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[xmelamo]

Collab piece with @letterordie for @goodtype United by the Arts

#unitedbythearts #goodtype #hand lettering #lettering

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Hey you! You’re important too ✨

The theme for last week’s #HOMwork was to give some words of wisdom, and these are some that I need to take to heart as well. 

#homwork #lettering #hand lettering

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@goodtype recently hit a million followers! Here’s a little piece to celebrate

#goodtype1million #goodtypetuesday

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Happy Valentine’s Day! Hope yours is as sweet as hunny 🍯

Here’s a little Winnie the Pooh sticker I made awhile back for the Disney Stickers: Love pack for iMessage ❤️

#happy valentines day #lettering #imessage sticker

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Wishful travel itinerary for 2019: Tokyo, Rome, and NYC ✈️

#goodtypetuesday #goodtypetravel #goodtype #lettering

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New Year, same goals! 

#lettering #procreate #hand lettering #take naps #stay woke

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Bye 2018!

We’re down to the last few hours of the year, which is when I like to reflect on what I did and how that can inform what I do next year.

This year had a lot of cool moments, but they were defined by three major milestones: I ventured into a new industry, vended at my first public art/craft fair, and took on my first major freelance project that wasn’t for a small business. 

1. New(ish) Industry I say “ish” because I’m still a designer and I plan on always being a designer. However, design is incredibly broad and a designer can work on anything from app user flows to patterns on apparel. After being trained for and working in what can be grouped into advertising & marketing for 3 years, I started a gig working on signs and graphics for environments—specifically the Disneyland Resort. This was the first time I found myself on the “product” side of things rather than the “marketing” side, and also the first time I went into work every day with a sense of not really knowing how to do anything. Both of these aspects were incredibly exciting to me, and I loved the challenge. On the nostalgic/fangirl side it was also THE BEST being able to see my design work in Disneyland, aka my favorite place in the world, and know that it will be there for years to come. 

2. First Art Fair! In June I tabled at Ground Zero Animation Expo with an old roommate, which meant I had to come up with a series of products to sell. I had NEVER done that before, and it was very daunting to think about at the time I signed up for the event. But it proved to be an amazing experience— I spent months brainstorming product ideas and created a TON of personal work in the process, and now I have the groundwork laid to table at another convention in the future! I am excited to work on more stuff that isn’t for a client, because then I can better figure out my voice as an artist and how to then market that voice. 

3. FIRST REALLY REALLY BIG CLIENT PROJECT Yes, I do freelance work and I’ve done a few projects this year, but typically the projects I do are for other individuals or small businesses. I love the variety of clientele I’ve taken on over the years: a coffee shop, photographers, musicians, children’s book illustrators, basketball teams/leagues, and a small film production studio. This year I was connected with a new client that I am still so extremely excited about, and I am working on a project that has honestly been a dream for me. I can’t go into details as I am under NDA, but it will go out next year! One of my goals is to eventually be able to do freelance lettering work outside of an office job, and I feel like this is the first real step towards that. I am VERY proud to be a part of this project as an independent designer, and I look forward to doing more work like this in the future!

Some honorable mentions that don’t really fit into these three points include taking a workshop from one of my absolute favorite designers (Nick Misani), going back to Cal Poly to review senior portfolios (my second year doing so), organizing a talk at work with the incomparable Paul Antonio, making a custom vinyl Jack Skellington head in honor of The Nightmare Before Christmas’ 25th Anniversary, and continuing to meet and network with designers and lettering artists that I admire. Looking back, I am proud of what I did this year, and I really hope to continue pushing myself next year! 

Happy New Year!   

#reflection #career goals

[xmelamo]

Christmas Countdown Part 2!

#12 days of christmas #lettering #hand lettering

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Christmas Countdown Part 1

#12 days of christmas #lettering #hand lettering

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Grizzly River Run in November? You’re wild and we love it! After braving the mountain, show off your adventurous side by picking up this themed button after 5PM! (Available while supplies last) 

[xmelamo]

Midterm elections are tomorrow. Please, please, please go vote if you haven’t already voted early. Do not rely on your friends/peers/district to “have it covered”— voting is a right, but it is not a spectator sport. We ALL have a say, so make sure you say it at the polls!

#homwork #govote #midterms 2018 #election day

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Got practical for this week’s #HOMwork prompt—it was super sweet arranging 2-ish pounds of jellybeans! Thanks Lauren Hom and Becca Clason for giving me an excuse to play with food hehe 👻 Hope everyone has a happy and safe Halloween! 💚💛🧡 https://www.instagram.com/p/BpmbtfxlZXN/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1eaj81sqw1g7h

#homwork #ghoul beans #food type #food lettering

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And just like that I’ve fallen behind again 😅 #inktober2018 Day 18: “bottle” 🌀 https://www.instagram.com/p/BpNtBhUlkbW/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=352gort7h43d

#inktober2018

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The eternal mood 💀 #inktober2018 Day 7: “exhausted” https://www.instagram.com/p/Boxc2qOgND0/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=14ez8hikuza70

#inktober2018

[xmelamo]

It’s that time of the yearrrrrrrrr 

#pumpkin spice #This is Halloween #lettering

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If you’ve been following along in my stories you’ve probably seen the puzzle that my office has been working on at lunch for the last month. We finally finished last week so I drew this little seal to celebrate! Goooooo Puzzle People! 🏌🏼‍♂️ https://www.instagram.com/p/BnG07RcgSrl/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=9g1m4ip1x9l8

[xmelamo]

How bad am I at documenting my work? 

Welllllll I designed this logo for my weekend basketball team over 2 years ago now. Guess our team name is fitting for me!

#knuckleheads #logo design #hand lettering #vector lettering