Creative Characters Ep. 11: Lauren Hom.

Building a creative career can seem like a daunting task. There is no clear path, and the most successful creators will tell you that they never take a traditional, linear path. It can be scary, to put yourself and your work out there for the world to judge. 

Still, for all of those reasons, creative careers can be some of the most rewarding. You can fully express your identity through your work, and craft things and experiences that are enjoyed by the entire world. Our latest guest on Creative Characters has led an impressive creative career, and notably helped educate others on following their own dreams. 

Lauren Hom is a Detroit-based designer and hand-lettering artist (though she says she will always be a California gal at heart). While studying advertising in college she picked up hand-lettering as a hobby, which turned into a successful freelance career - working with clients such as Airbnb, Google, Starbucks, and many, many others. When not working on her freelance business, she can be found teaching through her online courses, free resources available on her site, and #HOMwork, a weekly creative challenge she has shared since 2017. 

We were excited to catch up with Lauren when we did because she is preparing for another step on her creative journey. Starting in 2023, she will be attending culinary school, fulfilling a longtime passion. “I’m giving myself a two-year runway to emotionally, mentally, and financially prepare to take this 12 month creative sabbatical.”

Building a career takes a lot of courage, and this episode is really great for anyone who is looking for inspiration to pursue their passion. It’s also hosted by a new voice for Creative Characters, Monotype’s Jay Loo, who is one of the most passionate people we know! As we learned in listening to Lauren, taking action is something all of us can do.

“I always have people emailing me and messaging me saying like, oh, like, I love like how you just take such bold moves, like bold risks in your career. And you’re fearless. And that honestly couldn’t be further from the truth.”