This week I am enthralled to have Ciara Sames visiting over here on Pinegate Road. We have become fast friends through the blogging world, and a Sunday night just wouldn’t be complete without a little discussion with Ciara about HBO’s series Girls via twitter. Ciara is an all-around inspiring gal and is also a fellow Georgian! She authors the blog Glass and Sable which has quickly become one of my daily must-reads. Ciara, take it away.

An interview with graphic designer and blogger Ciara Sames:

Hi! My name is Ciara Sames and I’m a graphic designer and blogger stationed in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. I currently work as a full time designer for an indoor gardening company and also as a part time marketing director for an Atlanta based online arts publication. However, I’m getting ready to get back into school and finish up! When I’m not at work or doing some freelance projects, you can usually find me at a show, eating tacos with some of my best buds, or talking about illustrating.

What gets me jazzed:

Here is a list of some things that get me totally jumping up and down excited: seeing St. Vincent live, hot pizza, my meowing cats, cupcake milkshakes (yes, that’s a thing!), new growth on succulents, crazy socks, manicures, fresh air, mountains, tacos, new software updates with awesome new shortcuts! (i’m a dork), new internet friends, learning a new skill, trying new things, exploring roads i’ve never been on, tacos, margaritas, getting a bargain, taking walks, receiving a package, finding a new musical artist and realizing my life had been incomplete without them. I listed tacos twice because I mean it.

Inspired by:

I am inspired by tales of hard work and great execution. I love going on Dribbble.com and looking at all the amazing projects by truly talented designers. I am also endlessly inspired by my friends who are all so gifted at the things they do. It’s easy to go online (cough, Pinterest) and get inspired, but that’s kind of cheating. If I’m about to start a new project, I might look online for a minute, but then I try and step away from my desk for a while and come up with my own ideas. I also like to spend time dabbling in new things I’m not good at, like calligraphy. It’s amazing to learn something new and simultaneously be impacted by the history of an old art form.

Project:

I love to stay busy and stay designing. It’s the only way to get better. Through my desire to develop new skills, I also wanted to make something I could share. This is where my idea for a monthly calendar came in. Since May I’ve been making a calendar for the month including an illustration I made from hand. This month’s calendar was especially fun, because when I think of July, I think about cookouts, and nothing is better than food, right?

Tips:

Working hard pays off, always. Take breaks, even if that means doing nothing but eating for a whole day. Network with others in your field and in your city and pick their brains apart. Continue taking classes and continue learning. Read books. Do creative things that aren’t in your field – like writing poetry, etc. Indulge in treats once in a while. (I always get semi-pricey Korean BBQ on paydays as a work reward.) Enjoy life and laugh as much as you possibly can. ♥

Big thanks to Ciara Sames for stopping by today! If you want to check out more about her, you can visit her blog or find her on twitter.  And yeah, I agree, tacos are rad.