Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristina Gabrielyan.
Hi Kristina, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was one of those “gifted and talented” kids with an imaginary friend — which, in hindsight, probably just meant I had ADHD and a vivid inner world. While other kids were playing Neopets or The Sims, I was pirating Photoshop and architectural software from the early internet’s back alleys (IYKYK) and making “art” for hours on end. I’d get completely lost in color, composition, and chaos — my version of meditation before I knew what meditation was.
After taking every art class I could and realizing visual storytelling was my native language, I went on to study Communication Design and jumped straight into the corporate and nonprofit world. I helped translate global health campaigns into something humans might actually look (and want to look) at — but eventually, I felt myself creatively wilting. Corporate culture has a funny way of convincing you to dim your light in exchange for “stability.” Spoiler: it’s not worth it if you’re meant to build your own world.
The irony wasn’t lost on me — design, the thing meant to communicate truth and beauty, was often used to sell illusions. Cue the existential crisis.
So I left the cubicle life and started freelancing on projects I actually WANTED in Southern California — working with small businesses and creating work that feels alive. Right now, I’m operating under my own name, Kristina Gabrielyan, but I’m slowly building out my studio, Synthesis Creative Co., as a home base for my projects and ideas—part design lab, part existential experiment. I’m also developing Tails of the Season, a seasonal pet photography and prints venture where I get to indulge my two favorite things: animals and nostalgia.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
As mentioned previously, it definitely hasn’t been a smooth road, and honestly, I’d be suspicious if it had been. The creative path isn’t linear, especially in today’s cultural, political, and societal circus. Trying to make meaningful art in a world that feels like it’s constantly on fire is… character-building, to say the least.
On a personal level, I also realized pretty quickly that my brain just doesn’t mesh well with corporate environments. I’m wired to question things, to find better ways to do them, and that doesn’t always sit well in a “just shut up and do as you’re told” setting — which, yes, was an actual quote from one of my former supervisor.
That moment was clarifying, though. It made me realize that my “struggles” weren’t flaws — they were redirections. I wasn’t meant to fit into someone else’s system. I was meant to build my own.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m an independent designer and creative technologist based in Southern California, collaborating with bold, offbeat bars, restaurants, and small businesses that don’t want to blend in. My work lives at the intersection of branding, digital marketing, and creative strategy—helping small businesses grow with intention and originality.
I blend formal design training with emerging tech—especially AI—to build bold, story-driven brand identities that go beyond aesthetics. From color systems and typography to AI-assisted content and visual storytelling, I use design as a tool for clarity, cohesion, and standing out in a saturated world.
My work often leans into the satirical, political, and existential—it’s not just about how something looks, it’s about how it feels. The world feels pretty dystopian right now, but I believe in making things that remind people there’s still beauty, wit, and soul left in it. My work is a reflection of the times we live in: absurd, beautiful, and a little existential. I’m most proud of building a creative practice that embraces imperfection, curiosity, and humor in an increasingly mechanized world. And I don’t fight with AI—it’s here to stay. I use it as a tool to better communicate my ideas and bring them to life.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
I won’t give the typical answer, like “money or notoriety”. To me, success is embodiment. It’s becoming the fullest, truest version of yourself without betraying who you are in the process.
There’s a quote by Caroline Myss that says, “How do you know you’re on the right path? When you don’t betray yourself anymore.” That one hit me hard. I think real success is when your outer life finally aligns with your inner world—when your work, your values, and your energy all start speaking the same language. The Japanese call it ‘Ikigai’—your reason for being.
And I repeat, we’re living in a dystopia, and the future is uncertain, so none of this matters if you’re not happy in your present state. The future is uncertain, the world’s on fire (literally and metaphorically).
So for me, success is peace. It’s creative freedom. It’s waking up excited about what I’m building, even if it’s unconventional. It’s staying human in a time that keeps trying to automate the soul.
Pricing:
- Sliding scale
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kristinagabrielyan.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/kre8tive_kris
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinagabrielyan
- Other: https://tailsoftheseason.com
