Today we’d like to introduce you to Yann Baguet.
Yann, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I grew up in Nancy, France and then moved to Paris in the early 2000s. I worked for a decade in the non-profit field but I always had a love for the arts, comedy, and cinema. I met my wife while living in Paris.
After several years of living together in the City of Lights and seeing a career counselor, we decided to take the plunge and go back to school to pursue our dream jobs. We settled on moving to Atlanta because it had excellent design programs and a lot of potential job opportunities. So, in 2012, I attended and graduated the design program at Portfolio Center.
I’ve been living in Atlanta for almost seven years now working as a designer and living now in Edgewood with my wife Sara Bresee and my dog Wiggins. Being French and an immigrant allows me to take a step back on everything related to American culture, history, and environment. I love to use my art to hold a mirror up to America.
Has it been a smooth road?
To quote AC/DC and one of my favorite songs; “It’s a long way to the top (if you wanna rock ‘n roll)”. Starting a new career in a foreign country was not an easy decision and path.
It’s been hard to overcome my own French culture and mentality. In France, once you start on a path you have to follow it. Starting a new career in America, it’s almost like I had to go against my own culture.
I was thinking that maybe starting over wasn’t the right decision. Or that maybe I shouldn’t have taken the risk. Also overcoming language barriers and cultural nuances has been hard. But ultimately, it has been worth it.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I develop logos and branding for local businesses like churches, think tanks, and marketing agencies. I am also very connected to the local improv and comedy scene. I have created posters and logos for a lot of comedy groups around Atlanta. I can combine my love of drawing, branding, and humor. I am very proud of the branding I created for my wife’s comedy duo Salty Bees they have a feminist sketch show that’s all about social commentary. It meant so much to me to work on that project since we’re are living in an anti-woman/anxious era.
I also love photography. My goal is to make the usual unusual. For example, I’ll take pictures of my rides on MARTA or my walking tours around the city.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Atlanta is a great city for small businesses if you find the right audience/niche. There is a huge street art scene in Atlanta. There are plenty of promotional events/location around the city that promotes local artists like Free Art Friday, Battle and Brew in Sandy Springs or Kai Lin Art gallery.
For more classic fine art, The Atlanta Artist Center located in Buckhead is a good spot for figure drawings/still-life artist. They also provide classes for a good price.
For designers, a good way to start is to work with recruiter/talent agencies like The Creative Group. Word of mouth is another way.
As a French immigrant, you can try Atlanta French Language Meetup. They gather the 3rd Monday of each month at l’Après Diem in Midtown.
Contact Info:
- Website: yannbaguet.com
- Email: yann.baguet@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/yann_baguet_design
- Other: instagram.com/yannb_dessine
Image Credit:
Personal photo: Jeff Morgan Photography
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