We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Zoe Baumann a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Zoe, thanks for joining us today. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.
I’ve found my artistic niche in creating visual works for rock musicians in Northern Colorado, which include posters, album covers, logos, live visuals for concerts, and music videos.
Finding my place as a female artist in an otherwise male-dominated space has been nothing but welcoming, especially as the (usually male) client allows me to create more traditionally “feminine” works for them.
However, the ol imposter syndrome kicks in every now and then and makes me feel as though I’m doing “too much” sometimes. I.E., using lots of pink in my color pallet or using imagery of witchy women. I worry that my client will find it too far removed from their “masculine” brand and reject it.
But I have the honor of working in the coolest design service niche ever, working directly with open-minded musicians rather than big-wig corporations. I’m able to create just about anything I want and my clients love the psychedelic feminine style. It catches the eye and is unusual from most imagery you pass by in your day to day.
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?
I’ve found my artistic niche in creating visual works for rock musicians in Northern Colorado, which include posters, album covers, logos, live visuals for concerts, and music videos.
I had a graphic design teacher ask me once “What’s your dream job? Why are you studying this medium?”. I took some time to think about it, and I realized my favorite designs are the psychedelic art nouveau-esque design from the late 1960s which promote music concerts.
I realized that I could easily become part of that legacy of music poster artists, so I reached out to a local band I liked to see if they’d be willing to let me design a poster for their next show free of charge. They said yes and from there, bands from all over the front range of Colorado have reached out for my design services and distinct style.
Musicians and visual artists are both Artists with a capital A. The two mediums are interlinked as Artists attempt to take the experience of being a human and turn it into a semi-tangible expression. There is a symbiotic relationship between the two forms and I love being able to produce visual works to accompany the sublime nature of music and sound.
Potential clients should know that I can take their ideas and make them even cooler than they even realized was possible. Because of this, they should be willing to take some risks when they hire me.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
I think continually showing up to the shows of my clients and being an active member in the music scene I design for has built my reputation within my market. My design services are different from typical designer/client relationships, as its very casual.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
Something non-creatives will struggle to understand about my journey as a creative is that I am taking it very slowly in terms of making a living off of it. I have a day job in the restaurant industry where I make most of my money and hope that my time will come naturally when I am able to live off of my design services. I find that when I become hyperfixated on the financial gain of a project rather than what it can do for my portfolio or even just my personal growth as an artist, I lose sight of why I got into my niche market in the first place. I am an Artist before anything else, and sometimes that means you have to start off humbly and work your way up.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.zoebaumanncreative.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoe.baumann.creative/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoe-baumann/
- Other: https://vimeo.com/user113597042
Image Credits
Amanda Nichole Castro