Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dana Christopherson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Dana, thrilled to have you on the platform as I think our readers can really benefit from your insights and experiences. In particular, we’d love to hear about how you think about burnout, avoiding or overcoming burnout, etc.
Burnout is tough! To avoid it takes mindfulness and a deep understanding of your creative limits and boundaries—all of which is easy to lose control of when you’re busy making deadlines and getting things done!
I’ve learned the hard way that if you’re burning all your energy without recharging you’ll fade pretty quick. When trying to avoid burnout I make sure to take breaks. Sometimes that means daily walks or a pizza night with friends, sometimes it means weekend vacations, and sometimes it means a creative and social media hiatus.
If I am past the point of avoiding the burnout I gracefully accept when it’s happening. There’s no use getting frustrated or being hard on myself when I’ve hit the burnout phase—I’ve done that before and it’s only resulted in longer burnout! So I give myself grace and time to move through it. To get out of a creative burnout I like to explore other outlets that tap into my creative brain—like baking, reading, home projects, etc. Anything that gets me out of my head, off the computer, and away from my usual creative utensils + processes.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
Yes! I am a graphic designer, art director, illustrator, and hand letterer. Over the last 10 years I’ve designed for museums, store experiences, print and digital; I’ve art directed both still and broadcast shoots; and I’ve illustrated magazine covers, social posts, apparel, packaging, gift cards, logos, and so much more.
At the core of all that I do is storytelling and gentle honesty. When it comes to illustration and lettering I love to create pieces that bring the audience happiness, laughter, joy, nostalgia, and inspiration. I also want the people who view my work to feel seen, heard, and not so alone—in my personal work I like to touch on my own mental health journey, personal struggles, and both difficult and joyous experiences.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The ability to collaborate in small and large teams, quick problem solving, and organization are the three skills / qualities that I think were the most impactful in my journey to where I am today.
All three of these skills have taken me years to learn and understand. But I would say to those that are early in their careers or just starting out to take time to listen and learn in the environments that you are in. Understanding how your peers like to work and how you like to work has helped me tremendously in collaborating with them. As for organization, start early! It’s never fun to be halfway through a project and your desktop and files are a mess. When things get down to the wire you don’t want to be scrambling! So, if you set up a process for yourself early on—from file organization to timelines—you’ll be thanking yourself in the end!
How would you describe your ideal client?
My ideal client would be one who is looking to make something wonderful within my bold, cute, fun, imaginative, feminine, edgy style! I also love a client that is interested in collaborating and working with me to create something beautiful. The process of creating is so much fun and it’s always great to have a client that wants to work with me, not just have me execute something in my style.
Contact Info:
- Website: dana-christopherson.com
- Instagram: @dana.christopherson
