{"id":2921,"date":"2016-09-16T15:30:14","date_gmt":"2016-09-16T21:30:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenvelope.com\/blog\/?p=2921"},"modified":"2017-01-10T14:50:59","modified_gmt":"2017-01-10T20:50:59","slug":"feature-friday-ashley-ottinger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenvelope.com\/blog\/feature-friday-ashley-ottinger","title":{"rendered":"Feature Friday: Ashley Ottinger"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Ashley<\/h4>\n

With roots in the deep south, Ashley Ottinger is a designer who finds inspiration in porch swings, patios and a cold glass of sweet tea. Corporate designer by day and stationery nerd by night, Ashley uses her stationery designs as an excuse to explore bold colors, classy serif fonts and unusual layouts. Today she shares a bit more about her journey, her style, and of course a few of her favorite things.<\/p>\n

Could you share with us the favorite design of yours currently on Greenvelope.com and what the creation process was like?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I think my favorite design is currently Forty Years Young<\/a>. It\u2019s a little bit different from what I normally do, but I love the bold, type-driven aesthetic. When I was working on this invitation, I wanted it to feel mature, yet young and fun. I think the offset angles of \u201cFORTY YEARS YOUNG\u201d really accomplish that youthful feel. The bold color choices aid in that as well.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Can you share a bit more about your journey as an artist — how you got started to where you are now?<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n

I\u2019m not old, but the beginning of my journey seems like a lifetime ago. I\u2019ve always been labeled the creative type, but I didn\u2019t really start cultivating those skills until my teens. I was first introduced to graphic design in high school by my older siblings. At the time, my sister was a designer at a magazine and one of my brothers was in design school. I saw what they did and was immediately hooked. Before I knew it, my work on my high school yearbook staff turned into a degree in communications and ultimately a career as a designer. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

After college, I got a job as an in-house designer. A friend at that job introduced me to the online stationery design community, and I dove right in. My foray into stationery has been an excellent creative outlet and contrast to my daily corporate design work. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\"ashley-ottinger-blog-feature\"<\/h4>\n

What is the best advice you have ever received?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Of course I don\u2019t know Ira Glass personally but nothing rings truer than his advice on what he calls \u201cthe gap.\u201d<\/a>\u00a0Producing bad work is part of the process. You have to do it to learn. You will never be good until you\u2019re really, really bad first. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

“What nobody tells people who are beginners\u2026 is that all of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, and it\u2019s just not that good. It\u2019s trying to be good, it has potential, but it\u2019s not\u2026 your taste is why your work disappoints you\u2026 We know our work doesn\u2019t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this\u2026 It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions.” \u00a0<\/span><\/i>Ira Glass<\/a><\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Share 3 favorites<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Maybe it\u2019s a fear of commitment, but I can rarely pick a favorite from such vast categories like musicians, films or colors. I seem to only be able to identify favorites in much more specific categories like…<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n