We’re looking forward to introducing you to Susi Clark. Check out our conversation below.
Susi, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
I love being outside and being active. I am an avid beach and grass volleyball, playing multiple times a week and love playing tournaments along the East Coast during the summer months. Other activities, I find a lot of joy in are kayaking, hiking and fishing.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am Susi Clark and have been a Graphic Designer for almost 20 years now. After earning my Bachelors Degree in Graphic Design, I worked as a Graphic Designer and then Art Director for a large publishing company in Baltimore for 13 years while also nurturing a freelance career on the side. In 2019, I took my freelance business full-time which is called Creative Blueprint Design.
While working at the publishing company, I gained experience in editorial publishing, designing newsletters, reports, logos and also direct response mailings which gave me some really good insights into marketing. I also learned all about book design which is now my focus within Creative Blueprint Design, helping authors take their manuscript all the way through the design stages and helping them list their book on Amazon or finding other ways to print their books.
Creative Blueprint Design’s services for authors include Cover Design, Interior Layout Design/Formatting, Ebooks and helping them through the self-publishing process. What’s unique about me is that I can help any author of any genre, whether it’s fiction or non-fiction, as well as helping authors with children’s books, journals or workbooks and then guide them through the self-publishing process, being a one-stop shop once their manuscript has been edited.
In addition, if an author needs a logo design, marketing or event materials, I can also help with that. Taking author’s manuscript through the design process and seeing the author’s excitement throughout the stages and of course on release day is what brings me joy and motivation. I love being their cheerleader along the way and even sprinkle a few marketing tips into the mix while working together.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Born and raised in Germany, growing up within the East German regime, behind the wall, shaped me and taught me resilience, resourcefulness and creativity. While I never felt that I was missing anything because my parents worked hard to give us a beautiful childhood, I didn’t realize as a child what restraints the government put into all aspects of life. It’s remarkable, when I look back, how my parents managed through it all. I feel extremely lucky that the world opened up to us again in 1989, when the wall came down, giving us opportunities to travel and experience not just local foods and products, but everything that we didn’t have before.
Another early childhood influence was that I always had a love for interior architecture, the layout of rooms. I drew every floor plan of every house, I ever stayed in, and then came up with the best possible layout of how things could be more efficient. All on paper of course.
After my year as an Au Pair in the US, an opportunity came up to also study in the US. I didn’t know how long I was going to stay at first and took random classes at the Community College like drawing, photography etc. I realized fairly quickly that I need to earn at least a Bachelors Degree to have the best job opportunities in Germany or the US, so I looked at all the classes I already took and noticed that Graphic Design was my quickest path to earning the degree. From that moment on, the blank page, whether it was to design a poster or a book, became my floor plan. Creating functional and aesthetically pleasing designs.
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
Grief and loss have been the defining moments and wounds of my life.
When I first came to the US, as an Au Pair, I made a lot of friends and as the years went by, those Au Pair friends or people I met at College, kept moving, either back to their country or away, so I had to constantly adapt to change and rebuild new friendships, especially since my family is far away in Germany. Finding Volleyball as an outlet and really getting involved within that community has given me a sense of home and family here in the US.
But nothing could have prepared me, shaped me or hurt me more than losing my sister in early 2019. It was unexpected and a shock to my entire family. On top of that, just a few weeks after her passing, I was laid off from my 13 year career and we had 3 additional losses in our family within that year. It was so much.
I dug deep to rebuild myself and find the strength to keep goin. I felt immense motivation in honor of my sister, realizing through her loss how far my family is truly away from me, and how hard it is to just be there.
Having always freelanced and wanting to start my own business and now with the desire for even more flexibility in life to visit my family more often, it felt as if the universe was practically screaming at me to take my freelance full-time. So, I did. As hard as it was at that time.
Creative Blueprint Design was formerly known as SK design, reflecting mine and my sisters initials. Unfortunately, I couldn’t use that name going forward and I came up with “Creative Blueprint Design”, connecting my love for architecture with design. I still wanted something in memory of my sister though, so the first thing that came to mind was to create my brand’s color scheme around her, since she was an extremely vibrant person.
But why pink and gray for the colors?
Well, my sister’s colorful personality was reflected in her hot pink hair. It was her signature look. Sometimes a hot topic around family members but I LOVED it. One of the first things I did in memory of my sister was that I colored a strand of my hair pink and a few months later during the rebranding process adopted that same bright, hot pink into my branding. The gray in my branding is 83 percent black which I picked based on my sister’s year of birth in 1983.
But no matter the name or the colors of my company; commitment, care, dedication, resourcefulness and a love for life is what makes me and my company what it is, and I wouldn’t be who I am without the experiences I went through. Tying my sister into this new chapter is a constant reminder of my why and gives me strength to be the best I can be for my family, myself and for my clients.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Is the public version of you the real you?
Yes and no. No because just like most of us, I have insecurities and I typically don’t love sharing my personal life on social media. Running a business has forced me to be more publicly present and I choose Instagram as my main platform to connect and show up. What you see there is 100% authentically me. However, I don’t let social media run my day-to-day life. I use it to stay in touch with others, give tips about design and self-publishing and share a glimpse into my personal life as well. It’s been really fun to connect with so many. I’ve been learning a lot along the way, yet you still don’t see my face often, probably my desk or backyard more.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. When do you feel most at peace?
I feel most at peace when I feel loved and cared for, when my family and business are doing well, and my clients are happy, when I can spend time doing what I love outside of work like playing volleyball, traveling or being out in nature to balance my work life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.CreativeBlueprintDesign.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creativeblueprintdesign
