Deja Brown.

Deja Brown joins Howard to talk about turning playful illustrations into a freelance career—and why trusting your own ideas matters as much as landing a big-name client. From her creative family and graphic design studies to collaborations with Nike, Adobe, and OLIPOP, Deja shares the work behind the colorful portfolio.

They explore what design school taught her and what she had to learn on her own: marketing, building a portfolio, pricing, and negotiating with clients. Deja explains why she asks other creatives for advice, how she thinks about her value, and why exposure is no substitute for being paid. She also shares how an initial no from OLIPOP led her to illustrate its products, tag the brand, and create an opportunity for herself.

Deja walks through her process, from clarifying a brief and sending rough sketches to developing a final illustration in Procreate or Photoshop on the iPad. She talks about evolving her use of texture, bringing more interest into backgrounds, and letting playful what-if ideas guide a composition. A roller-skating piece becomes a window into her love of disco, her weekly outings with her sister, and the personal experiences behind her art.

The conversation also looks at belonging in the design community. Deja reflects on being the only Black woman in some creative spaces, the perspective she brings, and her efforts to help create more opportunities for Black creatives. She and Howard discuss the role of personal connections and the responsibility companies have to make their events and platforms more inclusive.

Finally, they talk about protecting creativity through rest, limiting social media, and keeping hobbies that do not need to earn money—from chess and DJing to reading and games. Deja shares her concerns about AI replacing creative work, alongside a practical use she found for Firefly in making a mockup. She closes with her interest in creative direction and a simple invitation to newer designers: trust your creativity and make the thing.