Noelle Vleisides
Noelle Vleisides
Assistant Designer / Creative
San Francisco, CA
www.noellelynnvleisides.wixsite.com/site
instagram @noelleev
instagram @noelle_creative
WHAT DO YOU DO?
“Well, I guess I do anything.”
I am so young into the corporate creative industry that I am a young mind being molded daily. I am a "get stuff done" worker, so I'll do anything from organizing sample rooms, creating BOM's, opening mail, color proofing, emailing vendors, and the list goes on. I think at the moment I would want to be a "student" of the creative industry almost like an apprentice. I learn by doing, trying, and getting my hands dirty which can be tricky asking for people to challenge me and trust me to attempt and achieve things that I don't have "experience" doing....but I never back down from a creative challenge :)
WHAT STEPS DID YOU TAKE TO GET TO WHERE YOU ARE NOW?
Steps...stair master steps (the hardest steps of them all). I felt very discouraged in school because I knew I was a creative mind, but felt that was not valued in my school, community, peers, etc. because I wasn't excelling at the core subjects in school (math, science, languages..yadda yadda). So I had to do a lot of soul searching about how to get involved in creative avenues--didn't go straight to a 4-year school, because I had a bitter taste of school in my mouth and didn't think I would qualify for creative schools or majors, so I wasn't even sure I was going to go to college (very black sheep move for where I grew up). I was 1 of 12 from a 3,000 graduating high school class who didn't go straight to a 4-year. Then I got to a 4-year and was in a creative major (same one I got denied from when I applied in highschool..booyah) and that's a hard place to feel like you are going to be successful as well, because you are surrounded by almost exclusively creative people, and in turn creativity feels common and you can't help but compare your creative idea's and projects to others and question if you're even that creative. However, once I got into the creative industry in my internships, and first job I quickly realized how rare it is to have creativity and it isn't a common skill that everyone has. It is rare, it is unstandardized, it is energizing. So, I think I forced myself to take steps to concisely look for creative avenues that are obscured in the environment and community I grew up in, even when I had no idea where the steps where leading (still don't really know since I'm only 23), just like I have to force myself to get on a stairmaster.
How do you stand out in your field?
I think what makes me stand out, it being a "behind the scenes" worker. It's usually not glamorous, or doesn't feel creative at times but I am an action focused person. I make things happen, I need to see things happen, whether that is figuring it out alone, helping someone get past an obstacle, collaborating to bring different skills together to produce results. People love to see things happening and getting done and there's a lot of behind the scenes coordinating that I am all about making happen. I have heard the phrase "big picture" or "let's keep this high level" and it often times grinds my gears, because I want to get into the details to make high level idea's happen, rather than stay high level.
WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW?
In my career, I'm working on finding what creative department will enhance my natural ability and skills. I'm working on getting my toes wet in different creative projects such as art directions, visual merchandising, styling, concepting, content creation, product development. I am working a lot on personalization techniques such as foil debossing, decals, UV printing, screen printing, and more. I am mainly working on creating opportunities to learn more about creative (how many ways can I say creative in these answers...I think I'm on 32)
WHAT'S YOUR STYLE/PERSPECTIVE/TASTE? DO YOU HAVE A PROJECT THAT REPRESENTS THIS?
Very much west coast inspired, very surf and skate heavy, beach beach beach! I love the beach, and that shows through in my personal style and aesthetics I am drawn towards. I like casual, comfortable, and color. Pattern, earth tones, brights, and unrefined are my common themes...but I totally expect them to fluctuate as I am more exposed to different cultures and idea's.
WE ARE ALL SLASHIES WITH MULTIPLE SKILLS, WHICH ONE DO YOU WISH YOU COULD DO MORE OFTEN?
My favorite quote is "devote more time to your strength, than to your shortcomings". I would tell myself this during my math homework (definitely not my strength) because if I spent half the time developing skills I was naturally possessed such as creative work that would provide significantly more value to my confidence, rather than feeling like I am spending my time and energy on something I know I won't pursue. All that said, probably entrepreneurship. I love brainstorming, thinking of dreamy idea's and one day have a dream of being my own boss in some form or fashion.
WHAT IS FRUSTRATING YOU RIGHT NOW?
I think I'm currently frustrated that I am not creatively challenged and am not being creatively pushed to develop my skills. In my current role I am yearning for bigger projects that stump me, and I have to search and use some good 'ole try and fail to figure out new things. Asking questions has fallen to the bottom of my to-do list, because I catch myself not being challenged therefor find myself being less curious, sadly.
IF YOU COULD HIRE SOMEONE FOR $20/HR, WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE THEM DO TO MAKE YOUR DAY EASIER?
Probably something in the morning, since I am NOT a morning person. Maybe drive me to work (public transport can be rough in the mornings in SF), that is something that would lessen the chances of me getting frustrated (or grossed out) before 9AM.
LET'S BRING OUT THE TIME MACHINE. WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU COULD HAVE TOLD YOURSELF, WHEN, AND WHY?
I think I would go back to the end of highschool and the start of college, when I felt discouraged and like a black sheep because I didn't know where my creative skills aligned with schooling. I would have told myself, "Creativity is not a common skill that can be done by anyone. Creative minds communicate, learn, and look at things differently so don't be worried when you feel like you aren't seeing what other people are seeing". I think that would have been reassuring to hear during that time when I was questioning if I'm even creative and why I don't work and learn in the same way as the majority of people I'm surrounded by.
IF YOU COULD TALK TO AN EXPERT TO GAIN MORE INSIGHT ON SOMETHING, WHAT WOULD IT BE ABOUT?
How to balance where you find your creative energy (inside and outside of work) and how to protect your creative energy and confidence.
WHAT KIND OF OPPORTUNITIES/PROJECTS ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?
Art direction, creative content and marketing, visual styling
DESCRIBE YOUR IDEAL JOB/CLIENT/COLLABORATION.
A small emerging brand that has really focused product that needs to develop their creative concept into different visual displays, and going out to do market research and looking at what competitors are doing.
WHAT IS YOUR HOURLY RATE, RETAINER, OR SALARY RANGE?
I don't think this is super applicable currently, because I am so fresh in the "real world" work force that I haven't had a lot of exposure to budgets, freelancing, and the monetary side of creative. Right now my main focus is on gaining experience!
HOW SHOULD SOMEONE APPROACH YOU ABOUT WORKING TOGETHER?
Email me :)-- the context of how the role or project fits into the bigger picture. I work better when I know the end goal and how we got to where we are!
HOW DO YOU STAY CREATIVE?
Walks--lots of observing on walks
This member profile was originally published in September 2019.