#sparkchamber 011320 — Crisy Meschieri

Today, we are so thrilled to welcome freelance graphic designer Crisy Meschieri to the #sparkchamber. Currently working out of Rocket City, USA [aka Huntsville, Alabama], Crisy specializes in branding, advertising, and illustration, collaborating with clients including Chameleon Cold Brew, NPR, and Discovery Inc., parent company of Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, and other notable networks. She has a passion for design — evident in her fabulous work! — and an unhealthy obsession with Nutella. See more at Dribble and Behance, and follow along on Instagram.

1.] Where do ideas come from?

Paper, pen, and *a lot* of coffee

2.] What is the itch you are scratching?

As a freelancer: helping my clients put their best face forward with designs that reflect their personality and mission. As a creative: to create something that brings a smile to folks’ faces, whether through a pun, cute graphic, or clever solution.

3.] Early bird or night owl? Tortoise or hare?

I am very militant about how I organize my day, time, and projects. I have both a paper and digital to-do list where I track ongoing projects, and sort and name files so that they are easy to track down. I [try to] go to the gym every morning to get the blood flowing, and have strict working hours [M-F, 8:30-5] with a one-hour lunch break in the middle that includes a long walk with my pup, Snips. If I ever reach a creative block, I refer to a poster that I made which hangs next to my desk: Think Wrong [What is the worst idea you can think of?], Get Silly [Start your thoughts with, “Wouldn't it be funny if...?”], Start Here [Don’t wait for inspiration, just start writing ideas], Walk Away [Get out and look at something completely different]. Then I keep working at the problem knowing that there is a solution somewhere, I just need to keep digging for it.

4.] How do you know when you are done?

When I’ve created the number of versions I told myself I would do [I usually create 3 very different versions of a logo for the first round; it forces me to think in 3 different directions and incorporate all of the material I collected from my kickoff meeting with the client]. And when I’ve found at least one solution that I think really hits the nail on the head for the brief.