Meet Emily Wilson of ECDW Creative

Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Wilson.

Emily, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My creative journey has shaped and influenced me for as long as I can remember. While education and career provided the catalyst for that journey, the road has been redefined many times. When I was an art student at Wake Forest University, I learned how to channel the intrinsic motivation and inspiration needed to produce a body of work. In my early career days, I learned how to carve a path toward what I wanted to do, which was to use creative insight to solve problems and guide institutional messaging.

I also found a way to strike a balance between my career choices and my personal expression. I realized I loved and needed both in my life, so I started painting again on evenings and weekends and learned design/layout programs. I also attended conferences and sought professional development. My love for visual storytelling, partnered with my penchant to make things, became the definition of who I was and what I wanted to do.

My current position at Greenhill School, where I have served for seven years, has truly fostered those elements, especially exercising my design muscles and concentrating on the craft and packaging of message strategy. It was in this position that I was able to grow a larger design/writing portfolio and share my skills via freelancing. ECDW Creative was born from that.

My work started to ripple beyond Greenhill materials, and I grew professionally by expanding my reach and scope—including writing, graphic design, environmental design, painting, drawing, illustrating, and especially, how each can inform the other. I am constantly trying new things—at work and play—and I am never bored.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Smooth roads are boring. Bumpy roads tell the better narrative. In recent years, I have begun to see challenges in a different way. There are always roadblocks and unexpected turns—you can get frustrated with constraints on time, resources, doubt, varying opinions—but these elements can also add to the process in unexpected ways, making the story richer, more authentic, more real.

Being a mother of two boys is as much a part of me as my work. And anyone who is a parent knows how all-consuming it can be. The “me time” is fleeting, the creative process can be sporadic and rushed. It can be a roadblock to painting on the weekends or non “deadline-driven” work. But I also think about how much joy and fulfillment and completeness my family brings to my life. It certainly adds an empathetic note to working in a school where our audience is often parents. I can tap into that lens to help inform my work and my choices. It’s not always the easiest road, but it’s the fullest journey—and filled with humor and compassion.

My painting—the intrinsically motivated work—is furthest on the backburner. I used to get frustrated with my slower paced work while raising young children. I now have adjusted that mindset to think of life in chapters. Some phases, or months, or years, are more prolific than others. I also know that work begets more work. The busier I am, the more I get done. I acknowledge the challenges, take on what I can, and move forward.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about ECDW Creative – what should we know?
My creative work is essentially divided into what I do for Greenhill and what I do as freelance designer or artist. At Greenhill, my role includes in-house design, publication management, writing, and brand development. As part of a three-person team, we have worked hard to always reflect the goals, mission, and ethos of the School in our materials and messages. We are constantly seeking to stay at the forefront of industry standard, and it is truly gratifying to work for a mission I believe in.

In the spirit of that, I consider it my professional obligation to also exercise creative consumption in all ways. Working on my own adds to my journey and at the very least, keeps the momentum flowing. With ECDW Creative, I’ve been able to share what I do in all mediums. The portfolio site spreads my message to a larger audience, and I learn from each project I take on.

I am most proud of helping people find solutions. When a client or coworker sees their message brought to clarity; or witnesses their vision brought into tangible form; or enjoys a new piece of art, they feel excitement and joy. That’s the true satisfaction in what I do. Together in a partnership, we bring an idea to fruition in clarity, beauty, and elegance.

What sets me apart?
I’m an artist and a writer. They are both a part of me and when I go deep into one, I often miss the other. That is why my strongest selling point is operating within the big picture. What’s our strategy, what’s our goal? What messages do we want to convey and what should that look like? I operate within both worlds all the time and I think that often appeals to the functional, practical needs of the business. My goal is always to drill to the heart of the solution in a strong, empowering, and vibrant way.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Perseverance and consistency. I think any creative person is met with the ups and downs of life fairly frequently. Sometimes riding in the thrill zone, loving everything you produce, finding success without a lot of pushback. Then you give something you’re all and it fails. It’s hard to find the humming zone again.

This is a very common cycle and you just have to stay on board. You can’t praise or beat yourself up too much. You just have to keep going and know that the journey is the interesting part. It’s the part that when you look back, you say, “This is who I am. This is what I’ve done. And I like that.”

Contact Info:

• Address: 4507 Forest Bend Road
• Website: ecdw.org
• Phone: 214.412.8400
• Email: donoec00@yahoo.com
• Instagram: ecdw_creative

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