Today we’d like to introduce you to Linda Espinosa.
Hi Linda, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, let’s briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
As a small child, I liked to draw and copy the cartoons and illustrations I saw on TV. It never occurred to me to be anything else other than an artist. I studied illustration and design, leading me to creative director positions at King Features, then onto Walt Disney and Warner Bros. Studios. There I created product designs for popular characters in everything from watches and home decor to tee shirts. A bonus of this position was learning how products are made from inception through production.
Through work, I met amazing artists and connections, which gave me the confidence to open my branding design studio in New York City, “Piece O Cake Design.” Ten years later, the name changed to Jumpdrive Creative, which remains today. We have been so lucky to work on great projects with M&M Candies, Pepperidge Farm, Peeps, Sony, and the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, to name a few. Since I specialize in product design, I also work with a friend to supply “swag” and design for special events at @logowoman.com.
We all face challenges, but would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
When you choose to be in a creative field, you are not taking an easy, predictable path. There is a reason why the term “starving artist” came about. My first challenge as a designer was that if I wanted to work on big projects, I needed help. I had to learn the joy of directing and getting the best out of other artists for the best outcome. Hiring other people to be on a team comes with paying others. Sometimes that may mean you go without pay. Cash flow, where your next project comes from, and timing are as important as the project itself. I sometimes felt like I was working to pay my overhead in New York City. You learn quickly that having talent is not everything being in the right place at the right time, connections, and dumb luck are equal factors.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I studied illustration and design at the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Arts and the School of Visual Arts in New York City. I have had the good fortune of individual portfolio classes and working with well-known artists such as Milton Glaser, Maurice Sendak, Stan Lee, and many published cartoonists.
Throughout my professional life and art career, I have been able to travel through the USA, Asia, and Europe. I am most proud of the range of projects I have had the honor to work on and the people I have worked with to accomplish them. My studio specializes in brand books, which are the “bibles” people follow that define what a character or brand looks like, how it should be used in public, and what it stands for. The ones I am most proud of were the standard characters at Disney, M&M’s Candy Characters, and the work of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. I also worked for a Japanese publisher VIZ Media, which allowed me to be immersed in the manga and anime culture, which was awesome.
What sets me apart from others is to see a brand, character, or art from the perspective of its purity and how others view it. It’s important to get out of your head and viewpoints. For the first time in my career, I am doing my art. It’s still a process of discovery! I am creating art from vintage and modern findings from people’s families- everything from photographs to family china. The series is called “An Assembled Life.”
What matters most to you?
Some artists create for themselves only, and if someone likes it, fine. Suppose no one likes it; that’s fine too. There is nothing wrong with that; art is self-expression. I always created designs to elicit a response, hopefully a positive one. To be liked, loved, or to push someone to think about something or someone.
Contact Info:
- Website: jumpdrivenyc.com or logowoman.com
- Instagram: @mangolouie
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/linda-espinosa-b4b9277/
