We were lucky to catch up with Konn Lavery recently and have shared our conversation below.
Konn, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
Impostor syndrome is an interesting mind set that takes time to get over. For me, I self-published my first novel in 2012 and began freelancing as a graphic designer in 2014. I didn’t feel like an accomplished author until 2018, 6 years after my first release. In that time, I signed my first contract with a publisher for a novel, had two short stories published, and self released four additional novels. The graphic design business also did not feel authentic until around the same time when I raised my rates and got bigger contracts. During those years in-between, impostor syndrome is alive and well. It’s that classic cliche of “fake it until you make it.” Truthfully, there wasn’t any faking, as I was being authentic, i just didn’t believe in myself.
Each year I continued to progress as a creative both in design and as a writer, stepping up my goals each year. It wasn’t until 2018 when I looked back at my own track record, seeing how my career was projecting, I realized that I was that accomplished author and a graphic designer. There wasn’t a need to think otherwise and it was in my head. The lack of experience and the unknown made me think I wasn’t real.
In short, it takes time and maturity to reflect and appreciate where you are and how far you’ve come.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
My name is Konn Lavery, I am a Canadian graphic designer and fiction writer. Originally from Edmonton, Alberta, I moved out West to Vancouver where I continue to right in the fantasy and horror genres while growing my web development and graphics business. It is entering its 10th year in 2024. Everything I have done to date has been self made. Although, I couldn’t have done it without the people in my life. Treat people well with respect and they will remember. I am grateful for my network of friends and colleagues. They’ve given me great advice and helped along the way by pointing me where to go. I put in the time, the funds, and the consistency in the early 2010’s to get to where I am today. I’m a big believer of not burning bridges, don’t ghost people, and always reply back whether it is text, phone, or email. It’s important to nurture relationships because they can grow into friendships or open the door to new opportunities. Sometimes, it is both.
I started graphic design when I graduated college back in 2010 at the former Guru Digital Arts College. I taught at the school for a couple of years where I continued to grow my skills. After that I worked at a home warranty company as an internal designer and operations staff. Eventually I branched off onto my own in 2014 when I was at a tipping point of balancing contract gigs while working a full-time job. Somehow, I also was trying to maintain a social life and write fiction.
It was scary, I took a huge pay cut, and I took on strange design projects that I wouldn’t be interested in today. I knew I had to take those jobs at the time to make cash despite making a lot less money while starting out. Sometimes you have to take a step back to move in a better direction, and that’s what this downgrade was. It offered more freedom.
When I left my full-time job, the doors opened over the next couple of years. I announced to my whole network about the news. I had more time to write and to see friends and family. Each year I continued to raise the type of clientele I got and my prices while referrals continued to come in.
Referrals were key, as I mentioned before, people are important. I put customer service at the forefront and treat people as equals. There doesn’t need to be a wall between the client and the contractor. It’s about understanding their needs. Sometimes they don’t even know their needs and that’s why they’re coming to you, the expert. It can make some conversations uncomfortable, but they will respect your knowledge and consulting far more after.
Now, over a decade later, my journey keeps growing in the same path. My graphic design business keeps me afloat while I pursue my fiction writing. The novels have reached best seller charts on Amazon and in Edmonton. They have also won multiple award programs. My latest novel, Crystal Moth Conspiracy, is the start of a new series that I am excited to share with readers to see where it goes. The next book is out this January as a newsletter exclusive, which you can find on my website.
My writing can be found at: https://konnlavery.com/
My design work can be found at: https://www.revealdesign.ca/
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?
I would say characteristic traits are the most important to my journey. Hard skills you can learn anywhere. Soft skills require you to look within to improve as a person. The three important ones I consider are: Persistence: Continuing when things are down is key. It’s not always sunshine and happy days. There are a lot of times that it feels like a grind. It is work. Keep at it. Sometimes there are bad years, however things do come around. After a good decade, I’ve seen things come in cycles. My more experienced colleagues have told me the same thing about 20 and 30 year patterns.
Remain Humble: Keep your ego in check. It doesn’t do anyone any favors.
Stay Curious: The world is ever evolving. It wasn’t the same place as it was in the early 2000s, not even five years ago. Always learn, and things will never be boring.
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
I owe a lot to my parents. Trying to narrow it down to just a few is tough. They taught me to be self-reliant. That trickles down into handling finances, being open to learning skills, and not being afraid of new things. I was homeschooled up until high school and was raised vegetarian. I think these two played an important part in my development. Being a vegetarian in the 90s was way different than it was today. You had to be far more creative with your cooking and improvise your ingredients.
This creative problem solving I apply to many other aspects of my life. Homeschooling teaches you to be self-reliant on the learning how to learn. Once you have that, you can develop any skill if you put the time into it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://konnlavery.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/konnlavery/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/konnlavery/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/konn-lavery/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/konnl
- Other: Graphic Design Portfolio: https://www.revealdesign.ca/
Latest Novel: https://konnlavery.com/novels/crystal-moth-conspiracy/
Image Credits
Author Photo: Nastassja Brinker Crystal Moth Conspiracy Cover Illustration: Lee Nielsen, type by Konn Lavery All other work by Konn Lavery
