Meet Brenna Malmberg

We were lucky to catch up with Brenna Malmberg recently and have shared our conversation below.

Brenna, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?

I keep my creativity alive by trying new things and creating, even when it’s not perfect or for a specific purpose. As someone who does a lot of creative work, it can be easy to put a lot of pressure on creating and capturing my work. When I overthink or build a project up into more than it is, a creative block can set in. I avoid a creative slump and keep creativity alive by picking up another creative hobby, going out into the world to be inspired or creating with my kids. For me, any place or activity can be an inspiration, so sometimes I just need to mix it up if I feel like life and work aren’t creative.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I’m the founder and artist behind Snail Mailed It (snailmailedit.com). I create custom, handwritten greeting cards — message and all — and mail it off for you. These cards aren’t just any cards. They are little works for art for the recipient, complete with handlettering and doodles. I am most proud of the evolution of my lettering and doodles, and the established art style I have created. It always makes me smile when people see my work and immediately know I am the artist behind it. Right now, I am excited about writing cards for summer campers. It’s so fun to help family and friends send happy mail to their summer campers all summer long. I am also working behind the scenes on fall and winter holiday designs. That time of year is the busy season for greeting cards, and it’s so much fun!

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

For me, my creative, photography and writing skills have helped me most along my journey to where I am at now with my own small business. I honed these skills while getting my journalism degree, and working in the marketing and editorial world for many years. My advice for anyone anywhere along their journey is to learn as many skills as you can. You never know when one of them will come in handy. I have a diverse set of skills, and I use all of them — writing, marketing, photography, drawing, lettering, graphic design, SEO, photo editing, social media — to run my own small business.

Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?

My husband, Cole, has been the biggest help and encouragement while building my small business. He was the biggest advocate for me starting Snail Mailed It in the first place. His skillset is also very different from mine, so when I run into issues with my website or paperwork, he can help me overcome challenges and smooth everything out so I can get back to creating and marketing. He is also willing to talk through any parts of the business I am thinking about and help me figure out the path forward. All the while, he’s a great husband and papa to our kids.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://snailmailedit.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/snailmailedit
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61562019733668
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brennamedia/