Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelly Rose Wilkinson.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Kelly Rose. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was the kid who would always be drawing in class. I got in trouble for drawing or writing stories in the middle of a lecture often. I would turn my little CRT tv in my room sideways and pause the shows I was watching so I could draw the scenes and characters. Basically, I was a weird kid.
Alongside that I was in dance, theatre, orchestra (I still own and play violin) and played sports like basketball and swimming. So I honestly had more of the “I want to do too many things” problem than I did the “I don’t know what I want to do” problem.
In middle school, I did one of those career aptitude tests that schools make you do — basically a glorified buzzfeed quiz where you put in a ton of info about your interests and personality and it tells you what you should do for a living — and my results were overwhelmingly creative roles. I know, you’re shocked. I got my degree in Fine Arts with a focus in Printmaking and Graphic Design from KSU and started working right out the gate.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It hasn’t been a smooth road for me. I’ve worked for about seven different companies so far (freelance or otherwise), and been laid off three times and I’ve only just turned 27. But it’s been a necessary road. I’ve learned a lot more than I would’ve if I’d had the idyllic first job out of college situation. My breadth of skills has widened and my skin is thick. I’m ready for just about anything.
I’ve also garnered a strong network, and I have a steady influx of freelance work in recent years which has been incredible. The freedom and security that working for yourself affords you, even if you choose to get roles with companies as your main bread and butter (or because of yanno, benefits) is truly fantastic. It’s a good idea to have more than one form of income in today’s market, so I’m glad that I’ve focused on building my own personal brand rather than giving everything to a company.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I’m a multi-talented designer. I’ve worked for a number of different clients large and small, and I understand branding and marketing from both the consumer and corporate perspective. I have a number of different skills but I would say my specialty is branding, social media, and web design. I love doing brand explorations for events and businesses, curating Instagram feeds, and shooting event photography. An average day for me can including anything from filming and editing to environmental/experiential design.
As you can likely tell, I’m not just a designer. My approach to design has as much to do with utility and function as it does aesthetic and visuals. I’m not going to just tell you what looks good, I’m going to give you something that works well for your budget, market, and industry. The data and metrics are just as important to me as the look and feel. If something looks beautiful but doesn’t work, then there’s not much of a point to it. This mentality of mine has always been appreciated by both clients and different corporate roles.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
In a way, I’m always planning for big changes. I’m a creature of habit, but I love shaking things up. There are a lot of skills I’m looking to add to my repertoire, and I’m fortunate to have a flexible career where I can explore and learn whatever piques my interest. I would say that’s what I’m looking forward to the most. I’m definitely a lifetime student, always diving deep into new topics and tools, mastering them, then moving onto the next. There’s never a dull moment.
Contact Info:
- Website: bykellyrose.com
- Phone: 6789485591
- Email: krose@bykellyrose.com
- Instagram: kellyrose.psd
Suggest a story: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
