Life & Work with Emily Bode of Muskegon, MI

Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Bode

Hi Emily, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
CREATIVE DIRECTOR + DESIGNER | MUSKEGON, MI
I grew up on the East side of Michigan and moved to the West side for my first design job after college. I fell in love with Lake Michigan’s landscape that first year & I’ve never left. I became a freelance designer at 23, intentionally crafting an expansive local & national client list for 10+ years.

There is little by way of free time at the moment as me & my husband raise our young daughter and work on our historical home but I read books (@emilygracereadsbooks), write letters (emilybode.substack.com), & curate antiques (@sundaylinenvintage) in the margins.

Notable Accomplishments:
Published in Bella Grace Magazine print version, a national lifestyle magazine.
Featured design at Starbucks Headquarters as part of Has Heart Veteran non-profit.
Honeybook’s Creatives on the Rise nominee.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Young women weren’t freelancing in the local creative circuit in the mid-2010s, at least that I knew of. It was the era of boss babes & hustle culture. I was both of those & it paid off. I networked heavily to make connections, build relationships, & deliver the quality of work I promised to my clients.

Going on my own with junior-level experience, little savings, & student loans wasn’t practical but it was the catalyst for the independence I require in my creative career. The Muse needs her space, my job is to provide that for her. The corporate landscape provides few, if any, essentials required for creativity to blossom — ironically the very thing sought after in Marketing & Design teams — a conundrum many people in a creative role may resonate with.

Neither route is convenient & I’ve taken all sorts of paths with my choice. Odd jobs sustained the peaks & valleys of self-employment like working at a greenhouse, teaching at a local university, writing for local magazines, & slingin’ ink at a print shop.

I shared what I learned in real time on my blog, Brave Girl. Topics about networking, taxes, and the design process. Hustle culture is effective, but not sustainable — this was the biggest obstacle to overcome.

When I became a mother in 2020, my career unexpectedly came to a halt. Once I made it through the weeds of postpartum I came down with mono. My body demanded a slowdown and forced me to reevaluate the order of my priorities.

Since then, the adjustment has proven to be better than forcing things and has brought joy, confidence, and well-being to both my life and my career.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My work aims to have a common thread of historical reference + intentional symbolism. I enjoy working in mediums like watercolor, black ink, and minimal linework. My preference is print + traditional design as I prefer the tactical & analog nature of paper and print resources.

My goal is to answer the question, “How can I maintain being a designer while reducing screen time?”

It’s an odd challenge, some may say it’s a losing battle, but one that I *hope* keeps my work genuine with the imperfection of human touch.

Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
A childhood memory that inspires what I do today is making crafts around the kitchen table with my mom. I first met my muse and was introduced to my mother’s muse at that wooden table. I knew how to play, experiment, explore, plan, & resource in those magical moments by modeling after my Mom. She was my guide showing me how to piece-make, material selection, & critical thinking with warmth, laughter, & safety. I use these tenets in my career and with my daughter around the craft table now. Muscle memory I hope to pass on to her.

Pricing:

• Creative Consulting: $70/hr.
• Small Business Brand Packages: starting at $500

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.emilybode.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilybodecreative/