Meet Elese Orrell | Graphic Designer & Dancer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Elese Orrell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Elese, do you have any habits that you feel contribute to your effectiveness?

As cliché as it may sound, consistency has been the single most effective habit in both my business and athletic training. It’s not flashy and it’s often repetitive, but practicing the basics and slowly building skill and capacity year after year has been instrumental in any success I’ve had.

In the past, I undervalued the power of consistency because I assumed it was the norm and not anything special. I’ve since come to understand that basic principles like attention to detail and reliable communication aren’t necessarily a given.

The funny thing is that this came more natural to me in my graphic design business than in my physical training. My passion for movement and performance led me to want to skip the simple, consistent basics that were so clearly responsible for the growth of my design company. Chasing “tricks” and fancy skills to perform in my acts led to undervaluing my foundation – aka the boring stuff that all the fun stuff is built on!

When I finally began applying that concept intentionally in my training, it changed the entire way I experience my body. Approaching my 40^th birthday, I feel the healthiest and strongest I’ve ever been and feel nowhere near my peak thanks in large part to this change.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

My days largely revolve around two things: my movement practices and running my graphic design company, Rocketmuse. In previous years, my training was built around performing as an aerialist and burlesque dancer in LA. Since moving to Phoenix, being away from the performance scene has given me the ability to step back and focus on leveling up my abilities.

When I first entered the world of dancing professionally, I felt like I was coming home to myself. Exotic dance in particular drew me in and gave me permission to express those parts of myself in a way that was celebrated rather than being labeled inappropriate or unsafe.

While those experiences will always stick with me, these days my weekly training is more regimented than ever and includes movement practices from general strength and mobility to hand balancing, somatic movement exploration, and Ashtanga yoga.

In terms of running my company, my background was purely on the artistic side rather than business, and as a result I’ve had to learn on the job in order to grow, but it’s worked out well and I’m lucky to have a great team. It also gives me the freedom to both create work that I’m proud of and have the flexibility to pursue my other passions. One of the best phrases I’ve heard is “the time will pass anyway so you may as well get started doing the thing you’d rather be doing.”

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m still getting to know a lot of places in the city even though I’ve lived here for several years already! I love books so Changing Hands is on the top of my list. I also enjoy the Desert Botanical Gardens and driving out to Tonto National Forest. Restaurants include Persepshen, Cibo Pizza, Latha and Sotisse. I have several favorite cafes: Dark Hall Coffee, The Coronado, Fair Trade, Lux and Ollie Vaughns. I don’t do much nightlife these days but I would pick The Churchill, the bars at Century Grand or visiting The Nash for Jazz.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?

I’ve had so many great mentors including my mother and father, grandmother and aunts. I come from a creative family and learned not to fear taking chances in life. My partner Paul has helped me with important physical and mental shifts in the past few years, and my movement and dance instructors have been vital in helping me find and define my passion for dance. My business would not have been born without Julie Totora who brought me into her business as a freelancer and slowly turned the reins over to me. A decade later, I still work with some of her clients. I’m also very grateful for the designers on my team – the business wouldn’t be where it is without them.

Website: https://www.rocketmusedesign.com/

Instagram: @enjoyingillusion

Image Credits
James Vela (Star Wars pic) Aydra J. Swan (cover/jungle pic) Alloy Images (hair flying in fabric pic) Roxanne Lee Photography (black costume/background pic) Stephen LaMarche (hoop w/ mask pic)