A Conversation With Laura Bukowski, Graphic Designer And Artist
On her concept of graphic design from the mind, art from the heart
Laura Bukowski, of Maus Creative, is a Boulder-based graphic designer and artist driven by simplicity, intentions, and emotions. She loves the analytical and problem-solving side of design work, but she also fills up creatively by letting her heart guide her pen and paintbrush. Using line work, watercolors and ink, and digital tools, Laura creates stunning pieces of art. She works across many different mediums and even turned a stool she found on the side of the road into a work of art. Every dot, line, and shape has meaning.
Even the way Laura talks about art and design is soothing, as you’ll see. She’s a pal from my Colorado days, and I was so honored to talk to her about transitioning from the startup world to freelance, opening an online art shop, finding clients, combatting imposter syndrome, and learning how to stay present by being around horses.
How do you describe what you do? What are your different crafts?
I would describe myself as both a graphic designer and an artist. I feel like there are a lot of other things I am. I think I’m also a cowgirl at heart. I had a horse growing up, and I’ve been around horses for most of my life, either for work or as a hobby. That’s been a place that feeds my soul and really grounds me and inspires me. It’s hard to disconnect that from art and design.
You just became a freelancer. What are some of the other roles you’ve held, and how has the transition been?
My first design jobs were in the startup and corporate worlds. PopSockets was my first adventure into the corporate world, which was a totally wild ride. I saw an ad on Craigslist, and I think I was employee 11 or 12 or something. By the time I left about a year and a half later, I think they were just shy of 200 people. It was crazy. I learned so much there. But it was also kind of odd because that was my first experience in the working world. I didn’t have a lot to compare it to. After that, I was with Gloo, which is a tech company. I’d always wanted to try freelance. I liked the idea of the freedom and the schedule and the variety in types of projects. But I was always a little scared to take that leap because it’s not something I knew. My family is from the Midwest and has maybe a more traditional view on a career. So even freelance work seemed a little far out. But I always felt called to try it.
I was planning on quitting Gloo in April 2020, and I decided to hold off because of the pandemic. I wanted to have financial security. But then the universe kicked me off the edge when I was laid off in September. In the middle of such an insecure year, it was really hard, but it was also a huge relief. I was finally there. I feel like I have enough confidence working in the corporate world that I can always go back if things don’t work out.
Connect with Laura on Instagram at @maus_creative or on LinkedIn.
How do you differentiate between graphic design and art?
For me, design has a lot of structure. There are design principles and theory. You’re solving a problem. For example, if you’re working on a brand identity and a logo, you have to meet the needs of the client and also the needs of the people your client is trying to talk to. That’s usually backed by pretty good research on the company’s part. So you know when you’ve done your job. An interesting thing I’ve found in design is that really good and effective design isn’t always beautiful. It calls people to action or it speaks to them or makes them feel a certain way. It doesn’t need to be beautiful or aesthetically pleasing to do that. I really enjoy that part of design, where it is somewhat analytical and systems thinking.
I feel like when I approach an art project, a drawing, or a painting, I can’t totally shed my design knowledge because I’ve worked in it so much and it’s somewhat inherent in my mindset. But for me, the cool thing about art is that I don’t think through it. My brain just gets to turn off, and it’s coming from my heart and my soul. It’s not analytical. I like to separate the two because the intention is really different.
What have you loved so far about being a freelancer, and what are you still figuring out?
I’m definitely still figuring out managing my own schedule. I feel like it’s easier at a 9 to 5 to be done once it’s 5 o’clock. That has tripped me up a little bit with freelancing. I feel really lucky to have more work to do in a week than I can actually finish. But it has been kind of tricky to give myself that cut off for play time or rest. I think I’m getting better at it, but it’s still something I’m working on.
Otherwise, I love the autonomy I have. I feel lucky that if I’m not stoked to work with a client or it doesn’t seem like a good fit, I’m in a position to say no or to offer them limited hours. It’s such a good practice. And even when you say no, something else always comes up.
See more of Laura’s professional work on her website, mauscreative.myportfolio.com.
You mentioned imposter syndrome when we first chatted. How are you dealing with that right now?
Imposter syndrome is kind of sneaky in how it can show up. I don’t know that I feel imposter syndrome as much with design as I do with the art side of things. The imposter syndrome that artists feel could be a whole book. I wish I had some wise words to offer people who are feeling badly. I have to actively work to change the negative thoughts in my head. Something helpful for me in letting that go was redefining what it means to be an artist or what it means to have a business. Once I did that, I was like oh, I actually am that.
When you started from scratch, how did you go about finding clients?
I don’t know if I totally know the answer to this question. When I was at Gloo, I was managing other designers who were contractors. So once I was laid off, I was lucky to have enough of a network. I had a developer friend who tossed me some design work to get me through the following few months. But I think just putting yourself and your skillsets out there is huge. I’ve run under the assumption that people know I’m a designer. That’s not necessarily true. I wasn’t necessarily looking for work right away because I was in shock and wanted a breather. But I was just having conversations with people about what happened and what I thought I wanted to do. Some didn’t lead to jobs, but others did. Right now, my three main clients all came from those conversations.
Where are you at with having stable finances or not, and what’s your relationship to the money you make?
I’ve felt like it’s always difficult to try to price design and artwork. I charge $75 an hour. For one of my first freelancing projects, I charged a project rate. That did not work at all because even though you can be really clear about the scope of work and the deliverables, things always came up that were out of scope. Either people needed changes after it was sent to the printer or I was on the phone with the printer. That wasn’t a great relationship for me because the longer the changes went on and those sneaky little things were added, I would become a little bit resentful about it because I knew I wasn’t getting paid more than X. After I wrapped up that project, I decided to go with an hourly rate. That has freed me up. If I don’t feel valued for the work that I’m doing, it’s really hard to get into a good headspace of being really intentional with a project.
I do think there is an immense amount of value in what I do, and I could be charging a higher rate if I only look at it from that lens. What is the value that branding or design can add to a company? It’s worth way more than what I’m charging. But I don’t only look at it from that lens. I don’t know if this is right or wrong. I also look at it from the lens of what do I need to pay my bills, pay my mortgage, be able to have some fun activities in there, and need to support the art side of things? I want to keep monetary pressure off of art. Those factors shape how I come up with my rate. I know a designer who charges $160 an hour and gets it. Personally, I don’t feel comfortable charging that rate right now. I don’t know why. I’d have to dig into it.
Shop for greeting cards, prints, and black and white drawings in Laura’s shop. Support her artwork here.
You recently opened an online art shop. Is that an outlet for joy or are you hoping to make it another main stream of income?
It’s definitely joy first. If I were to set super specific monetary goals, it would mess with my creative process. I can speak to that a little bit with the example of commissioned artwork. I’ve done a couple pieces of commissioned artwork, and there’s always this conversation in the beginning. Usually the person likes my style, but they want it to be their pet or they want it to visualize places and things that are important and meaningful to them. Even though I’ve liked how those pieces have come out, I haven’t really enjoyed the process. When I sit down to do the black and white drawings or paintings or even the watercolors with pen, I have zero plans. I don’t know what I’m going to draw that day, I have no idea what it’s going to look like. That obviously can’t happen if it needs to look like someone’s dog. When I’ve tried to put those parameters around art, it stops the joy of creation and flow from happening. If design is coming from the mind, then I would say the art is coming from my heart or my soul.
I know that prices are sort of relative—what I think might be affordable isn’t necessarily for someone else. But I try to, from my perspective, sell my art at a fairly low price point. By the time I factor in printing, packaging, and shipping, it’s really not much of a profit. If people look at a print or a piece and I can get them to pause and stand still, maybe just even for a second, I don’t want them to hesitate around having that piece in their home. I don’t want to cut off people’s access to having something that they find beautiful.
Where do you go to refresh, whether it’s creatively or mindfully? And then where does inspiration come in?
I really like this question because it makes me want to redefine inspiration. When I think of the word inspiration, I imagine someone going on a hike or seeing an art in a museum and then they’re inspired to make something. But I don’t know if that’s ever happened to me. When I’m creating artwork, the process either puts me in a really mindful meditative state or I’m already in that state so I feel like I’m ready to create. The tie that horses have is the way they ground and heal me. Horses live in the present. They don’t have anxiety in the wild. Even if fearful things happen, they process it and then they’re present again. I see them as a beautiful reminder to keep coming back to that space. They are a way for me to practice being present.
Before you go…
Submit: I’m looking for someone to feature next week for the WFH column. Want that to be you? Send me a picture of your studio or home office, and I’ll spotlight your work as an artist or creator.
Scroll: Laura recommends checking out this little art shop in Sayulita (Palú Art for Your Heart)
Read: The First Steps to Starting an Art Business (Artwork Archive)