Today we’d like to introduce you to Georgia Malone.
Georgia, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My professional creative career started with my education at California College of the Arts, where I received a BFA in Graphic Design. I had always been drawn to music, and during my last semester, I accepted an internship at Pirates Press in San Francisco. There, I began my design career; designing album artwork, learning the technical processes behind print and prepress, designing for and sourcing merchandise, establishing new client relationships, and putting on some wild events.
After 5 years, I returned back to my hometown of Austin, TX, but remained on contract with Pirates Press while I officially opened my books to freelance work. Jumping into freelancing for the first time was a little messy, with a big learning curve. Thankfully, I stuck with it and gained some great clients like the City of Atlanta and Once Over Coffee Bar. I continued juggling my record work with freelance gigs, adding additional longtime clients like Red Cactus Media. My freelance career took me in a variety of creative directions, from branding to advertising to events.
After 8 years of working as an independent contractor, I accepted a full-time position as Creative Director with Idea Peddler. In this position, I became more immersed in production and campaigns than ever before, leading and working side by side with some amazing teams of talented people, and executing some stellar work for clients like Sonoma County Tourism, Fredericksburg CVB, Amplify Credit Union, and many more. There, I found a true love for art direction and all of the details that come together to make thoughtful and beautiful work.
Today, I am back on the path of independent contracting. I’ve recently connected with the several design and art organizations here in Austin, I’m working with some exciting new clients, and I’m looking to take risks in my career that I may have been trepidatious about before. While I’m so proud and appreciative of the path that has led me to where I am, this next phase of my career is all about taking the leap.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I would love to see the creatives that answered “yes” to this question. So, as you may infer, no, it was not smooth. However, I feel fortunate for the path, even if it has been uncertain and scary at times.
Jumping into freelancing at a young age without guidance (beyond my education) was a challenge. I utilized resources like AIGA to get some of the basics down, but there are many aspects, particularly when it comes to running the business, that were difficult to figure out. Especially moving from California to Texas, the laws and taxes are very different. But after a few years, I hit a stride, had a payroll system in place, and it was much smoother sailing from there.
In leadership, my greatest struggle has been stepping away from the work. I don’t think I will ever truly want to stop making. So it will be a continued balance that I look for in future roles: how can I lead in the areas needed, and how can I make in the areas I love?
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I got into creative work because I understood a few things about myself: I’m weird (I was raised by hippies; I got into punk music at a young age), and despite being in a family of engineers, I’m pretty bad at math. So as an untraditional gal, I’ve gone down an untraditional career path. I became known for album design, branding, and creating event experiences where the magic was found in the details. More recently, I’ve found a love for, and become known for, my production work.
In many ways, this mixed bag of experience has made me a generalist, which I believe is a good thing, particularly in a leadership role. Having had my hands in the thick of making, knowing what it takes to create anything from motion graphics to large fabricated pieces, and understanding timelines from conceptual work to final deliverables, I’m in a really great place to move across industries. While sticking to one thing and absolutely mastering it is really valuable and admirable, I appreciate the mixed bag of skills I have acquired and find it sets me up to move in ways that keep my soul aflame.
And what am I most proud of? Standing up for creativity in a world that wants to cut corners and squeeze out every last drop. I get it: if we choose creativity as a career path, it must be profitable. However, there is a balance of hitting those monetary marks and making really fucking good work. My legacy will not be the car I was able to purchase, but the work that inspires others to say “I can do that too!”
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
Join the AIGA! Austin’s AIGA is gearing up for some great programming in 2027, so go to all of those events.
Find people whose work you admire, and write them a letter from the heart. Absolutely do not write them something you had AI help you create. Check grammar in AI, nothing more.
I admittedly have not been the best at networking, but have been actively working to turn that around. I used to think of networking as schmoozing, as some means to an end, and I didn’t want to be or be seen as an opportunist. However, what I’m realizing in becoming more involved in the creative culture here in Austin is that what is really valuable is making true friends. I have many amazing friends, but not enough who share the passion for design and creativity that I do. So make design friends, make artist friends, make friends who bring work they’re excited about just to show you. When you really care, those friendships will form naturally.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.leavegeorgiamalone.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgiatmalone
