G-day I’m Carla!

The owner of this little space on the internet & the creative director of the mindful design studio Colourful Carla. I’m an Aussie expat who moved across the ocean in the pursuit of love, so as you can imagine I am a true romantic. And yes my favorite movie genre is Rom-coms, but I do have a sweet spot for the superhero franchises and indie films (hello Wes Anderson.) If you are not familiar with what mindful design studio is check out my post here.

The beginning

I’ve been a designer for a longgggg time now. Let’s say over a decade. It feels weird even saying that. Boy time flies when you LOVE what you do! I basically was born with a paint brush in one hand and a computer in the other. I was destined for a career in design whether I liked it or not. 😂

After finishing design school in Australia, I spent some time working in the advertising then print industry. At this point of my career I was just learning the ropes. Absorbing all I could from some of the coolest designers, and creatives in the country. Yes you guessed it I was a literal design sponge!

Then I met a boy and found myself on the other-side of the world. 

Some of my earliest memories in the USA were noticing how many people didn’t recycle. I couldn’t understand why a country known for innovation was so far behind when it came to what I thought was such a basic thing as recycling. Turns out there was a much bigger issue at hand, but I hadn’t quite put my finger on it yet.

It wasn’t until a few years after living in the USA that I started transitioning into being a more mindful designer. At the time I didn’t even call it that. I just knew my purpose in life was to have a positive impact on the world, but I was still learning and absorbing. 

One of my first ever conscious projects was marketing and designing events for the Center for Research on Families a Non-profit based at University of Massachusetts Amherst. Every year the center would host a multitude of events that educated the community about innovative findings or give funding to students who were on the verge of innovation. It was an incredibly inspiring space to be in.  At the same time the university was actively looking for green leaders to innovate and inspire others, so my boss nominated me for the role. It was here where my conscious mindset started to grow.  One of my first ideas was to up-cycle the decor for an awards dinner we hosted. People love how creative it was and I finally felt like I was finding my true calling. The following year we created event materials that needed to be 100% composted meaning there would be a smaller footprint on the earth. I ended up receiving a green leader award for my efforts and as you can imagine my mindfulness journey began to evolve.

The Evolution

Not too long after my husband graduated from his master’s program in renewables engineering he got his first job out in Seattle. It was the perfect place to continue our sustainable, conscious journey together. For those of you who haven’t been to Seattle I definitely recommend it. Everyone is on the same wavelength in terms of living a more conscious life!

Shortly after moving to Seattle I made my way to the honorable sustainable design studio Modern Species. During my time there I had the honor of working with some of the leaders and change-makers in the organic, food and beauty industry.  This role provided significant insight into the world of sustainable design and the organic, fair trade industry. In turn they taught me how to be a more holistic designer. I am forever grateful for their insight, love and support during my time there (especially while I was pregnant with my sons!) It truly was a pivotal part of my career. I finally realized what my calling was (to be a mindful designer!) As you can imagine all birds need to fly the coop at some time, so after 3 incredible years I set off on my next adventure.

 

The Final Stop

My last and final stop before starting Colourful Carla was as Creative director for the company Crunchi Cosmetics.  Crunchi is a Clean Beauty company based on the sunny shores of Florida. During my short time there, I led a small but mighty team through a multitude of marketing campaigns, product launches. I even found myself art directing beauty videos which was pretty cool in itself. I was lucky to have an incredible team to work with and some pretty incredible products to work with too. It really was the career I dreamed (conscious & creative)

Then the 2020 pandemic hit and I found myself spending more hours of the day with my co-workers than my family.  I not only was working all day & night, I was dreaming of work and I no-longer felt like I was enjoying what I loved (which has never happened to me before!). So after much deliberation I decided to say goodbye to my team to forge my own path in the mindful design world. 

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A New Beginning

And so, Colourful Carla was born!

At Colourful Carla we believe design is a universally understood form of expression — a wordless language with the power to captivate, influence, and inspire. Thoughtful design can change perceptions and perspectives, influencing all of humanity to think differently and grow.

We empower brands and businesses that care with design and strategy that sets them apart. With a passion for visual storytelling and years of experience creating compelling, psychology-backed brand identities, our studio breaks barriers in the design industry. Our goal is to enable positive change by helping mindful brands make an impact!

I look forward to what the future has in store for my studio. I’m manifesting some big things! Until then you will find me over here or Instagram. My mission: Educating, inspiring others to live a more conscious life.  All while sipping on some fair trade coffee & enjoying time with my two socially mindful boys!

 

Thanks for reading!

xo Carla

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I would love to hear more about you.

Drop us a comment below & tell us about your journey until now. Was it straight and narrow of off the beaten track?