Conversations with Paul Sizer

Today we’d like to introduce you to Paul Sizer.  

Hi Paul, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I have been an illustrator and comic artist my whole life, doing comic strips as a kid, then working on coming up with original characters as I got older. In college, I studied Graphic Design and found an equal love for that, so when I started looking to map out my professional career, I wanted to keep both aspects of my talent in the mix with my jobs. Luckily, I’ve been able to keep that going and balance my freelance practice as Sizer Design + Illustration with my teaching in the Graphic Design program in the School of Art at Western Michigan University. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Freelance work always requires a certain amount of hustle and being able to deal with all aspects of the design process; getting new clients, handling self-promotion, and dealing with the business end of things. All of those aspects take time away from the actual creative part of work, so the main challenge has always been figuring out how to be as disciplined as needed, but to also learn to get the creative flowing in many ways so that you’re not stuck if something goes sideways. 

It’s also a challenge to find ways to differentiate yourself from the myriad of other professionals who are going for the same work you are. It comes down to learning how to not be too dependent on current trends but to be aware of where things are going so that you’re not just cranking out the same old ideas for an audience who is way past them. 

It’s also challenging to promote yourself and have confidence in what you do without becoming boastful or too full of your own hype. I’ve found that showing genuine and honest enthusiasm for the work you produce translates as confidence to a client. 

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 think I’m most known for work that finds a way to combine illustrative content with solid graphic design foundations. This can be in the form of posters and promotional campaigns, designs of characters and mascots that get across the organization’s energy, and ways to show diversity that come across as natural and appropriate. 

I have a great love of taking “retro” styles and re-purposing them into new ideas and formats. This came from self-directed exercises I did to combine World War 2 propaganda-style posters into more modern and inclusive/positive messaging items. This is a tricky balance because it requires me to be respectful to the original content but also willing to take it where it wasn’t designed to originally go and not have it look like a gimmick. 

My hope is always to have my work be something the client or the audience it’s intended for to be able to see themselves in that work. My work is successful when the client’s message is translated to a wider audience. 

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Finding ways to be informed by the past or other people’s work and finding ways to incorporate that work and energy into my own work. A good designer doesn’t work in a vacuum and should be influenced by work around them. At the same time, they also need to be able to process those inspirations and transform them into new ideas and concepts. Regurgitating styles and looks doesn’t really serve the needs of a client, and will only make that work blend in with everything else around it. 

I’m constantly working to keep learning new things and look to new things for ways of solving communication problems. I think I have a skill in personalizing how people can connect with my work, and that gets them involved with the design and want to invest in what it’s talking about. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.paulsizer.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paulsizerdesign/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paul.sizer.5
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaulSizer12
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/paulsizer/featured
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/paul-sizer

Image Credits
Sizer Design + Illustration