We were lucky to catch up with Simona Camp recently and have shared our conversation below.

Simona, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

So, my journey started when I was accepted into a graphic design program that focused as much on theory as it did on practical application, and which I graduated from with a BFA. But, I did not always know that I would choose a creative field. As a child, I was curious about everything, from astronomy to sociology to math to woodworking and more. I took way more classes in college than I needed, because I wanted to know so much, and I loved it! Getting this broader education has allowed me to view problems from multiple angles and has helped me greatly with my work now.

After getting my undergrad degree, I went to work for a small startup that was just getting into the print-on-demand business. I ended up working with their wedding stationery brand, and growing with the company. Being that it was a startup, I had the opportunity to work on multiple teams including production, design, merchandising analytics and art direction.

I moved to a more corporate environment and continued to focus on art direction and merchandising analytics. This added so much wealth to my understanding of design and business, but left me craving for the opportunity to create and explore my own ideas.

After deciding to work for myself, I threw myself back into the creative world. I took classes, read books, and took on a variety of clients so that I could refresh my skills and stay relevant in the design world.

I learned pretty quickly that stationery, surface design and licensing was my niche, and have worked hard to grow in that space.

If I could go back to when I was first starting out, I would tell myself to stop worrying that other designers might judge me, to allow myself to be vulnerable and to not be afraid to ask for help and advice. I would also tell myself to focus on what I’m great at and develop those skills instead of focusing on my weaknesses. But the number one thing I would do to speed up the learning process is take more risks with my career. When you’re just starting out is a great time to test out the industry and find your passion.

As for skills that are most important, of course learn the software that you need to use, but also learn the process of what happens to your work once you pass it on. Always ask questions, and clarify to ensure complete understanding. Always be open to learn more and stay humble if you mess up. We all do, it’s what keeps us human. Oh and tell that imposter syndrome that it’s not welcome in your life!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

For the past 8 years, I’ve been a freelance graphic designer with a focus on wedding stationery, surface pattern design, and licensing. I work with brands big and small and my work has been featured at West Elm, Minted, The Knot, GreenVelope, Simply to Impress, and more.

Before deciding to work for myself, I spent years working for startup companies and corporate businesses. I started working for an e-commerce wedding stationery brand when print-on-demand was still a baby. It was such a great opportunity to learn the ins and outs of that world. Working on and with many teams helped me expand my knowledge and be able to foresee problems, implement solutions and come up with innovative new opportunities. I worked on the production, design, merchandising analytics, and trend forecasting teams. And collaborated with engineering for years, which helped me understand and improve processes for acquiring and launching designs online. Eventually, I realized that because I am so passionate about my work and about finding creative solutions to problems, working for myself was the right path for me as it gave me the freedom to innovate faster, and test out ideas without having any outside limitations placed on me.

I find inspiration everywhere. I love to travel and always bring back new design ideas with me. I find that architecture, old books, and nature are my main inspiration sources. And I look for patterns in art, design and lifestyles to make predictions about what the newest trends in stationery, fashion and home decor will be. My kids and the perspectives they bring are also a huge source of my inspiration. It’s a skill that I am always refining, but seeing the world through someone else’s eyes is priceless when it comes to running a business or selling a product.

One thing I have come to accept about myself is that I will never stop learning. I have this constant itch to learn more, not just about design, but about many different things. This is such a part of me that in 2019, I went back to get a graduate degree in education. Learning about how people learn has improved my understanding of why consumers choose certain products over others, and how people make choices in general. I always have books around, and visit the library frequently. But designing is my passion, and I’m constantly learning new ways to innovate. I’ve always seen design as a combination of intuitive art and analytical problem solving. For me, it’s like solving a puzzle and also making it beautiful.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

I want to say that it’s been this amazing marketing plan, or that I have millions of followers on social media, but the honest answer is that I find most of my clients through word of mouth. This corner of the design world that I work in is large, and yet tiny at the same time. I cannot count the number of times I was talking to potential clients and found that we had crossed paths before or had common contacts. While the design world is highly competitive, it is also very supportive. Making connections, growing your network and helping others succeed will always pay off.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

This is so hard because I have so many books that have majorly impacted my thinking and philosophy. Did I mention that I’m a bit of a book-addict? So off the top of my head…

Essentialism and Effortless by Greg McKeown – All about how to prioritize and focus on what’s most important and eliminate time wasters.

Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert – This book has helped me understand and really embrace my creative process.

The Power of Vulnerability by Brene Brown – This audiobook needs to be required listening for every human. Learning to be vulnerable and give up control has had an incredibly positive effect on every aspect of my life, especially my work.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.seethatthere.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/supersimona/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scavallaro/