MEET #324
TUESDAY BASSEN
Illustrator/Designer/Art Director • New York, NY
Freelance Illustrator, Designer, and Art Director who makes unusual + cheerful illustrations for companies, plus ceramics and products for her own line.
1. How long have you been freelancing?
I've been freelancing since I graduated from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design in 2011.
2. Is there a time or place that you feel most creative/have the best ideas?
I feel most creative when I'm traveling alone and feeling slightly uncomfortable--I have a heightened sense of awareness when I'm somewhere new and it lends itself to satire well. Discomfort is hard to purposefully seek out, but I think it's important in becoming a well-versed artist and person. Put some hair on your chest.
3. What's your ideal Working:Not Working ratio?
It's hard to maintain an even ratio because you can't control when you get work. The old adage "When it rains, it pours" holds true.
That said, when I'm not doing client work, I focus my efforts into personal projects. I make ceramics for my online shop and I publish a zine called "Miserable and Worthless," with fellow designer Lindsay Eyth.
4. Do your parents understand what you do?
Yeah! They're very supportive of me and my work. I think it helps that they're both creative in their own ways-- My dad is a dog trainer and musician; My mom paints pottery. You should see their house!
5. What scene from a movie makes you laugh just thinking about it?
I'm going to do that annoying thing and not ACTUALLY answer your question because the first thing that came to mind wasn't a movie, but a YouTube clip of Keenan Cahill singing Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream." He's just SO EARNEST. I almost crashed my car once when Teenage Dream came on the radio because I was laugh-crying so hard thinking about it.
Also, there's a Tig Notaro sketch where she recalls someone stopping her on the street and exclaiming "HUH! Them-a little titties! I thought you was a man!"--my boyfriend knows that if I'm chuckling to myself, I'm definitely thinking about Tig Notaro.
High-brow stuff, eh?
6. If you were stranded on a desert island, with your computer, what 3 websites would you take with you?
Wifi on the desert island! Man, that's a 21st century first-world problem. Like the rest of us, I mostly browse Facebook, my email, and Twitter, so let's go with more interesting options:
gotagirlcrush.com -- Curated by my friends Meg and Andrea, this is a great source for finding and appreciating work by talented women. I think that sites like GAGC are very important because I still hear things like "I'd hire a female designer, I just don't know who's good." Now you know, so no more excuses.
sheaff-ephemera.com -- For vintage ephemera. The best!
DesignSponge.com -- Grace really has her finger on the pulse of everything DIY, small business-y, and visually pleasing. And she rescued my kitty, which permanently puts her in my good graces!
7. What do you do when not working?
Lately, I've been spending my moments "Not Working" by working on design and illustration for my boyfriend Jansen's tape label, Mirror Universe, and making zines. It feels good to be busy!
8. Do you have a hidden talent?
I can touch my tongue to my nose!
9. Any tips or advice for fellow freelancers?
A lot of people are going to give you well-meaning (and often unsolicited) advice, but you should pay attention to your own personal and professional needs. This might sound like a no-brainer, but it's easy to look to others for guidance and lose sight of what you're about, what you're doing, and what you want to achieve. Make passion happen and don't let any nay-sayers get in the way! (But also think about this: haters gonna bring up some good points.)
10. What's your favorite thing on the internet this week?
publicdomainreview.org is something that I periodically re-discover and it is always awesome to sort through.
