We recently connected with Kelsey Tara Nicole and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kelsey, thanks for joining us today. Almost all entrepreneurs have had to decide whether to start now or later? There are always pros and cons for waiting and so we’d love to hear what you think about your decision in retrospect. If you could go back in time, would you have started your business sooner, later or at the exact time you started?

I wish I had started my business sooner.

I feel the push for designers is to start working in an agency, gain as much experience as possible, grow their skills there, then branch out into their own business. So the emphasis is on getting a job, and I thought my design life would start after that point, which ended up being a struggle for me through the pandemic. What I feel no one told me was that I could start learning and growing my design skills where I was, on my own. I didn’t have to wait to be given an opportunity or a reason to design, I just had to design.

I originally didn’t want to do my own business or step into freelance, and I was so caught up in getting a job because I have a fear of not being perfect and making mistakes on my own. I felt that there would be safety in being in an agency. But I’m starting to realize that that imposter syndrome and fear never fully leave, so there is no “right” moment to step out, and that it’s ok to start imperfectly. I’ve also been learning that every past job or opportunity I’ve had up to this point, whether in the design industry or not, has taught me skills that I can now use to run my own business, so I shouldn’t disqualify myself.

I am sad that I didn’t start my business sooner, as I feel I’d be so much further ahead now if I had, but that time was a learning experience—which never goes to waste—and I’m determined to spur myself on!

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

I am a graphic designer who specializes in brand design.

When people hear “Brand Design,” they often think of logos first, which is definitely a branding component, but there is so much more to the puzzle than that! A business’ brand is about the whole picture of who they are—their story, values, audience, the message they want to communicate to their audience, their personality, etc.—and that is what is packaged into a visual identity. Fonts, colours, logos, illustrations, and imagery: these are all components that go into brand design that can make people feel a certain way about a brand, and when used consistently and intentionally, they can develop trust and loyalty in that brand’s audience.

I think that’s what drew me to brand design. It’s about more than making something pretty, it’s about sitting down with business owners and listening to them. Learning who they are, what they want to be known for, and what their goals and hopes are for their business, then designing with a strategy in mind to help that business communicate their message and attract the right people. This requires a collaborative process between me and my clients to ensure I’m designing in a way that’s true to them, which I believe sets me apart from many designers. Another thing that sets me apart is that my design style is more on the bold, colourful, and playful side.

What I want my clients/social media followers to know me for is being fun, but also being vulnerable, authentic, and empathetic.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Since birth, I feel we slowly pick up on this idea of what success is. It’s not always taught to us by words, but through the experience of silent societal expectations and pressure, and by picking up on how those who don’t measure up to that standard are judged.

This has been a mindset I’ve been trying to unlearn for a long time, and I think it will require a daily reminder to not fall back into it. Whether it’s been going to school for the third time, not having direction for my life by a certain age, starting from scratch again, not making a certain income or having stability or numbers to put behind me to show I’ve made it, I’ve been through a lot of situations that could have made me feel unsuccessful. But I’m slowly learning to see success differently than the world sees it.

To me, success can be doing something that makes me afraid. It can be deciding I like my work, even when it didn’t do well on social media. It can be failing but learning a valuable lesson. It can be choosing to see how I’m better today than I was yesterday. By taking off the weight of others’ expectations and opinions on how I need to be to qualify as “successful,” I can be free to enjoy the moment, and to me, that’s successful.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being creative is being able to make people feel a certain way. There is so much power in visual mediums, and by using the psychology of colour or playing with lines, shapes, creative movement or emphasis in designs, or even using white space, we can encourage certain nuances and connotations, or even evoke different emotions from our viewers through our work. It’s very satisfying for me to hear how my work made someone feel!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kelseytaranicole.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kelseytaranicole/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kelseytaranicole/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelseytaranicole/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB9DMa344Mri8VYLE7AwknA
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@kelseytaranicole

Image Credits
Cindy Weng (@cindycc97)