Today we’d like to introduce you to Ilene Haddad.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’ve been creative since childhood—always coloring, making collages, or building drip castles at the beach. I produced a puppet show at the age of four and began writing “books” (stapled pages) in the second grade. Patient Mrs. Stogner let me stay after class and read stories I wrote and illustrated. This was a few years before “graphic novel” formally entered the creative lexicon. I loved writing as much as I did drawing.
In high school I improved my writing skills and took as many art classes as I could cram into my schedule—plus bowling. But it wasn’t until college at the University of Texas at Austin (Go Horns!) that I took a deep dive into art.
I started out as an advertising major but soon realized I wasn’t cut out for it. Fortunately, a kind art professor and I found each other. That was the beginning of my studies in graphic design. I had no idea what graphic design was, mind you, but anything had to be better than advertising.
What I didn’t expect was to be so burned out after college that I fled to Colorado to be a ski bum. It wasn’t the best use of my education, but at the time I was more concerned with powder days than commercial art. I was eventually led back to design with a job at the Vail Daily newspaper, creating ads and feature pages. I wasn’t paid a lot, but my compensation included a free season ski pass, which was worth more than gold in those days—probably still is. I eventually found my way back to Austin, where I’ve remained in the graphic design biz ever since.
Somewhere along the way, I started a business with my future husband and was married on a romantic Greek island. Mr. Ilene and I are quite different. He’s a lapsed Catholic. I’m a lapsed Jew. He’s Arab. I’m not. These differences would later feed a hobby of mine: cartooning.
I was introduced to social media in the early 2000s where I found old friends, met new ones, and began a blog. Initially, my posts were all about graphic design, but I later branched out and began writing about train whistles and the weather, among other equally uninteresting topics.
I once posted something along the lines of, “Does anyone want to get together and spend a day blogging?” That little sentence resonated with a fun, quirky, and creative crowd. Soon after, BlogathonATX was born. I love creating community, and this event gathered nearly 100 attendees who sat together to write, learn, and eat. I was presented with the Women Communicators of Austin’s Creative Initiative Award for founding BlogathonATX. While we no longer get together to write, the tight friendships formed during that time remain important to me.
One of my websites, casaweenie.com, is home to the cartoons I draw of conversations with my husband. I’ve created more than 600 so far, some of which appear in the memoir I recently published, “I’ve Seen You Naked Over 8,000 Times.” This book is an ode to marriage and other long-term relationships. Writing, drawing, designing, and publishing it was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done—and one of the most rewarding.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Oh, good grief. Is it okay to say “hell” here? Because if it is, then “HELL no it hasn’t been a smooth road!” First of all, have you ever tried starting a business with your life partner? I don’t think that needs any clarification. Business has its ups and downs, and it took us a while to figure that out. I would panic between clients, thinking I’d never work again. And Covid didn’t help. I’ve also been targeted with a good amount of ageism as I enter the latter part of my career. Apparently, people don’t want to work with someone old enough to be the CEO’s mom. Overall though, I’ve had a pretty good run.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Well, after winning the 6th grade science fair, things kind of dropped off for a while. I wasn’t cut out for science though (too much math), so I became an artist. I did well in college, where I was accepted to a summer graphic design program in Switzerland through Yale University. That experience was one of the most impactful moments of my graphic design career.
My background is in designing print materials—brochures, posters, trade show graphics, etc. But the design world went digital and nearly left me behind. I stubbornly stuck with print for the most part, which led to some lean years. But what’s old becomes new over time, and now it’s hard to find a good print designer. That’s where I come in. Making something people will hold in their hands someday is so satisfying.
I added “writer” and “cartoonist” to my bio several years ago and haven’t blinked since. I once had 100 words in the New York Times, which was huge for me. At first I thought I was being spammed when one of the editors called to let me know my tiny piece had been accepted. We had a good laugh.
What makes you happy?
Travel. It is my number one favorite thing to do. Exploring different cultures and learning the history of a place make me very happy. And rain. Rain makes me ecstatic! Why? Because Texas. Other things that make me happy: solving a client’s design problem, getting together with other creatives, thrifting, and pizza.
Pricing:
- My new book sells for $19.99.
- My design fees are on a per-project basis.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://casaweenie.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/casaweenie/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/casaweenie/
- Other: https://graphicdesignerd.com/
Image Credits
Korey Howell
Michael Yew
Dad
Mr. Ilene
