Meet Annie Herzig

Today we’d like to introduce you to Annie Herzig.

Annie, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I always loved making art, since I was a tiny person. I followed that love into college with a fine arts degree and concentration in illustration and graphic design. Shortly after school ended I began working with Whole Foods Market as an in-store graphic artist, eventually working my way up to doing design and art direction in the marketing department for the region. It was a wonderful time of growth for me, learning to work with all different kinds of people, being pushed creatively, and as a bonus, completely changing and expanding my approach to food!

After a good long run there, I came to a place five years ago where I could either try to move up in the company or cut loose as a freelance artist and dive into more illustration—which was my greatest passion in the world of design. After a great deal of thought, input from people I admired, and many inspirational Ted Talks, I decided to take the leap! I lined up a handful of clients to keep me afloat out of the gates, and since then my business has slowly evolved over the years, as I tackled more and more illustration-based projects. Now my work focuses primarily on illustration for various outlets, as well as some performance work, doing live illustration and note-taking at events. Leaving the corporate world was a breath of fresh air, and while freelance life is not for everyone, I have loved every moment of it.

In the coming year, I am looking to live on the road in a camper I just bought, following whatever stories inspire me, immersing myself in nature, and working on some book and film projects. I love the motion and momentum it will create, and can’t wait to see what beautiful things will come from this time!

Great, 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?
While I feel overall that no life road is smooth, taking the leap into working independently was a surprisingly smooth transition for me—compared to many. I was very lucky to have work lined up before I quit, and as some of those clients slowly faded out, others propitiously came into the picture. That’s not to say it has all been easy! There have been times of feast and times of something slightly less dramatic than famine. I have certainly experienced frustrations as well as doubt along the way like anyone would. But it’s all still working out for me and I will ride the freelance wave as long as I can! No matter where I end up though, I will always continue to create images and stories along the way.

One of the greatest ongoing challenges in this journey has been developing a style all my own. Because I like to explore and dabble with various looks and media, I often feel that my work is all over the place. Thankfully, I’ve spoken with peers whose bodies of work look cohesive and recognizable to me, and they claim the same thing: that they are struggling to define their style. It gives me relief to know I am not alone, and I remind myself to trust the people around me who assure me they can see a style that is particularly that of Annie Herzig.

We’d love to hear more about your art.
I never feel that I can define my business and work in one short statement, and I believe it will always be changing and evolving. But as of today, I have two book projects in the works, one for children and one for adults. Making books and telling stories is one of my greatest passions, and I intend to write and illustrate more and more books in the coming years. I also design greeting cards, do editorial illustrations, create sets of illustrations for various use in web and marketing, hand draw/paint chalkboards and murals, and I do live illustration and note-taking at various conferences and events. Just this year, I also dove into the world of filmmaking, partnering with a friend to begin developing a mockumentary web series. I’m all over the place!

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I think having a sense of curiosity has gotten me to where I am today. Both in making big life choices, as well as in producing the work that I have. Curiosity keeps me open to new paths and new ideas, and it keeps fear at bay. It’s so easy in this age of technology and social media to compare ourselves to everyone else around the world working in our fields. It’s easy to get lost in a sea of beautiful work and feel lesser than those out there creating it. While I do engage in social media for my business, and it can certainly be draining, I make sure to stay in the real world around me, curiously engaging with people, nature, art, and ideas. That’s what keeps me going.

Contact Info:

• Website: annieherzig.com
• Email: annieherzig@gmail.com

Image Credit:
Annie Herzig, Denver Lewis, Noah Berg

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