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

Emmy Star, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

I graduated from the Illinois Institute of Art – Chicago in the winter of 2007. I, along with my very small graduating BFA class, had ambitions of working at a top advertising agency. Our private commercial art school had well prepared us for this path and I was eagerly anticipating my first design job. My whole class drudged through months of interviews at the same studios and agencies, all with hopes of landing jobs as graphic designers on some of the biggest global accounts. I had full clarity that branding and packaging was the direction I would pursue, following in my Dad’s footsteps.

When he was in his early 20s, my Dad had worked downtown as a package designer for Champion Packages/US Plywood. And here I was, at the same age, interviewing for a similar design position in Chicago. After grinding through endless interviews, I got an offer from my top pick – working in the package design division of Leo Burnett as a junior designer. I also happened to be the youngest person in the office. Getting the call was a very exciting moment for both Dad and I, and we teared up together over the phone after I received the offer. This position entailed designing packaging and branding for a variety of international brands, while also doing research and assembling mood boards for new pitches. It provided me stability, security, a strong sense of purpose and commitment to this company, challenged my skills and was the design experience that I so badly wanted. I was proud and grateful to land a job with this prestigious agency fresh out of college.

While at the office, I always sketched on lunch breaks, typically practicing lettering and abstract doodles. A few months into the job, a friend had introduced me to Atomic Sketch Event (ASE), which became my true creative outlet and non-work hobby. The last Thursday of every month, a panel of artists were invited to create live art at a small local dive bar in Wicker Park called EvilOlive, and all creations were affordably priced for purchase, typically $5-20. It was a social, creative and networking space and marked the beginning of my art making. I was experimental in mediums and connected with young and diverse creative people. It was the place I sold my first piece of art. ASE fell on the opposite creative spectrum from my office job on every level and fulfilled so much that I needed at the time.

My artwork began with small Sharpie drawings on discarded pieces of cardboard, and soon evolved into doodling with paint markers which would unknowingly change the trajectory of my work and creative future.

Often a collector of things in the alley, one day I salvaged an old vintage window and sketched out a quick, playful skyline onto the glass. I was enamored with how much detail I could get using a single color paint marker. I loved the contrast of the old weathered window with clean and controlled lines. The glass provided an elevated feel too. So while working full time and often late hours, I savored any free time and spent it locked up in my tiny shoebox apartment to expand on this newly discovered window idea. The windows not only provided a unique one of a kind canvas, but it also helped to keep my material costs down. I felt hungry, excited and confident about this new direction.

On the job front, I found myself craving change. My gut was begging me to get off screens and away from the desk to create with my hands. I acknowledged that I wasn’t happy and truly wanted to be designing for projects that felt more meaningful. I kept asking myself, Do I risk it all to keep growing? It was an easy yes. After much internal debate, I decided to leave my agency job at age 22 with no plan ahead. I had no work, no plan and no savings. My Dad still reminds me today that I had made that choice will full certainty and confidence. At that time, he often asked when my next interview was, in which I replied, “I am going to work independently.” Both of my parents were supportive but confused as to how I would support myself but I trusted this felt right.

It was a huge risk. I forfeited my stability, insurance, any opportunities of growth within the agency – and the creative position that I had worked incredibly hard throughout school for. I had been working paycheck to paycheck – another consideration that I was willing to gamble for growth.

During this time, I didn’t know any full time artists or have any mentor. I trusted that I had ideas and ambitions and if I had more time to create, I would work really hard. Upon leaving the agency, I remember feeling a wave of relief realizing that my time was now mine. And I maximized it. I was up early and late to bed every single day developing a large collection of painted glass windows. I really had no roadmap for getting my work visible, so I cold-called and made connections everywhere I’d go. I often would walk into coffee shops, restaurants and clothing stores asking if I could display my work – which kept my art on rotation and out in the public. I still laugh in hindsight at some of the absurd approaches I took – such as renting a car by the hour, filling it with artwork, and showing up at galleries without appointments asking for them to review my work. I did this often and was often rejected. This was pre social media and I was only relying on the scrappy Dreamweaver website that I had created myself as my portfolio.

For 3 straight years I struggled hard. I worked endlessly and my tiny apartments quickly became overfilled with old windows, painting materials, sketchbooks and inspiration. I was quite literally living on top of my paintings. I worked oddball jobs to cover my rent while tirelessly painting, making contacts and utilizing every business skill I had picked up working at the agency. Nothing seemed to come easy and I remember hitting a wall many times. Even when I was steadily selling paintings, I was barely breaking even each month while slowly making a name for myself.

This frustration forced me to become resourceful in finding ways to get by. I traded artwork for anything I could – haircuts, concert tickets, and eventually a discounted studio space.

In 2011, it all changed. I signed a year long contracted partnership with Sharpie which gave me a national platform to share my work that included a documentary-style television commercial that aired on MTV and a billboard in Times Square. It was an unexpected gift that gave me gobs of exposure, new work, confidence, contacts and so much growth. And following this, partnerships and projects continued to snowball. I could say much more about this experience, but I will say that in reflection, I feel very proud of my younger self for taking a leap, hustling and being mindful of what felt right.

I continue to (more confidently) take risks all the time, including moving into new spaces, changing mediums, new approaches toward selling art, learning to say no / becoming selective, prioritizing personal work / goals. It is a practice to trust that your gut will lead you where you need to be.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I have always been inspired by Chicago’s unique blend of style, story, and character.

I started my career with a BFA in visual communications from the Illinois Institute of Art – Chicago and landed a creative position in advertising right after graduating with Chicago agency, Leo Burnett. There I earned my commercial stripes in branding and packaging before pursuing work as an independent artist. I have spent the past 14 years painting spaces across Chicago and beyond while continuing to nurture my studio practice. My current work includes everything from illustration, lettering, and canvas work to branding, packaging, and murals. I feel like I am always evolving in mediums and methods.

I’ve had lots of creative partnerships over the years with brands such as Sharpie, Chicago Bulls, Lululemon, Yeti, RedBull, Delta, T-Mobile, Jeni’s Ice Cream, Vital Proteins, Foxtrot and Soho House. My vibrant and abstract style feels both extroverted and introspective. It uses lots of color, layering, and emotive line work to create impact. It is always that hope that the work helps to spark connection and feeling.

To date, my work has lived on all types of walls, including iconic public spaces like Times Square and Miami’s Wynwood Art District. My scope and vision is always growing. My current studio practice is focused on the concept of the Inner Child, highlighting the joy, spontaneity, and fearlessness synonymous with our younger selves. I like to say that this work serves as a visual journey back to self where our purest forms of playfulness, creative confidence, and imagination come forward.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Create opportunities. Whether you are elevating a brand, creating an environment or updating a space, the visuals are what people are responding to. The art helps to create a feeling and memorable experience.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Museums. I had never taken art history in school and in highlight, taking advantage of the beautiful art museums in the city could’ve given me more insight, education and inspiration with my earlier work.

Contact Info:

• Website: emmystarbrown.com
• Instagram: @emmystarbrown

Image Credits
Field Creatives