Why did I start my own creative business?

Ever since I was a young kid, I had a passion for art, design and writing. When it comes to art, writing and design, I've experimented with just about every medium possible. Well, besides welding. And ice.

During the long winters in Indiana, between going to basketball games, sledding and riding the snowmobile through cornfields, you would find me holed up in my room at my parent's farmhouse coding websites, journaling and creating digital illustrations in Microsoft Paint.

After finishing college with a degree in General Studies with an emphasis on Graphic Design, I graduated from college during a horrible job economy. I had two choices. Take what I could find in the area or move away. 

This Hoosier girl wasn't moving away.

In fact, I ended up 10 minutes from my parents on 120 acres in a barn house I designed, married to a farmer in a little river town without a zip code.

I always struggled with what I wanted to be when I grew up.

Job-wise, I took what I could get for the next several years as I did some free-lance design and writing work on the side. I've sold fasteners, worked in a retail, loaded trucks, wrote service tickets at an ag dealership, supervised a diesel shop and assisted at our county Chamber office.

One weekend I was going through my office at home and found some boxes from my old room at my parent's I hadn't touched in 12 years. Inside was a book called, The Meaning of Life, I was going to toss into the Goodwill pile.

But I hesitated.

I opened up the book. Inside the cover was handwriting I recognized instantly. My 5th Grade teacher and high school tennis coach. One of my favorite persons.

 I remembered, it was her gift to me on my high school graduation. 

“You are one of the most talented and creative people I know. I hope you get an opportunity in life to use your gifts.”

I decided it was time. This was a sign.

Eventually, my full-time job away from home got in the way of what I really wanted.

It was time to stop working on someone else's time 9-12 hours a day. 

It was time to STOP doing work I didn't thoroughly enjoy.

I was a caged lion that craved flexibility for my personal growth, agriculture and my family. 

I finally was able to admit the one thing I've been hiding from myself all this time...

I am an entrepreneur.

And so I started my creative business, OBS creative services, providing creative, custom products for your organization, event, blog or farm. Now I spend my days at the farm, doing something I LOVE: helping you tell your story, creating graphics and illustrations in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, editing photos from my DSLR camera in Lightroom and typing away with my keyboard on my Apple products.

To learn more about my freelance services, products and style, please visit my Services page.