Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Kieber.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Once upon a time… one boring Sunday morning in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, I was blankly staring into what remained of my soggy breakfast cereal. Hoping to free me from my trance, my Dad shoved a section of the Sunday newspaper under my nose and said, “Here, take a look at the funny pages.”
From that moment on, I was obsessed with visual storytelling. The quick wit and expressive characters in each comic strip inspired me to begin my own weekly comic series, “The Spice Guys” (yes, completely based on cabinet spices – with main characters “Nutmeg the Giraffe” and “Dill the Guinea Pig” – and roughly 90% of the humor based on spice puns). I was eager to share my work, which, as you could imagine, was quite difficult as a middle-schooler. So, bearing my heart and sole on paper like this prepared me for critique from an early age.
After falling in love with storytelling, I decided to study graphic design in college at VCUarts because I wanted to dive deeper into Mass Communications. I interned as a designer for University of North Carolina’s Campus Recreation and Nickelodeon Animation Studio. Currently, I’m furthering my love for social media design with my position at Cartoon Network, where I edit videos, create graphics, illustrate short-form comics, and of course, create the dankest memes. Plus, I freelance under my own brand – “Kieber Fever” – producing everything from logo design to medical illustrations.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
You know how the old saying goes… nothing worth having comes easy. And it’s so true. If the road weren’t bumpy, it wouldn’t feel so amazing when you finally reach the destination. My biggest advice is to believe in yourself and your talent. Especially, if there are times you don’t have anyone believing in you-you are your biggest advocate.
The best example of this in my career: I almost didn’t apply for the Nickelodeon internship. So many people told me, I would never get it because I was just a little fish in a big pond, and I began to believe them. The day before the application was due, I sent it in on a final whim. A few weeks later, I received a call from Burbank: I had gotten it. This one experience, which I almost didn’t go for, changed the entire course of my career and has shaped me into the person I am today.
Also, a part of believing in yourself is knowing your own self-worth and not letting anyone take advantage of your time and talent. It’s is a difficult lesson to learn in the work place, but believe me, you are talented. You are amazing. Don’t let anyone make you feel like you don’t deserve more!
Please tell us about Kieber Fever Design.
I’ve always been interested in facial expressions. This may be an odd answer to the question “what do you do?” but think about this: The human face has over 40 muscles, and the most subtle of expressions can deeply resonate with another human being, telling them exactly how you’re feeling – isn’t that pretty cool? My love for expressions turned into a fascination with character design. Crafting new characters, writing dialogue for them, and expanding their relationships with other characters is some of the most fun I’ve ever had as a creator.
What sets me apart is that I like to dip my feet into anything creative: video making, sound editing, digital drawing, acrylic painting, watercolors, linocut printing, cut-paper art, patch making… you name it, I’ll try it! Currently, I’m in the middle of creating a giant 3-foot long landscape hooked rug (you may remember making a hooked rug design when you were like 8, and yeah… I’m bringing it back.)
Are there any apps, books, podcasts or other resources that you’ve benefited from using?
When I was growing up, you couldn’t find me without my sketchbook. I was always drawing, constantly fascinated by the world around me. I spent most of my time in the art room at school and attended art summer programs at places like the University North Carolina School of the Arts and Rhode Island School of Design. I was lucky enough to discover my passion early and never stopped working towards my dream of becoming an artist.
If you’re not sure what your passion is – try everything. Focus on skills you’re interested in, pursue them, and if they don’t work out, keep trying new things. I almost pursued a career in architecture… it took applying to architecture schools and taking several architecture courses to make me realize that my true passion is design.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kieberfever.com/
- Phone: 919-428-0092
- Email: emilybkieber@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kieberfever/
Image Credit:
Emily Kieber, Cartoon Network
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