Today we’d like to introduce you to Jilian Ryan.
Hi Jilian, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
When Voyager asked me to share my story along with other “entrepreneurs, creatives and community leaders,” I felt like a fraud. Was I any of those things? After weeks of journaling, stalling, and writing multiple versions of this bio, I realized that there must be other creatives who struggle to see themselves in this way. If so, my story is for you.
How it started: Drawing flowed from me as a kid! I spent hours in my room drawing, hours in the classroom doodling, hours in art class thriving. But becoming an adult became synonymous with shelving what I loved for a “career”—in graphic design. What was graphic design? I had no idea, and yet, suddenly, graphic design had become “what I was doing with my life”. I wanted to go to art school. Due to external factors, I went to business school. It felt like an arranged marriage.
18 years later, I’m still a professional graphic designer. Ha! I learned to love it. However, it can involve more email scheduling than drawing or creative design. So, I do what many creatives do—art on the side. Despite the side projects, I struggle to call myself an artist because I don’t “art” full-time.
But I am creative. Even though it feels like I live a double life at times, creativity remains the common thread. In my day job, creativity helps me navigate new industries, business acquisitions, unusual design requests, and remote work communications.
My side projects are more traditionally creative—artistic—and have ranged from (even more) graphic design projects, to meticulous stippled pen portraits, to fun acrylic flow paintings, to illustrative nursery murals, to creating vinyasa yoga flows and teaching them, to sketchy comics, to decorating my first house. My art isn’t contained to one medium. And I can’t say that I have a defined style. Maybe it’s “experimental.” It is, however, an outlet for my curiosity, a source of balance in my life, a friend I tell stories to, a gift I share with others, and a way to come home to myself.
The message of my story: whatever you think you lack—stay open. Opportunities to recognize and become what you desire are everywhere.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Art-wise: making time for art and personal projects while working full time, feeling like art was less important than everything else, the “pressure” to find my style, pricing my work fairly to myself, balancing creating art that I liked doing with fulfilling orders.
Design-wise: balancing the desire to explore ideas with strict deadlines, keeping work interesting while working with one brand, taking a break from design for a few years and then returning to it, rusty! Most of my design jobs have been as a solo designer on a marketing team, so advocating for my work and feeling supported was especially challenging as a young designer.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
As a designer, I’m currently known for creating in depth visual brand design and for being a speedy PowerPoint presentation creator. As an artist, I’ve generated the most business from stippled pen portraits and acrylic flow paintings. I believe my adaptability sets me apart.
How do you think about luck?
Art-wise: Supportive coworkers, employers, family, and friends who opened doors to art shows, encouraged me to keep making art—even if just for myself, shared my art with others, invited me to collaborate, spread the word and forwarded me opportunities. It’s also a good bit of luck that self taught artists like myself have the internet to learn from.
Design-wise: I’m lucky that I had an aunt to stay with while moving to Houston. I grew up near Detroit and the auto industry took a huge hit in 2007 when I finished college. Houston had a better economy and I was extremely lucky that I had a bridge to a city with more opportunities. My aunt also mentored me on job interviews and professionalism. I’m lucky there are so many online design mentors like Chris Do where I could continue to learn beyond college years. As well as in-person events like those held by my local AIGA chapter. Another piece of luck: I was furloughed from my job in 2020, then soon after I was approached by a former colleague about a job that I took and ultimately earned a substantial pay raise!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mittslap
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jilian-ryan-a0831016
- Other: https://maps.app.goo.gl/V1fKRS5meFJ3C1KR9
