We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sami Nguyen a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Sami thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

While many might see creative jobs as ones where we do get to create all day, there is SO much back end planning, logistics and admin work that goes into creative and artistic careers that don’t get seen. At times, there can be so many tasks weighing me down as one person that having a “regular job” seems so appealing, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. Each task is a lesson that helps me and my business grow!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I started The Unexpected Type as a creative outlet by mistake. My partner loved the artwork I was drawing based off the places we had traveled to and surprised me by turning a favorite design into a patch. We put the patch on Etsy and it sold out, prompting new artwork, more designs and lots of travel fun in the process.

My background is in graphic design, visual design, events and PR so I was able to take all of those learnings to launch TUT. My inspiration is always drawn from nature, travel and creativity with the goal to inspire others to head outside, try something new or be creative themselves! My work has recently shifted with the our newest baby girl as a part of the family business and I’m excited to see where my inspiration takes me with her in our lives.

We currently sell hand drawn patches, pins, keychains, stickers and apparel online but most of my work is on the back end, designing and drawing for our business and clients. It’s so vital to me at this time to slow down and enjoy each moment in life along where our travels take us. My continued goal is to capture the special moments we all experience when we’re outside or creating and turn them into pieces of artwork meant for sharing.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Believe in them and value their services/work! Supporting any other creative or business owner doesn’t need to be a huge gesture – it can be as simple as saying “I’m a big fan of your work. Keep going!”, liking a photo, sharing a post or simply engaging with them. I tend to get in my own head, so this goes a long, long way.

Another thing is valuing their work. Right now we live in a space where we want instant gratification and work, but artwork and creativity takes a lot of brainpower to imagine and dream up. Oftentimes as a designer, many people questions why graphics can be such a big investment. While this is absolutely true, you’re hiring a designer for their eye, imagination, brainpower, strategy, human connection, design and thoughtfulness in creating something extremely custom to you. It IS an investment, but one that will pay off.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

Facebook groups! I know Facebook is sort of a mixed bag of emotions for a platform, but freelancing and design groups have been so helpful in learning, connecting and uncovering tips & tricks. I wish I could have been more active or knowledgable to join these groups earlier on to feel a sense of community.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.theunexpectedtype.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theunexpectedtype/

Image Credits
First image: Kourtney Garcia | https://www.instagram.com/kourtneygarciaphotos/ Photos with models: Tiffany Wang | https://www.instagram.com/4xploration/