Conversations with Emilie Eklund

Today we’d like to introduce you to Emilie Eklund.

Hi Emilie, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I started LIEFdesign in 2007 while living in Chicago. I had studied art in college for 3 years, and then in my final year, I listened to external pressures, to “get a real job,” so I switched to Sociology, with hopes to do social work. But my heart kept pulling me back to creative work. I got a job at a letterpress stationery company right after college, and was then inspired that I could do this on my own, at least that I wanted to try. So shortly after, I started LIEFdesign, creating custom invitations and designs for people. While in the world of wedding invitations, I was introduced to modern calligraphy. From there I started doing a lot of calligraphy for people, as well as teaching classes, which I still do today. My classes evolved to incorporating different creative practices, like sketching, journaling, and bookbinding, as well as hosting a creative retreat for woman. Along the way I started designing products, like greeting cards, art prints and home goods, and started selling them at local art markets throughout the year. I continued doing both custom work and product work for many years, until I had my second child and started focusing primarily on wholesale and product work. I have been so grateful for this work, and for the ability to shift my business to connect with where I am feeling inspired, as well as matching it up to fit into my life season.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No, it has definitely not been a smooth road. A lot of moments of “why am I doing this?” and “Do the outcomes really outweigh the input?” And often my answer is “I’m not sure,” especially in this season of mothering alongside of running a creative business. But I have never landed on a solid “No,” so I keep going. And I keep holding on amidst my doubts, my months (or years) of lower income, my feeling alone in running a creative company, and a big part of that is because my work is an expression of myself. It feels deeply connected to who I am, and what I want to bring to my community. My desire to create and create space for others to do the same is still strong, and I’m grateful for that.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a designer that has an illustrated paper and home goods product line. I sell a range of items from greeting cards to art prints, tea towels to meal planners. Some of the products are digitally drawn, some are screen printed, and some are block printed. I love using different mediums to explore and play around with. I also teach a lot of classes around creative practices (calligraphy, journalling, sketching, et cetera), as well as hosted a creative retreat for women, which is something I am really proud of. Creating space for others to do creative practices is something that is really meaningful to me. I love seeing the ways people nestle into the now, just by picking up a pen and paper.

Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
My best advice for finding a mentor or network, is to find people doing similar work to you, and build a community from there. Along the way, I have connected with other creatives as a way to share ideas, find inspiration, and most importantly, find support. And these connections have made running a solo creative company possible. The people I have in my life now, allow me to ask big questions, share my doubts, cheer me on, give ideas, and so much more. My business would not be the same without them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.liefdesign.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liefdesign
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/liefdesign