Hello + Who Am I
aka hello Substack!
Howdy! This is my first post on Substack, and I’m equal parts thrilled to be writing about my work, and embarrassed to be talking about myself!
I’m Julia, I’m a 25 year old graphic designer and illustrator living in Brooklyn (though I grew up in New Jersey). By day, I work as a junior designer for Little Simon and Simon Spotlight, two children’s imprints of Simon & Schuster. By all other hours I’m an illustrator (and sometimes-writer) trying to get my bearings in the world as a professional creative. It’s so exciting to meet you, whoever you are!
A big part of why I’m just now starting a Substack is that all the AI stuff on Instagram has me feeling pretty bummed out, to say the least. I wrote a whole impassioned essay about it, but opted for that to not be my first post. Maybe someday. I’m hoping that Substack will be a good place for people who like my work to keep up with me, rather than me having to constantly feed the algorithm beasts over on Instagram in order for my work to be seen. Plus, I’ll be able to talk through my work and process a bit more here than in a caption!
So with that, here’s a quick meet-the-artist!
I GET EXCITED ABOUT:
hand-lettering, drawing, painting, reading, writing, and designing! of course!
NY/NJ local weirdness, plants and animals, ghost stories, quirky design choices
pasta dishes
I GET ANGRY ABOUT:
underestimating kids’ capacity (for taste, intelligence, understanding, humor, etc)
wishy-washy, lazy, apathetic half-assery, injustice, greed, indignity, gatekeeping
the limits of my own abilities (to draw, focus, or articulate my thoughts, most often)
I WANT:
to write and illustrate stories that speak to the many versions of my younger self
to meet more artists, writers, and other creative professionals
to document my working process and thoughts on the work
to share what I’ve learned about publishing ~from the inside~
most importantly, to keep having fun while I work and share that with people!
I AM:
balancing feeling like an overgrown child with adult responsibilities
navigating the early phases of my career while managing ADHD and a chronic illness
so psyched to meet you :) please don’t be a stranger!
That’s it for now! Thank you so much for reading, stay tuned for updates to come!
Take care and talk soon!
- Julia
Yay, what a thrill to see you here! Welcome to Substack Julia!