Meet Martina | Graphic Designer | Atelier Adair

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

Hi Martina, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I would say that I was fortunate to have been pushed into it: We relocated from Austria to Florida in 2018, and that presented a wonderful opportunity to design my new career path from scratch. Having worked as a content editor in a corporate environment for the last few years, I knew that I wanted much more freedom and creativity when it comes to my career. Just being my own boss! I also had to wait quite some time for my work permit so in the meantime, I dabbled into graphic design and taught myself as much as possible about typography and graphic design. Along the way I found my passion for stationery design and that’s what I enjoy doing the most.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Moving from Europe to Florida and forcing me to take time off due to the wait time for my work permit really forced me to think about what I want from life and my career. Turns out what I enjoy the most is seeking novelty. My art and creative work is always evolving and changing. I get bored very easily so I constantly try new things and techniques. One day I’m working on a very minimalist monochrome design and the next day I go all in with bold colors and loud typography. For a long time I considered this to be a weakness, I always found it so hard to stick to one thing. Working as a freelancer and a creative really has been a blessing. It allows me to work on many different projects in a pace that I feel comfortable about. When I started Atelier Adair I quickly found my way into the wedding stationery niche and since every couple and every love story is so unique and special, there is a lot of room for creativity and fresh concepts.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I live outside Orlando and we have a great culinary scene here. I’d take a visitor around town for a craft beer brewery tour, we’d definitely hit Tactical Brewing at Lake Baldwin, but there are many more great breweries here. For dinner or brunch, Reyes Mezcaleria is great, I also love Hawkers in the Mills District and Jinya Ramen bar just next to Lake Eola. The space coast is not far away and we always take visitors to see Kennedy Space Center. The cooler seasons are great for hikes in one of our national parks here in Central Florida and if you’re lucky you’ll even spot a black bear. Of course, Orlando is most famous for its theme parks and if you love roller coasters and fun rides than that’s the place to go.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are some fellow graphic designers and stationery designers that I am in contact with and it’s a great group – we rave and we rant, we talk business and creativity and I am happy to have them! Then, my business coaches Jen and Elke Clarke helped immensely when I started with the print-on-demand branch of my business. And of course my husband, who is a great supporter in everything I do and I couldn’t have built my business without him and his support.

Website: https://www.atelieradair.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atelieradair/

Image Credits
Atelier Adair