I'm so excited! My business cards have arrived! This "I'm doing some container gardening on the side" thing is a little more official! I think the cards look amazing - they are printed on a beautiful linen paper. The texture and design say - I hope - you can trust me to make your containers tastefully beautiful.
I'd like you all to hear from the creative genius behind my gorgeous new cards....Ben Clark of the Etsy shop Designer Aged. If you need new business cards, contact him. He is creative, fast and a great communicator! I'm a fan, for sure!
Ben, you have an Etsy shop...how did that come about?
My wife, a stay-at-home mom to our two children, had the idea to earn a little extra-income from home by designing custom birth announcements and party invitations. As I helped to get her side-business, Crocogator Prints, off the ground, we found that opening an Etsy shop might be nice platform for reaching her target market. It was then that I realized the vast potential of the Etsy marketplace. On a whim, I opened my own little shop, Designer Aged, for custom business card printing and design. I am delighted by the response I am receiving!
I'm fascinated by the journeys that bring people where they are in life. For me, I've gone from detassling Nebraska cheerleader to a high-powered PR career to mom of twins to container gardener......what's your story?
I'd say an important turning point in my journey started with a fateful visit from a college recruiter to my high school art class. I didn't have a lot of direction in high school, but I found myself thriving in my art classes. This recruiter, from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in Savannah, GA, opened a new door for me. I applied, was accepted, and enrolled there for an undergraduate degree in their Computer Graphics program. I soon focused my studies on motion graphics and graphic design. My first industry job was with the local Savannah, GA Fox/ABC news station as their promotions editor. It was a great entry-level position but I was ready to return home to southern California with my wife.
In California, I switched gears from video to print media as the senior designer for a weekly newspaper in Valley Center, CA. On the side, I instructed graphic design courses at a local technical college. In 2002, I started and ran a full-service graphic design and printing company that I later sold in 2007. It was a very rewarding experience to see the fruit of my labor grow into a viable business, but it was a ton of work as I had to perform many roles in the company; from boss to salesman to artist to accountant. I often spent after-business hours to keep up with my demanding workload. I realized, after the birth of our first child, that a 9-5 job would better suit my family's needs. We sold the business and moved to New England, to be near my wife's family, where I now find myself enjoying a challenging and exciting career as an art director for a national retail chain. On the side, I opened Designer Aged on Etsy, which more than satisfies my entrepreneurial interests.
Where do you get ideas for your designs?
I'm inspired by many different artists and medias and I do a lot of research to stay on top of the current trends. I study artists whose work I love by picking apart each piece of their overall look. How do they use depth, color, etc? While studying them over the years, I have created my own style.
What are some tips for people seeking your assistance with business cards and other design projects?
Have a good idea of what you like and don't like. Submit your likes to the designer and ask him/her to be creative and build it into his/her style. Be open to letting your designer take creative liberties with your project. A good designer is going to be thoughtful in their creative approach and give you a look that best portrays your business. Like a good photographer knows how to pose and style you for your best angle, a good graphic designer knows how to similarly complement your business' advertising.
I have to ask, do you have any container gardens?
Not yet! I don't think I have ever put any thought into them before but after reading your blog, a couple sure would look nice out on my deck.
Anytime you need help, let me know, Ben!
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