Nate Burgos's Blog, page 9

Pride, Work and Necessity of Side Projects: Designer and Marketer Kimberly Gant Cultivates Her Creativity through Exploring, Capturing and Making

What are you working on—on the side?

I created my personal brand All That Is Kim where the goal is to document how I explore, capture and create. I accomplish this by creating content on my social media channels and taking on various freelance projects. One example is my video series “Kim In a Minute” where I take a minute with creatives, game-changers and entrepreneurs to get to know their authentic selves. I also recently started creating tutorial videos on YouTube to show how to take your c...

Designer and Web Developer Kim Goulbourne is a Chronic Creator

It was through her nifty Web-based tool Conference Calendar that I discovered Kim Goulbourne, aka Bourn: Designer, self-taught Web Developer and proudly self-proclaimed Chronic Creator. You’ll learn why in this interview, where she shares her perspective on pursuing ideas and getting them real.

Appreciating this portrait of your Mom. What experiences/principles from her do you carry with you as sources of contemplation and ambition in your work?

I’ve actually just come to realize how similar we...

Pride, Work and Necessity of Side Projects: Writer & Director Tara Cocco’s Comedy Chops

What are you working on—on the side?

My side projects mostly revolve around film—writing, directing, producing and acting. The last year has been incredibly rewarding. I just celebrated the release of “Strange Company,” a comedy webseries that I wrote, directed and play a small role in. My team was nothing short of mindblowing. We had no budget and most of us had spent little to no time on set. So to see how beautifully it came together was a testament to how far hard work and surrounding your...

Wenting Li Realizes Her Creative Work Life through Illustration, Comics, Paintings and Inspirations Yet To Be Explored

It was Wenting’s winsome cover concept for Harper Lee’s novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” that drew me to her work. Here, she elaborates on her journey to becoming an illustrator and exploring

How did you arrive at the desire to become an artist 
who makes her art her life’s work?

I remember always being fascinated with drawing, from when I first figured out how to drag pencils across paper. This could be wrong, but the first thing I ever drew was a bunny-bug-person. ‘Look!’ I told my parents,...

Commercial Artist Shelby Rodeffer Takes Up the Brushes to Create Traditional Sign Painting, Public Art Projects and More

It was her wonderful range of visual compositions, whether it was illustration or lettering—both channeling the characteristics of folk art, that piqued my interest about Shelby Rodeffer, a painter and commercial artist. Here, she shares her story about entering the world of sign painting and committing herself to generating more creative forms, including handmade banners.

Drawn to your tall skills at sign painting. How did you arrive at adopting and practicing traditional sign painting? Was t...

Independent Artist & Designer Shawn Smith Creates Things He Loves

Shawn Smith (self-portrait above) is the creator of character-scapes Shawnimals and Ninjatown, including new series All Shapes and Helping Hands. Here, he shares his views on working hard, as he put it, “to delight and inspire people with my art and design.”

Enjoyed your 2012 talk at the 11th monthly gathering of the Chicago chapter of CreativeMornings when you talked about your toy lines and environments of Ninjatown and Professor Frederick Fliggins’ Island. You’ve evolved since then with the...

Pride, Work and Necessity of Side Projects: Shayla Hunter Addresses and Clarifies What It Means to Be a Black Female Today Through Her 100 Black Females Project

What are you working on—on the side?

My side project is the 100 Black Females Project. It is about connecting with Black Females of all ages and having them share their personal stories and experiences of being a Black Female today. I have done many personal side projects over the years, but this is the first that went beyond the personal. The 100 Black Females Project began as a challenge which later blossomed into something I never expected.

100 Black Females began earlier this year, April 20...

Pride, Work and Necessity of Side Projects: Professional Picture-Maker Liz Nugent Happily Goes Into The Wild

What are you working on—on the side?

As a freelance illustrator, sometimes it’s hard to figure out where a regular project ends and a side project begins! I’m a big believer in personal work, so I always have a few creative irons in the fire alongside client work!

That said, my most organized current side project is my Virginia Native Wildlife series. I get a lot of inspiration from nature, in particular, walking in my local park. I encounter lots of unfamiliar flora and fauna—and I wanted to g...

Pride, Work and Necessity of Side Projects: Product Designer and Manager Caylee Betts’ Entrepreneurial Outlets in Realizing Swipies, Meetup group Moonlighters and More

What are you working on—on the side?

I have a couple! For the last two years, I’ve manufactured and sold a reusable paper called Swipies. I sell them publicly online, but I also do custom-branded projects with customers like Airbnb, General Assembly and Moz. It’s a great side project because it’s a real business, but it doesn’t require my attention constantly. I need to ship orders a couple times a week, but other than that, I can improve and grow the business at my own pace. It’s also cool th...

Pride, Work and Necessity of Side Projects: Sacha Judd is Turning the Tech World into a More Diverse and Inclusive Environment

What are you working on—on the side?

My side projects all revolve around the central question of how we can make the tech sector better. For years, I worked as a lawyer helping startups get off the ground. One of my first side projects was Back of a Napkin, which asks digital collaborators five easy questions and then produces a super simple agreement for them to sign. I set up Flounders Club, a series of events to connect tech founders with one another. I really quickly became frustrated with...