Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Goodrich.
Katie, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My love of art and design all began with superhero illustrations and I have fond memories of drawing new superheroes with my brother when we were kids. I also loved creating jokes with silly drawings on my notebooks through grade school, creating stories for new characters I would dream up, and attempting a few short comics. These simple comics opened the door to learning the basics of graphic design layouts.
I found a wonderful mix of being both a graphic designer and an illustrator as I started my career. I spent my first few years working in a small design studio. Next, I jumped into global companies working as a User Interface and User Experience designer. I have found while working in the financial technology world for the past seven years that I excel in production-based design.
I am still learning, practicing, and trying new ideas all the time while being inspired by the artist and design communities. I love how the two are so different and how they fulfill two parts of my personality – the need for order and the need to play with imagination and joy.
Has it been a smooth road?
It has not always been smooth, but I wouldn’t say it’s been overly painful. I’ve enjoyed my journey so far and am extremely excited to see where it continues to go. Some ongoing struggles are trying to evolve and refine my voice, discovering more ways to leave a positive impact, and keeping a strong support group who can critique my work to help me grow.
What I’ve found to be helpful in finding a mentor or group who cares about your professional and personal life because, let’s face it, these two worlds can bleed together very easily. You can feel like you are rocking your projects, but doing so in a silo will not lead to your best work. Get feedback, ask for advice, and grow from it. Then, return the favor! Be a real support to a friend and watch how much positivity changes someone’s work.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into Kadusaurus story. Tell us more about it.
Outside of my design work, I love creating cartoon-inspired illustrations that reference pop culture and making silly jokes. I have found one of the greatest joys is seeing someone react with a smile or giggle when they look at something I’ve created. Bonus points for a belly laugh or when people start joining in the joke.
My style is very cheerful and happy. I love spreading smiles and making someone’s day that much brighter. Most of my work is done with Procreate or on my computer with my drawing tablet, but I always start in my sketchbook with a doodle.
My imagination doesn’t shut down and it’s a fun ride daily.
It would be great to hear about any apps, books, podcasts or other resources that you’ve used and would recommend to others.
The artists I follow on Instagram and Twitter are huge inspirations to me. I love bookmarking great posts so I can return to them later and study just what made it resonate so strongly with me in the first place. I have also found a community that believes in supporting each other and sharing great work.
Dribbble is another great place to lose yourself in amazing work and ask for feedback.
I love listening to “Our Super Podcast!” for the fun stories and hearing how a very successful artist goes through her journey and learns from her past ventures.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.katiegoodrich.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kadusaurus/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/kadusaurus
- Other: https://kadusaurus.threadless.com
Image Credit:
Personal portrait photo by Melissa Claire Photography, Artwork photos are taken by Kadusaurus
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
