Emily Frances Soo
Q What do you do?
“I’m a graphic designer and visual artist who creates through a multidisciplinary lens. ”
I do a little bit of everything from art direction, branding, illustration, to making images and videos. Everything informs one another through movement, composition and mood.
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
I’ve always loved drawing and making as a kid, so it was a natural choice for me to continue that exploration as an adult. I ended up studying Graphic Design and Photography at a local Art and Design University.
After graduating I worked in every type of field imaginable, from agencies, design studios, startups to non-profits. I’ve had a lot of experiences and so it's created a clear checklist for what kinds of projects and people I work well with. (Read on for that checklist!)
Being a full time freelancer has taught me to be more open and adaptable, while creating a much more intentional life.
Q How do you stand out in your field?
I bring a lot of my personality into my work and process, whether that be the expressiveness, playfulness or humour.
Q What are you working on right now?
1. A meditative, experimental video series that I’m collaborating on with a composer.
2. Brand design, art direction and illustration for a food community startup that reimagines what dietary cooking is.
3. An illustrative collage series visualizing select case studies written by an Experience Design Researcher.
Q What’s your style?
Expressive, experimental and moody.
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
I’m lucky to have a nice balance between all the skills I’m able to use in my projects, it keeps things interesting! The types of industries I’d love to explore more are in music, food and film.
Q What is frustrating you right now?
I’m having a hard time deciding where to focus my energy for personal projects as there are so many ideas, but never enough time.
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
A breathing, meditation coach that will guide me through body and mind exercises that will allow me to work with more clarity and space.
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
The process and the relationships built are the most important part of one's creative practice, the final product is just a tiny fraction of that.
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
A meditation, spiritual guide along with a cognitive therapist to explore the internal world.
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
I am very open, as long as there is a lot of creative freedom and curiosity in the process.
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
Kindness, trust, curiosity and passion are some of the traits that I look out for in future collaborators. My collaborators are friends first and clients second. I don’t take myself or life too seriously, yet I’m respectful and fully attentive in creating a vision I believe in.
Q What is your rate?
My hourly rate starts at 95/hr for ad-hoc type work. Project based pricing depends on the project scope.
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
You can contact me by email or directly on my website! Tell me who you are and why you’d like to work together?
Q Who is a creative you admire?
Woshibai - A clever, surreal illustrator
Q Oh! and… how do you stay creative?
Going offline. Being in nature, resting, walking, allowing space for daydreaming.
This member profile was originally published in August 2022.