Hello! I’m Angelika!
I'm a seasoned creative with a passion for solving visual challenges through empathy and intentionality. With over nine years of experience in design, illustration, and creative strategy, I love crafting visuals that breathe joy, art, and beauty into our everyday lives. Whether I'm diving into creating visual systems, unraveling complex UX puzzles, or designing joyful packaging, I'm always up for a creative adventure.
Outside of my work, I am (most importantly) a dog mom to a strong-headed and opinionated German Shepherd named Flora, a nature lover, and a budding home chef. You'll often find me with my nose buried in a book or diving headfirst into a new skill or hobby – these diverse interests constantly fuel my creative spirit.
Things I love: NPR, animals (all and any), self-help and productivity books, solo travel, exploring National Parks, hygge, empathy, exploring psychology and mental health, journaling, thoughtfully and ethically made products, sustainability, kindness, and quiet moments.
Things I’m great at: graphic design, illustration, creative strategy, visual problem solving, visual and UX design, learning new skills, creative direction, branding, packaging design, teaching.
Creative Journey
Fine Arts (& spanish!)
I studied Fine Art (and Spanish) at DePaul University where I spent a lot of time trying anything and everything. During this time, I really dove into fine-tuning craftsmanship and laying the groundwork for all things design. My experience ranged from digital design to painting to printmaking to bookbinding. I interned at the Kavi Gupta gallery in Chicago during this time, and received an Illinois Arts Council Agency Individual Artist Grant shortly after graduating.
Entrepreneurship & the Stationery world
In 2014, I opened a stationery and design studio based in Chicago. Quite honestly, I had no idea what I was getting into when I first started Design by Angelika, but maybe that was for the best! I spent over 8 years thinking on my feet, learning from new challenges, fine-tuning my print design skills, and building a network of wonderful Chicago wedding industry folks. My time as a stationer also taught me a lot about customer care and service, about system building, and about running a business. When the 2020 pandemic hit and paused the wedding industry, I knew it was a good point to close this chapter of my life. I spent the remaining two years taking care of clients who had to postpone their celebrations (sometimes more than once!) and closed my business on 2022.
Teaching
From 2015 to 2019 I taught a variety of classes at Spudnik Press, a community print studio and non-profit in Chicago, Illinois. My classes ranged from one-day screenprint and letterpress workshops to 6 week deep dives into illustrative lettering. I taught over 25 classes to more than 120 students. Teaching allowed me to grow as a leader and to continue growing as a creative. I really loved introducing students to the vibrant creative community in Chicago and encouraging them to enjoy the learning process.
Entrepreneurship pt. 2
As soon as I closed my first business, I opened another one—Flora Illustration. This time, with a focus on illustration in all its forms. My projects range from packaging design to branding to book cover design to pet portraits to tattoo illustration. I am fortunate to work with a variety of clients and fellow artists, while also creating work just for the joy of creating work! My practice includes several passion projects each year because art and creativity are FUN. Through this work, I’m able to dive in even deeper to topics that I’ve had a long term interest in, such as UX design and animation.
community love
Throughout my creative career, I’ve found community incredibly important. Whether it was getting involved in the wedding industry in Chicago, or diving in to meeting fellow creatives after my move to Denver, or attending conferences and workshops taught by artists all over the world, I’ve always felt a pull towards connecting with others over art and creativity. Some of the communities I’m currently active in are Creative Mornings, volunteer work through Catchafire, and staying connected to a wide network of Denver and Chicago creatives.