Meet Hannah Edwina Greenwell

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Hannah Edwina Greenwell. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hannah Edwina, 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 creativity alive by remembering to live life and smell the roses. As Artists we often push ourselves to be constantly creating, which is great, until it’s not. We often find ourselves in creative ruts and running out of inspiration. I have to remind myself to take time to absorb life and all of the beauty around me. Take time to collect inspiration, and appreciate the beauty around you.
Personally some time spent in nature will kick start some inspiration. Last summer I found myself in a bit of creative rut while working as a Freelance Graphic Designer. I was juggling a handful of different jobs and found myself neglecting my personal creativity outside of work. I ended up turning my car into a camper and went camping. I spent a few days out in nature, hiking, and sketching. I found myself with a new fixation of birds. I was fascinated by them. I began watching them, drawing them, researching them, and photographing them. They became my creative muse. I went home and began painting birds and carried a bird journal everywhereI went. By the end of the summer I had a sketch book full of bird drawings.
As a freelance Graphic Designer it can become easy to completely involve yourself creatively into your work. It’s so important to remember to keep your creativity alive by doing creative projects that fill yourself with joy. Make art that makes you happy. Don’t just focus on work.

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

I currently work as a Freelance Graphic Designer, Muralist, Painter, and Photographer. I work under my own personal brand Hannah Edwina Creates. I’m a commission based artist and also keep up an Etsy shop. I acquire my commissions through my website, social media, and artist platforms like Book-An-Artist. I have a Bachelors in Fine Arts, with a Major in Graphic Design, and Minors in Painting, Drawing, and Photography. I’ve been working 3+ years in Graphic Design, Photography, and Painting.
I’m professionally focused on becoming a full time artist, wether it’s as a Graphic Designer, Muralist, or both. My artistic career is the most important to me. I’m happy to juggle projects, travel, and collaborate. As long as I’m pursuing my dreams of becoming a full time artist, I’m excited to give it my all.
This year I’m going to be launching an Artist Booth at local Makers Markets. I’ve been working on various paintings, prints, and knits to sell across Michigan this upcoming Summer, Fall, and Winter of 2025. I’ve been spending my free time creating stock to sell at various markets and look forward to sharing it!

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Looking back, the three qualities I found to be the most impactful on my journey is communication, creative problem solving, and working in an iterative design process. When acquiring a commission or design job it’s important to keep a constant line of communication going. Wether it’s written or verbal, it’s important to make sure you’re on the same page as your client. From the moment we begin brainstorming to the final touches, I like to stay in touch with the customer to ensure we’re sharing the same vision. Creative problem solving is important because us creatives can approach solutions differently. Sometimes a bump in the road can push the project to a new and better direction. I always recommend designers work in an iterative design process. When working this way you create various iterations (sketches) and allow your client to pick their favorite. You continue to do this for every step of the process through rough sketches and final drafts. This way you allow your clients to make critiques throughout the process, instead of receiving a bunch of critiques at once and getting confused in which direction to go. The best way to develop and improve on these skills is to practice. Take every opportunity you can, practice your communication as well as your design process. Overtime you’ll have the perfect script and formula when working with clients.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

I’m always looking for folks to collaborate with. I’ve previously worked with groups such as Lenawee Indivisible and Lenawee Period Packs. Where I created infographics on issues such as Period Poverty and Proposal 3 in Michigan. I’m always happy to work with Social Justice, Feminist, LGBTQ+, and Equality groups!
I’m also looking to collaborate with Artists in Metro Detroit with a passion for nature. Folks who would like to meet up at Public Parks to create various nature inspired artworks. Trade supplies, techniques, and skills to help each other grow.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.hannahedwina.com
• Instagram: @hannahedwinacreates
• Facebook: Hannah Edwina Photography
• Linkedin: Hannah Edwina Greenwell
• Other: Etsy: Hannah Edwina Creates