Rising Stars: Meet Robert Hanna

Today we’d like to introduce you to Robert Hanna.

Hi Robert, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
My journey began with creative writing, and I think because of that storytelling has always been a centric part of my career. Originally I was born and raised in Boulder, and after graduating from Boulder High I relocated to Seattle, Washington to pursue a BA in Creative Writing with a minor in German from Seattle University.

My original plan was to move to Germany directly after college, but as life often has it, things changed, and I continued to live in Seattle for the next 17 years. After struggling to make ends meet with writing and journalism, I pivoted into analog photography and went back to school, this time studying photography at Shoreline Community College.

I began shooting events, and doing documentary work, and also at that time learned that a lot of my clients needed graphic design – something I was already doing for my personal music projects. I then continued my education, getting an Associate’s degree in Visual Communication Technology, and began working full-time as a graphic designer while still doing freelance photo work.

I began working in the non-profit sector after finishing my degree and have focused my career on helping nonprofit organizations and small business build their brands, and how to help them tell their own stories to the world. In 2015 I relocated to Berlin, Germany, and have lived and worked here as a freelancer since. I continue to work with clients from Colorado, Washington, California, Canada, Germany, and the EU.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I think any good path you pick in life will be full of obstacles! I think when doing creative work it’s easy to mire yourself in comparing your work to others, to feel impostor syndrome at every turn, and to waste a lot of time ruminating about your potential failures. I think a lot of my early career fell into these trappings, and it took some repetitive failures to understand where to change.

The thing I’ve learned over time is to listen to your instinct, follow your heart, and don’t let the naysayers prevent you from following your goals, but at the same time, try to read the room and know when something you’re doing isn’t working out.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My work is predominantly storytelling, and what I do for my clients is to uncover new and creative ways to tell their own stories, whether it be through photography, video, print and web design, or copywriting. My main focus lately is making video content for nonprofits and small businesses, but I certainly spend a lot of time doing graphic design. I think what sets my work apart from others is that my origins lie in creative writing, and this is the underlying current that connects all of my creative work.

My favorite work has been in rebranding — I love taking what a hard-working business owner began with and reshaping and retooling it to help them succeed. I’ve done pitches and projects for larger corporate clients, but I really feel my passion is with community builders, and those wishing to make the world a better place.

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
Trust yourself, to redirect your negative energy into creativity, education, and humility. It’s so crucial for us to look out for each other, to strive for a cruelty-free world where humans and animals are treated with dignity and civility. That’s my underlying philosophy, to embed that energy in all of my work.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://robhanna.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hannihilation.time
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robhannadesign/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertbhanna/
• Other: https://vimeo.com/roberthanna