I’m Audrey Stemen – a Graphic Designer, Illustrator, and Motion Designer originally from Lima, Ohio, and more recently an entrepreneur through my personal business, Audrey Stemen Design & Creative, LLC. I live on the edge of Old Towne East with my boyfriend Justin and foster dog Rocky, where the neighborhood is quiet but can look out at the city from our apartment window!
Morning:
Every Monday or Friday morning I do a short ~5-minute “Captain’s Log” video talking about what I accomplish (and didn’t accomplish) the week before in my business, and what I intend to accomplish that current week. So far I have four of them… and it’s still fun (and a tad cringey) to listen to myself talk about what I’ve done so far! I always make a list either the morning of or day before my workday to make checkboxes of what all I’d like to get accomplished that day. There’s nothing more satisfying to look at my calendar at the end of the day and see that I did everything I set out to do. Some mornings, Justin and I will take a walk down the street to Upper Cup Coffee and grab a mocha – and it’s always a mocha.
Afternoon:
A typical afternoon for me right now consists of putting decks together of initial inspiration and sketches for current/upcoming projects. It feels great to put my ideas and thoughts in a polished, put-together format that is digestible for my clients. Plus, it’s hard to miss my occasional pun or two in them 😉
I’m still working on this, but I try to carve an hour in the workday (depending on how busy I am) to work on a personal project – whether it’s something ongoing or a quick little illustration. While some people take walks or read to refresh their mind, I like to refresh mine by making/starting something that’s totally for me.
Evening:
In my evenings I’ve been working on building the branding and collateral for a gaming organization that Justin, myself, and our friend & colleague Xavier have been working on, called Vandyl. We began working on it in early 2020, and are super excited that it’s finally being shown to the world.
I always make time for more personal work, improving my skills in one area or another. I’ve found that I have too many interests within design, and need to explore all that I can to contain my sanity! It may sound like work to some, but it’s purely fun for me. This is usually making something with a new set of ProCreate brushes I bought, or learning how to do something in 3D, making a font, etc. Whenever possible (as in “whenever we don’t feel like cooking and give ourselves an excuse to indulge ourselves”) we’re always hitting up Schmidt’s Sausage Haus. It’s that German heritage side of me that can’t get enough, frankly. We have too many complimentary Cream Puff coupons to count…unapologetically.