Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lindsay Hanson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Lindsay, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your business sooner or later?

I started my illustration and design business in 2020 as a response to the pandemic and a huge life shift for my husband, Colin, and I. We are from Michigan originally, and in May of 2020, my husband was laid off–a moment that not only rocked our world, but gave us some big life decisions to make on the spot. Through Colin’s career search, he landed a position in Phoenix, AZ, giving us an opportunity to move to the Southwest and try something new. While that was a very exciting proposition, it did mean that I also had to figure out my next professional steps. At the time, I was illustrating for a kids apparel brand in the Midwest, and truly loving my career path; but I knew that could be jeopardized if we chose to move out of state and follow Colin’s new gig.

The good news: we took the risk to move to Arizona and it was the best life choice at the time. The scary news (at the time): I wasn’t able to keep my previous role and had to find a solution for full-time work…in a new state…during a pandemic.

I decided to open my LLC, LindsEliz Design, LLC, and hit the ground running with freelance design work. I connected with colleagues from my past work life and found some great connections and opportunities to maintain a steady income and keep me busy.

After a few years, the remote work started to feel a bit isolating; my only co-worker was my cat, Kevin, and I didn’t really leave the house during the week very often. I was craving a change: community, inspiration, and honestly…just more human interaction.

In Fall of 2023, I finally decided to take the leap and bring my artwork to my local community in Phoenix by participating as a vendor in local art markets and shows. I was terrified with the idea of sharing my work to strangers, as the work I would be showcasing was all from my heart…rather than from a company’s project where they gave me direction on what designs they needed.

The decision to step out into the community with my illustrations, prints, and upcycled apparel and home goods quickly launched me into a space that I was not ready for, but was so in the need of.

The shorter answer to the question is: yes, I wish I would have started my business sooner. But I truly believe I started it at the time I needed it the most; the time my passion could actually fuel this creative endeavor.

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

I’m one of the annoying people who “always knew what I wanted to do” for a living: be a fashion designer. At the age of 12, my dad taught me how to sew out of a desire to make my own clothes. Growing up in a family who promoted sustainable living (which looked much different in the 90s), I was no stranger to making do with what I had for the betterment of the planet. When I would go to the mall and see cute clothes that I wanted (but my allowance couldn’t afford), my first thought was “how can I make this myself?” Totally typical reaction from a tween girl…

Learning how to use a sewing machine at such a young age gave me a niche sense of freedom and power that would launch me into the career path I ended up following: Apparel and Textile Designer.

I went through high school taking fashion classes and eventually to college for a double major in Apparel Design and Merchandising. During my college studies, I had the opportunity to intern for an apparel brand in Chicago as their design assistant where I was able to design, pattern, and actually construct (sew) the apparel for our store. Through this opportunity, I was offered a deal to design and sell my own apparel brand in their store–another step of what felt like freedom and accolades in the noisy world of fashion.

Through my professional career, I ended up working for a handful of bigger companies as a Textile and Surface Designer, focusing more on the print and graphic design of the garments. Connecting my love for fashion and art was a dream come true–I was able to draw and design all day for my art to be applied to garments.

LindsEliz Design is the perfect combination of my background as a designer: art and illustration, surface design, apparel design, and touch of sustainability through upcycling. I offer my illustration art through prints, greeting cards, and stickers and my apparel design through upcycling garments and small home textiles by designing and hand carving linocut stamps to apply to my apparel.

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

Starting over *is* a part of the creative process. I think this is something that every creative eventually learns, but it’s not often something that is realized early on. I find that there’s a sweet balance of creating for the sake of creating (be that to keep up with the demand of your customers or to feel a sense of accomplishment in your creative productivity) and actually creating what you *need* to create. What I mean by that is, and this is especially true for me and my background, the retail side of creative business can often drive our motivation and direction to create. But what comes out of those designs doesn’t always feel right; it doesn’t always scratch the creative itch we started with. And starting over on a project or design–completely from scratch–is often a cathartic and refreshing experience for me.

In the beginning of my creative career, I would find myself sitting down to create but end up getting frustrated with the process or end result and just walking away from the project entirely. That often felt like the comparison of being so hungry for a good meal, cooking it terribly, and just going to bed hungry. Many would agree that the better solution would be to start over and make something that fills the void and you generally enjoy.

Being in the space now of giving myself the creative grace to move past the initial stumbling blocks of getting a design started–and being able to delete and start over–is almost necessary for me to successfully create and avoid the ever-looming burn out.

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

I always think of creativity as a tapping into another language that you speak with your medium. It’s often hard to completely describe what you’re trying to say without using the language you’re intending to communicate in. And with that, I also believe that every person has a creative ability. People often tell me they wish they were creative, but I usually push back on that: everyone can be creative, it’s just about fostering that creativity and giving it the time and attention required to speak the language.

The most rewarding part of being an artist is having this language in my arsenal. You often hear creatives say their art is a form of expression–I truly believe that in the sense that when we don’t have the words for the emotions we are trying to express, art often helps us release that emotion.

Being able to share our art with the world is a vulnerable step when you realize how much emotion goes into its creation. But having people be receptive to and actually enjoy your art is a completely other level of reward and acceptance.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lindselisdesign.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindselizdesign
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsayehanson/

Image Credits

All images: Lauren Topor with Good Karma Photo