Today we’d like to introduce you to Brooke Holland.
Brooke, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was always artistic growing up, but I mostly stuck with drawing and painting. It wasn’t until college that I discovered and started to dabble in lettering and design. I was part of a creative advertising program at the University of Texas in Austin, TX (hook ‘em horns!) and one day while looking for inspiration on a creative project for one of my classes, I stumbled across some of Lauren Hom’s lettering work. I was so drawn to the bright colors and quirky one liners reflected in all her art. That was the day I learned about lettering, and I knew I wanted to give it a try. People had always told me I had great handwriting, so how hard could this be? I thought. Turns out, very hard. It takes a lot of time and it’s something I’ll continue developing forever, but after a few years of patience and practice I was able to find my style and have the confidence to turn this hobby into a way to make some extra income.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I think the biggest obstacle has always been myself. There’s been so many times that I’ve thought about giving up on my art and telling myself no one would notice or care if I did. The voice in the back of my head saying I’m not good enough doesn’t ever fully go away, but I’m a lot better at tuning her out.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I freelance as a graphic designer, and I specialize in lettering and illustrations. I’m known for using humor, bright colors and long, looping flourishes in my work. I am most proud of my art when people tell me that they can instantly identify a piece as mine before even being told who the artist is. This makes me feel like I’ve succeeded in finding my own unique style, which I believe is what sets me apart from others.
What has been the proudest moment of your career so far?
A few months ago, the Instagram account @goodtype did a spotlight feature about me and my work. I had been an avid follower of this account since it first took off, which was also around the time that I first started lettering. They have grown to over one million followers since, so to be featured by one of the biggest lettering accounts on Instagram was a huge career moment for me – one that I would say I’m most proud of.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.iambrookeholland.com
- Email: iambrookeholland@gmail.com
Image Credit:
Allyson Holland
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