We were lucky to catch up with Reba Cooke recently and have shared our conversation below.

Reba, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?

Yes, I have been able to earn a full-time living. My journey didn’t start until my first year in college, until then I hadn’t heard of Graphic Design. Simultaneously I started working at an online custom marketplace that was testing out a local brick and mortar. I created on-the-spot custom goods for people and businesses. We had access to licensed graphics, so it was when I got to see the Marvel logo in it’s full .Ai form when I fell in love with graphic design.

It all made sense, because as a kid I noticed the cereal boxes had a seam. So one day I set aside the bag of cereal and broke down the box only to be memorized at the fact that it was a flat piece of cardboard.

After a few years at my first design job I graduated from college and started working at an Advertising Agency. That’s where I grew my skills, knowledge, and understanding of not only graphic design, but the business itself. And that’s when an enormous flame started to burn inside of me. I needed something more than the drive-through process that is an Advertising Agency. I needed something that would push the boundaries of my creativity—where I was free to be daring, where quality is more important than quantity and where passion wasn’t limited. That didn’t exist in my world, so I created it.

I opened my creative studio full-time in 2018. For 5 years I grew that little studio into the dream I didn’t know I wanted. To kickstart my dream, I knew I had to reach the right people. I wrote down several dream clients and created a strategy to get them. One of my many ideas was to paint a mural, pro bono, at a local beauty spot, knowing the right people will have eyes on my work. Now, I know pro bono is a conflicting topic in the art world, but I believe if it’s done at the right time, with the right people, it can help your career. And that’s exactly what happened to me. At the time, I had never done a mural, but had hand-drawn several large-scale pieces, so I was pretty confident in my skill. The mural turned out great and it did exactly what I wanted it to do and I landed my first big ticket client, RedBull. To keep the momentum of dream clients going, I did everything there was in the book, but one thing that helped me win was good ol’ networking. The more people you know, the more people know YOU.

Reba, 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?

I got my talent from my mom. She was always the inspiration for what I wanted for my career. The pure joy she had while doing what she loved is what I wanted. While she battles with a life-long crippling disease, it never stops her. My mom is the reason why I have the courage to do the things that I do.

I had a talent for art and music, ever since I was little, but was forced to focus on one or the other at a very young age. I knew at the time I would essentially be picking my career, because the Highschool I wanted to go to was a Magnet school where I would continue my focus. My aunt and cousin are professional violinists, so I heard how hard it was to compete, let alone earn a living. So I chose art. I didn’t know what that would look like, but I knew there were enough diverse jobs in the field that I could figure it out.

I was always doing some sort of art growing up, whether it was for school or for personal pleasure, art was my world. After high school, graphic design kind of landed in my lap. I didn’t know anything about it, but I knew I wanted to do it, so I did and my career took off from there!

What sets me apart from others is my process, skills, and love for learning. I tell my clients that I am a student of their brand/business and I want to learn from the people that know it best – the client. I’m also trained in fine art, so illustration and lettering sets me apart, as well as having a strong eye for color. I’ve dabbled in every area of graphic design and more recently have fallen in-love with UX/UI design. UX/UI combines all my skills into one project, which makes it challenging in the best kind of way. I like to stay challenged in the field, because it’s always changing. You can’t fall behind, or you will fall behind.

What I am most proud of is myself. That’s something I couldn’t say 3 years ago. The perfectionist inside me told myself that I’m always sub par. That I can always do better. The stars were never my limit, but an overlay to get to my final destination. But seeing how others have come to me for consulting has made me realize that I have something to offer. And that’s something anyone should be proud of.

The main things I want others to know about me is who I am outside of the creative world. Now that I am content with my career, I have picked up the cello. “No more what-ifs” I told myself. I never thought I would have the chance to go back and experiment with my other love – music, but here I am! I have strong goals with cello that I hope to achieve one day.

Other than cello, I am a curious person. I love trying new things whether that be a restaurant, place, or activity. I solely believe in making the best out of the time you have left, so I live each day with that in mind. Which leads into my business motto: “All Work. All Play.” It’s the heartbeat of my business. While I am incredibly passionate about what I do, I am just as passionate in creating a healthy work/life balance and making the most out of life.

The outdoors is a solace. It’s where I go to regenerate, especially if I need to clear my head. There’s something about the mountains and fresh air that bring me back to life…even when a client tells me to make the logo bigger!

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

While I was working full-time for myself, one of my clients unfortunately told me that they were bringing their design needs in-house. This was bad for me, because they made up a good chunk of my income. At the time I was exhausted from the work of finding new clients, but wasn’t exactly on board with finding a new job until my client offered me the position. After much thought, I took it and glad I did, because although I don’t work for them anymore, it led me to where I work now, which has been an absolute dream. I never thought I would ever say that I love my job, but here I am saying that I love my job! What I learned is that the people you have around you is what makes your job great. Not the job itself.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Two actually. The first, is knowledge from other creatives. I wish other creatives were more open to learning from one another. The creative world can be too proud, leaving no room for growth and learning.

There was a time I asked another small studio if they could help teach me the fundamentals of what it’s like to own your own business. The owner sent a pretty stern message telling me, “stop riding on the coattails of my success.” Shocked, and not wanting to experience that again, I gave up on asking people for help and did what I know well and figured it out on my own. I bought a few books, one being “Freelance, and Business, and Stuff” by Hoodzpah, a well-known creative studio. This book kick started my confidence, as well as the support from friends and family.

Being on the other side of it all, I realize how important it is to have humble mentors. I want to be able to provide that for other creatives. I want to be the person that I needed then.

The second, I recently learned: The Creative Process by Dr. Laura Beth Daws
1. Recognize that a problem exists
2. Find motivation to solve that problem
3. Gather necessary knowledge and resources to solve the problem
4. Cooperative support offered: Need psychological safety
5. Challenge others’ ideas
6. Allow an incubation period, if possible, where discomfort, tension, and stress live for a while.

Her creative process has helped me with creative blocks, which we all know likes to come at the worst of times. Hopefully this process will help someone else too.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://rebareneedesign.com
• Instagram: https://Instagram.com/reba.renee
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rebareneedesign

Image Credits

Adrienne Louise Photography
Eye Witness Photography