reflection of who I am, with products that celebrate the power and beauty of the female spirit, in my signature edgy, humorous way.  An example of this is my best-selling greeting card Friends Through Thick and Thin — the illustration depicts women’s eyebrow shapes throughout the decades. Another example is my latest card release which says “Remember You’re An Infinitely Iconic Bitch Having A Human Experience.” It depicts a nighttime garden scene with a green dragonfly, a symbol of transformation, amongst other things. Both of those cards garnered Louie Awards, the highest honor from the Greeting Card Association. The defining themes in my work end up becoming entire collections. Such is the case with Iconic Bitch, as well as my Eternally Fierce greeting card design, both of which have matching pillows, art prints, candles, weekly desk pads and gift wrap. Girl w/ Knife now has over 200 products with new releases always in the works. Quality is everything to me, I oversee production of everything. My products are currently 100% made in the USA, which is something I’m extremely proud of.

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

In 2012 I unexpectedly moved to Los Angeles after nearly a decade in NYC. The joke is that I came kicking and screaming, when my soon-to-be husband was relocated for work. Trading the concrete jungle for greener pastures and palm trees was such a plot twist in my life. The Venice Beach lifestyle changed me in a lot of subtle ways. It’s quintessentially chill and laid back, the opposite of cutthroat, lightning-paced New York. Looking back I can see how this backdrop changed my art. I started painting nature, which I never did before. But also the New Yorker in me interpreted things in a really interesting way. Maintaining my east coast edge, I painted bugs and snakes within the floral scenes. A funny story getting back to the early days of my career is that in meetings I used to make silly drawings of cockroaches wearing high heels for my co-workers. It’s funny how little motifs like that evolve into your work. I still draw bugs and high heels, perhaps more than ever! My pivot to Los Angeles also brought me my beloved all-white rescue cat Princess Vespa, who is my muse. She inspires some of my pieces, which I call “elevated cat lady decor”. She’s part of the DNA of Girl w/ Knife, pictured throughout my website, socials, and press features.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

People are shopping a lot more mindfully these days, which is refreshing. They use their consumer dollars to support indie brands, steering away from mass market goods. The behemoth website Etsy is brimming over with the coolest bespoke stuff. I love to shop there and on Instagram as well. Social media offers a behind-the-scenes peek into a brand, so you come to know it on a more personal level. I myself use social media as a sales channel. One day I’m featuring a new journal release, the next you might see the fun shenanigans going on at Girl w/ Knife HQ located in Palm Springs. People can make a small difference by shopping on sites such as Wolf & Badger that not only support emerging artists, but consider ethical manufacturing and the environment. I’m proud to be a featured designer with them. I think young Gen Z consumers are very conscious shoppers, it’s evident in the “clean beauty” trend where they’re popularizing chemical-free products. The emergence of innovative, recycled fabrics speaks to this as well. The marketplace is much more collaborative these days now that social media connects brands directly with their consumers, facilitating dialogue and instant feedback. We’re in exciting times!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://girlwithknife.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/girlwknife/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/girlwknife/
• Other: https://knifehousedesign.com/

Image Credits
Christina Gandolfo