Today we’d like to introduce you to Eva Kolb
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Throughout my life, my love for art and design took a pivotal role in who I am today. My great grandfather was a fine artist in the 40s and 50s, and my grandmother took painting and crafting classes throughout her life, so enjoying art was not something new to my family. From a young age, I loved looking at all different art forms, ranging from classical to modern, Monet to anime. I found inspiration in watching Studio Ghibli movies, Sailor Moon, and in my art teachers at school. Once I began applying to colleges, I realized I wanted to study Graphic Design, despite not truly understanding what design was and how it applied to the world. When I arrived at Towson University, I realized that the art I had been enjoying my whole life was very different than the world of Graphic Design. I struggled a lot at first trying to understand the new and complicated Adobe softwares. It wasn’t until my Junior year that I honestly began using Photoshop and Illustrator consistently and felt more comfortable with using them to complete projects. I had a great mentor that I found in one of my professors, who ended up becoming a large contributor to my drive and desire to continue to pursue a career in design. Due to the pandemic, I began increasingly nervous at the prospect of finding a job and feared that I would leave college without having a position lined up for me. I frantically applied to jobs—applying to almost 125 different positions prior to graduating Towson with little to no progress in finding a solid offer. Shortly after graduating, I got the offer to work at an agency I had been dreaming of. I have been working at that agency ever since.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I always personally struggled with how competitive the creative field is. Not only is it difficult to get your name out there in a substantial way, but there is always an underlying understanding that no matter how long you refine and practice your craft, there will always be someone out there that is better, more talented, or more skilled than you are. Although this can become a daunting and paralyzing thought, I found that it only made me realize that the only person I am truly in competition with is myself. Learning to comfort myself with the fact that everyone is on their own journey and their own unique path was incredibly eye opening and humbling. When you learn that there is no reason to look at someone else’s experience as a goalpost, it drives you to want to focus on your own path and personal growth as a standard. I realized that when I stopped comparing myself to other people’s success and design abilities and instead found inspiration in my own growth, I started to feel a lot better about myself as a designer, as an employee, and as a person.
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 Graphic Designer that specializes in Brand Experience and Brand Creation. I work at a global creative agency, called SGK, here in Baltimore, Maryland that provides our services to a variety of well-known brands. We have created several notable activations for our clients and every single day is an exciting one. We are mostly known for the creative services we provide our clientele, but also for the production facilities we have in house that make for a seamless activation process. I am proudest of my team and the work we do, but also for my work with our DE&I committee, Equity Advocates. I have sat on the Equity Advocates committee since I started working at my agency and we have grown so much within the past 3 years. Throughout my time at SGK, I have had so many opportunities to do things I love and learn new things that have challenged me. I’m proud of all I have done here and I am excited to see what else I will get to experience here. I have found that I am very easy to work with and that I am not afraid to ask questions when I am stuck. I consistently ask others if they need help or try to make at least one person laugh within a work day. I think that corporate America can be very stiff and strict sometimes, but at SGK, I feel comfortable being myself and because I have that level of trust amongst my colleagues, I have gone the extra mile to be a good teammate.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
When I was younger, I grew up in my grandparents house alongside my mom and my little sister. I was shy as a child and I found solace in art. I sketched and painted for hours on my own. Whenever my mom or my grandparents would walk by, they always acted like I had just made the next Starry Night or Mona Lisa. There was always shock and awe on their faces that kept me wanting to do more. Without fail, they always made me feel like I was the best artist they had ever seen. I’ll never forget feeling so honored to have a team of people who loved me so much.
Pricing:
- Brand Kits — $1,000 ; 2 Rounds of Creative
- Logos — $500 ; 2 Rounds of Creative
- Extra Creative Rounds — $200 per round
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.evakathryndesign.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evakathryndesign/
