We recently connected with Oliver Hill and have shared our conversation below.

Oliver, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

To say I wish I had started my creative career sooner, would be impossible. There was no clear start. From the beginning, it has felt like tumbling through open doors. After college, I worked delivering newspapers. This was hard, laborious work in the dark early morning hours. I was exhausted and needed something new. So, I lied my way into a graphic design job with next to no digital art skills. I was a traditional artist with a background in printmaking and book arts that Youtubed my way around the Adobe Suite grateful that someone had given me a job that kind of used my skills. After a few years, the agency I worked for had some changes in leadership, and I opted to go part time and focus a little more on the handful of clients I had accumulated. But that wasn’t really working out as easily or profitably as I hoped. But one afternoon, a client offered me their studio for a one night art show. It was my first solo exhibition, and I jumped at it. I knew it would be hard to sell paintings with only one night, and I needed the funds. So I made as many hand bound journals as I could. I designed the covers, cut all the paper (slicing my finger open in the process), and stayed up late into the night binding them together. When the day of the show rolled around, I sold out of books. That was all I needed. I started vending at art markets, meeting clients that I am passionate about, and finding a place in my community. My career started when it was supposed to. It started when I had enough experience, knowledge, need, excitement, and fearlessness to make it happen for myself.

Oliver, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Oliver Hill. I am a transmasc, non-binary artist, graphic designer, and book maker based in Orlando, Florida. I was drawn to book making because it is a functional art form. It prioritizes craftsmanship over mass production, ethically sourced materials over mindless consumption, and the human hand over the machine. Books are deeply rooted in human expression, preservation of thoughts, and dissemination of knowledge. Journals and sketchbooks are the ultimate safe place for our feelings, ideas, and fears. I honor this by crafting each book with care and intention.

Outside of book making, I am a graphic designer who works primarily with BIPOC and LGBTQ+ businesses and production companies throughout the United States. Awarded Best Graphic Designer by Orlando Weekly (2024 & 2025), I infuse the same care in my graphic design as I do in my books. In the face of AI, the humanmade carries more weight. Graphic design is no longer just laying out text and images on a page or pairing the right icon with a font, it is vital that it showcases humanity. That is why, I design from my heart with my hands. From logos and branding to event flyers, speed will never be valued more than individuality and authenticity in my studio. Maintaining a strong code of ethics infused with passion is my guiding light.

I’m proud to have grown my business without compromise, to only take clients I’m passionate about, to create in a way that aligns with the world I want to live in. I joke that everything I make is for myself, because I’d never put something in the world I didn’t believe in. When I take on a project, it is because I care. It’s taken a lot of work to get where I am today, work that is fueled by love.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

No, I don’t think there’s something non-creatives will struggle to understand about my journey. Hard work is universal. Though non-creatives may not understand the process of making a book or the technical requirements from a printer, we all can relate to the feeling of building something we’re proud of. Regardless of what type of business you own, landscaping, coffee shop, crochet booth, you name it, the journey still requires bravery, time, trust, and work. There’s no short cut, no algorithm hack. I built my business brick by brick. I didn’t rely on social media or digital marketing (even with a decade of experience doing it for clients). My business grew organically through word of mouth, from getting to know my customers, and having coffee with clients. Building strong relationships is at the core of any successful business. Take the time to get to know the people in your life and in your community, go to your local plant meet up, check out an alt-drag show, sign up for a market. And most of all, don’t be afraid to share who you are! You might be surprised by the opportunities that come your way.

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

Connecting to others is the most rewarding part of being an artist. Whether it’s graphic design or book making, meeting people in my community is what drives me forward. I frequently find myself thinking, “I can’t believe I get to work with people I admire.” Clients, market organizers, fellow artists, customers, my life is full of amazing people that remind me how beautiful life can be. Let’s be real, it can be a little scary in the world these days, but my faith and love for humanity is constantly reinforced at every pop up market, after each discovery call, when I read reviews and thank you emails. It’s not easy being a full-time artist, but I wouldn’t change it for anything. It’s given my life purpose, and I couldn’t be more grateful to each person who bought a book or hired me for their passion project.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.chillartistry.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chill_artistry/

Image Credits

Head shots and book photos by Arden Vincent Photography