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

Hi Samantha, thanks for joining us today. What do you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry? Any stories or anecdotes that illustrate why this matters?

I worked as a Brand Designer in finance for a couple of years in between freelancing full-time. I signed onto my first finance job at the end of 2020 in search of emotional and financial stability. I had lost my grandmother a couple of months prior and I was emotionally devastated. I entered corporate finance to move to a new city and hoard my savings while I recovered from losing my mother figure. My passion for freelancing had to take a backseat.

During those two years at two very different financial companies, I was not all that happy. I was excited to work with talented people on various prestigious opportunities for seemingly modern brands, but there was one thing standing between me and corporate success. I worked very hard and nearly every time I ended up regretting it.

I am a very hardworking, creative, innovative, and ambitious person. It’s why freelancing suits me. My hard work usually comes back to me through referrals, portfolio pieces, earnings, etc. That is not the type of person who succeeds as a mid-to-senior level designer in corporate finance. The type of designer who thrives in corporate is very emotionally resilient. There is a lot of disappointment and a whole lot of “playing the game.” Creativity and thoughtfulness are not really a priority. The bigger the company, the more often they are looking for production with a smile on a late night with a minute’s notice. And again tomorrow.

I became very protective of my emotional energy and faced terrible burnout that continued six months after leaving my corporate job. Gradually I have started to enjoy being creative again, knowing I can trust myself to make sure my hard work is going to the right place. I don’t have any regrets. Being in that situation ultimately helped me recognize and stay true to my own values. And I’m thankfully back to freelancing and doing what I love again.

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

Hi! My name is Samantha. I’m an independent graphic designer living in Atlanta with my partner of ten years, Andrew, and my fluffy white cat, Theon. I love to travel and I study Japanese. I am currently starting to make my own stickers and stationery. I like to illustrate cats, bunnies, and fruit in a kawaii style. I also write a little bit on social media about my journey with complex PTSD.

As a freelance designer, I create branding, motion, print, digital, and social content for nonprofits, small businesses, creatives, and tech brands. I have nearly ten years of experience designing agency, freelance, and client-side.

I love solving problems and I believe strategy and design go hand and hand. My diverse background has equipped me with the skills to offer a holistic approach to my clients. I offer premium agency-quality work at an affordable price point.

I see my clients as partners and collaborators and they inspire me with their empathy, expertise, and passion. I feel honored to be a part of the amazing work they do. I aspire to create strong partnerships with my clients and support them with their creative needs every step of the way.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Therapy has taught me that creativity is a powerful survival tool. When the outside world is bleak, art can make us feel safe in the world. I remember watching cartoons as a child and not being able to unglue myself from the TV because I felt so seen and inspired. When I closed my eyes, I could remember the shapes and summon a vibrant and welcoming world. In school, my creativity connected me to others, whether I was seeking praise from the teacher or admiration from a classmate. I would frequently give my art away as gifts. And I was good at it.

As an adult, creativity is just the way I express how I feel safe and happy. It’s quite intuitive and honestly addictive for me. I love fashion and decorating my apartment. I can spend an insane amount of hours designing my island in Animal Crossing, modding Skyrim, or designing an annual report. In some ways, it’s all the same to me. Creativity is my hyper fixation and it can be a blessing and a curse.

I used to be pretty lonely since my “rich inner life” was a self-sustaining coping mechanism, but now I am much better at surrounding myself with my chosen friends and family who understand and value me.

What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?

Today, I have been freelancing for half a decade both part-time and full-time. It started when my current client reached out to me. I had admittedly freelanced before, but this was the first time I was being sought out for my skills, what my client would call “creative empathy.” She had found me from an award I received on my senior project, an ethnographic design project featuring photography and interviews with the residents of Fountain Heights, a historic civil-rights neighborhood blocked off by the interstate and facing decline. My new client was great and freelancing became something I did on the weekends and evenings for a couple of years, but honestly, it was hard. My agency job demanded a lot of overtime and rest was rare.

It wasn’t until I helped another client brand her new jewelry business, as we were both leaving our full-time jobs independently, that I felt that I was a part of something bigger. Entrepreneurship was a way for me to take control of my life. The advertising industry has a serious gender problem (insert Ladies, Wine, and Design statistic here about the astounding lack of female leadership in agencies). I did not feel respected at my agency job and it felt good to be valued and to have a positive impact where it counted most. I started Femlance, a freelance network for fxmme and binary creatives, but I took the site down after coming to terms with not touching the site in years. After a couple of years working in finance, I’m back to freelancing full-time again. I’ve also started to make some of my own illustrations and stationery.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.samrich.co/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samrich.gif/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samrichdesign/
• Other: https://dribbble.com/samrich