Blog
Digital Nomading Part 3: Cape Town
In September 2017, I spent a few weeks living and working from Cape Town, South Africa. Similar to my previous experiences as a digital nomad abroad, I went with the group Hacker Paradise. Here’s a video I put together of my time there, as well as some color schemes inspired by photos I took. Enjoy! Hacker Paradise […]
Mark It Off: A Goal-Setting Process
^^ It doesn’t have have to be beautiful to be effective ^^ If you’re like me, you’re a list maker and a goal setter. (Accomplishing them all is another story… ;)). Though something else might work better for you, I wanted to share a goal-setting process that works well for me. The overview: start big then […]
A UX/UI Challenge: Introduction
I want to learn more about user experience (UX) and user interface (UI), so I have decided to dive into a hypothetical project. Since a huge part of UX is the process itself, I plan to document and write about every step along the way. I also plan to gather feedback from professional UX/UI […]
Digital Nomading Part 2: Buenos Aires
So I did it again – I worked for a month while traveling abroad. Did that whole digital nomad thing. Again I went with Hacker Paradise, but this time we were based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. What did I learn this time around? I’m extraverted. I thought I may be introverted as a teenager, because […]
Creative Mornings Mugshot: Love
This post was originally published on Creative Mornings Austin. It was an interview regarding July 2016’s Creative Mornings theme: love. Featured illustration by Lucy Engelman. Photo by Callie Richmond. — Jess Warren likes to start her day drinking coffee, exploring her neighborhood, and/or joining creative meetups (like yours truly!). As a full-time freelance graphic designer/consultant and […]
Meet Jess: On Hacker Paradise and Being a Freelance Graphic Designer
This post was originally published on Women Digital Nomads blog. Tell us more about yourself. I am Jess Warren. I am originally from Long Island, NY but currently live in Austin, TX. I am a full-time freelance graphic designer who works on everything from logos and branding to infographics and marketing materials. I love having a […]
Digital Nomading: The Aftermath
I did it! I completed a month or so of being a digital nomad (though the definition of a digital nomad is for another blog post. Did I even count as one?). I spent four weeks in Porto, Portugal with a group called Hacker Paradise. While I have worked while traveling it in the past […]
Digital Nomading: Lessons from the First Week-ish
I’m currently writing from the Hacker Paradise co-working space in Porto, Portugal, surrounded by hard-working entrepreneurs and programmers. While some of my peers here have been digital nomads for years, a couple of them made this their first trip abroad. I fall somewhere in between – I’ve been to roughly 16 countries and something like […]
Color Inspiration: Amsterdam
Last week I spent a few days in Amsterdam, and despite the often grey skies, I was inspired by the beauty of the canals, windmills and even my hostel. Below are some color schemes pulled from various photos I took throughout my time in the Netherlands. You’ll notice that the color schemes are on the […]
A Quest to Work from Abroad.
As I write this I am on a plane from Austin to New York. I’m not only headed there to see my family for Memorial Day – I’m also starting a little quest to work from abroad. For the next six weeks or so, I’m taking a hiatus from my home in Austin. After New […]
Guiding Words For 2016.
While I don’t necessarily set new year’s resolutions, I’d like to set some guiding words for a bigger, better and stronger year than last. For this post I’m particularly inspired by the “one word for the new year” mentality I learned at INK PR, as well as in the podcast Being Boss. I’m also […]
Get Started With Design Thinking: A Workshop
This was originally posted on the AIGA Austin blog. It was a full house at the Design Thinking Workshop this past Monday, hosted by AIGA Austin and General Assembly. And if you’ve been to the Austin WeWork space, you know the setting is ripe with VISUAL inspiration, as it’s modeled and decorated after Wes Anderson’s […]
Interview: Lady ATX’s Nikol Moen
Let’s switch things up a little. I’d like to introduce you all to my good friend, former colleague and fellow creative lady entrepreneur, Nikol Moen. This week Nikol launched Lady ATX, an online magazine for ladies, by ladies in Austin, TX. (Go check it out!) I recently interviewed Nikol about her life, her magazine and […]
Stay Inspired, Stay Relaxed.
One of the keys to being a creative professional: maintain a comfortable balance of inspiration and motivation while managing stress. I’ve found that while too much stress can hinder my productivity and creativity, too much inspiration and optimism can also set me up for disappointment. Does anyone else feel that way? In the end, it’s […]
Finding Inspiration: Colors in Everyday Life.
As a designer, colors are key. They depict different emotions and energies. For instance, a group of oranges, reds and yellows is bright, energetic and buzzing. In fact, experts believe that this color scheme also induces hunger, which is why it’s prominent among fast food chains. (Crazy, right?) A color scheme of bright blues, reds and […]
27 Goals for My 27th Year.
Your birthday is an annual opportunity to take a step back and review your life over the past year, as well as set goals for the coming one. Thus, having recently thad a birthday, here are 27 goals for my 27th year. The goals are big and small, but each one aims to improve my […]
Finding Inspiration: Walker Art Center
Art museums and galleries are a great source of inspiration. Even if you are not experienced with art history or you don’t work in a creative field, spending an hour or two within an art museum can leave you feeling a little more imaginative than you were before. I had the pleasure of visiting the new pop art […]
Imperfection as Creative Freedom.
Calling all perfectionists! It’s time we stop letting our perfectionism hold us back from self-expression and honest enjoyment. Let’s continue to put our best foot forward, but know it’s okay to give up that lingering feeling of self-doubt. Why? Because perfect is impossible. The Navajo get this. They include a flawed stitch in each handmade […]
Case Study: WrenKnits Logo
My mother will tell you she’s an amateur knitter, but she’s lying. She is skilled, dedicated and creates stunningly impressive pieces on a nightly basis. In fact, she gets frequent requests for commissioned work. It was about time to help my mom, Karen, take her knitting expertise to the next level. Of course to me […]
Running Smoothly: My Productivity Tools.
Who knew that I would love doing admin work for my business? Really. I look forward to organizing invoices, writing to do lists, analyzing how my time is spent – the works. Okay, so maybe you’re not quite as enthusiastic about business admin as I am. Or maybe you just haven’t found the productivity […]
Lessons from Design Ranch.
From spontaneous afternoon bookbinding to late night raving in the Vinyl Listening Lounge, some amazing things are bound to happen when you stick 180 creatives together for 5 days. I’m talking about Design Ranch. Yeeeehaw, y’all. AIGA Austin hosts Design Ranch every two years out at Camp Waldemar in Hunt, Texas. It isn’t your ordinary […]
High on Public Speaking.
Last month I spoke at SXSW Interactive. My first real speaking opportunity. I co-lead a “core conversation” called Social Media Strategy Swap* with Martin La Rocca from Social Factor. As a core conversation format, Martin and I were to provide our own expertise while guiding an active chat among our session attendees. HERE’S HOW IT […]
Just Go, Go, Go!
I have always been great at finagling my way into taking “cushy risks.” You know what I’m talking about – when it looks like you’re doing something crazy, but you really have your act tougher. Like when I moved from New York to Austin: I had a job lined up, plenty of savings and a […]
Taking a Leap of Faith.
Well, I did it. Earlier this year I went out on my own as a full-time freelance graphic designer. I left the comfort of a full-time job with fantastic perks for a world of uncertainty and risk – and you know what? It has been awesome. I had been debating making this move for months – […]