We recently connected with Karen A. Chase and have shared our conversation below.

Karen, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

I’ve worked on many impactful projects, but it started with one. While I was in college studying advertising art, I worked on a real advertising campaign related to Leukemia—it was to advertise a blood/donor drive happening on campus. Our class did all the research, which I loved, as well as all the creative, outreach and marketing. We had a wonderful turnout the day of the drive, and on we went to the next project.

A year after I graduated, I received a letter from our professor saying that someone who had donated that day had become a match with a person dying of Leukemia. The procedure had been a success. We had saved a life. And I realized that marketing—which too often is about consumerism—could have a positive impact on the human condition.

Looking back, my love of research, and my drive to want to work on meaningful projects, began in that class.

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?

I’m a brand designer. Although I originally went to college to study law, I quickly knew that type of life was lacking a creative outlet. So I studied Advertising Art, and worked in that field my whole career. I started in production, then moved up to Art Direction, and by 30 I was a Creative Director. By 35 I’d started my own company. I’ve stayed freelance as a solo business owner since then, primarily specializing in brand development or redesign. I develop brands for authors, companies, and non-profits.

I’m also an author. I wanted to add even more meaningful work to my life, and books are far more lasting than ad campaigns. In the last ten years, I’ve published four books—fiction and non-fiction. My great love among them is Carrying Independence—a factually based novel set in 1776 and about the signing of the Declaration. It’s the work I’m most proud of, in part because of the positive impact it’s had on readers.

I’m a speaker, too. I give presentations about both branding and writing/research/history. I’ve given over a hundred presentations, and it turns out I absolutely love engaging with audiences on these subjects. I’m very practical, but I’m also a little bit Mrs. Maisel, so my comedic side happily gets a turn at the mic now and then.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

It’s pretty simple. Create meaningful work, that has an impact, and have a good time with kind people along the way. Use reading, travel, and volunteer work as a means for refilling my well while contributing to others.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Work a full-time job at an agency isn’t for me. A few years ago, I wondered if maybe a full-time job would make life easier. I wouldn’t have to look for new clients, wouldn’t have to worry about money, and it would provide day-to-day consistency.

So, I took a job and my eyes were opened. It turns out consistency for me means boring. I very quickly missed the flexibility that comes with managing my own business and time. I’m a great self-starter, and I’m disciplined about working on my own projects. Having to wade through politics in order to work on projects and communicate directly with clients wasn’t for me. It was also an incredibly toxic work environment, but regardless… I lasted four months and the last six weeks I was hustling (happily) at night to find new freelance. I learned to reduce my life expenses in order to lead a more balanced life with meaningful work. I forgot my own mission for that few months. It’s a lesson I don’t need to learn again.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://KarenAChase.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenachase/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/224design1/videos
• Other: I’ve accounts on social media, but I’m rarely there anymore. I prefer to connect with real humans or share examples of work. Hence the website, linked-in, or YouTube.

Image Credits
Author photo by Kim Frost. All other images are my own.