17 Modern Creatives We Admire

The people you surround yourself with can either inspire or stifle your ability to create. 

Why?

Because stories shape your perspective. 

Surrounding yourself with creatives who are constantly defeated, egotistical, or focused on failure can discourage you. It can make you feel like there is nothing else to create or the process is too hard. 

But if you bring creatives into your circle who are encouraging, genuine, and beautifully growing in their design journey, you will find yourself fueled to grow too! Through the inspiration of others, you can flourish. 

Perhaps you’ve seen the hashtag on Instagram, #communityovercompetition (throwback to our days of founding the Rising Tide Society!) It suggests that talented artists encouraging one another is far more valuable than artists pursuing their craft in competitive isolation. 

However, it is important to note that the quality of the community matters. 

This is why we’ve compiled a list of modern creatives who we admire. These are just a handful of the many individuals who inspire us to design, and we hope they inspire you too. 

17 Modern Creatives We Admire

Jen Wagner

Jen Wagner is a talented font designer in Nashville. She designs the most stunning, sophisticated typefaces. A few of our favorites are Promenade, Sozzani, and Carefree. We love looking through her type specimen examples for inspiration. 

Related: A Beginner’s Guide to Website Typography

Saturday Studio

Saturday Studio is a design studio that specializes in branding and website design. We love their eye for a great font pairing! 

Related: The Ultimate Guide for Choosing Fonts

Raven Roxanne

Raven Roxanne is an abstract and impressionist painter. Her art is filled with themes of nature, and we admire the way she pairs color and texture. 

Kate and Ben Towill

Kate and Ben Towill of Basic Projects created a hospitality and design brand. Their creations, from boutique hotels to local restaurants, have transformed the heart of Charleston.

Laci Fowler

Laci Fowler is an abstract artist based in Franklin, Tennessee. She creates landscapes, tablescapes, and florals. We admire how her pieces are soft but also colorful and vibrant. I’m also eyeing a few of her classic books for my next classic reads.

Caleb Curtisi

Caleb Curtisi is a skilled woodworker who creates handcrafted furniture and art. We met Caleb while visiting Showit headquarters in Arizona and have admired his craftsmanship ever since. You may recognize Caleb from one of our podcast episodes: Do These Things to Bring Your Business Full Time.

Valerie McKeehan

Valerie McKeehan creates magic with soft pastels. Her paintings are filled with light, soft colors, and florals. We especially love her Petite Lavender Series. If you’re looking to learn how to paint with pastels, Valerie offers a course that may interest you! 

Molly Kidd

Molly Kidd is the principal designer at Light and Dwell, an interior design studio based in Oregon. This studio prizes craftsmanship and sustainability, and its designs are gorgeous. 

Bonnie Christine

Bonnie Christine is known for her surface pattern design and creative courses. As a self-taught pattern maker, she has a wealth of knowledge and hands-on experience. 

Shea McGee

Shea McGee is an interior designer with a warm, inviting style. Her design is a beautiful balance of modern and classic. 

Jessica Hische

Jessica Hische is a lettering artist and author in California. Her designs are fun, inspiring, and wonderfully varied. Jessica has refreshed logos for Jeni’s Ice Cream, Southern Living, MailChimp, and more. 

Blakely Little

Blakely Little is a very old friend of Krista and Sara’s who creates the dreamiest art. Based in Charleston, her paintings are filled with fresh colors and delightful abstracts. We especially love her Coastal Path Collection. 

Lulie Wallace

Lulie Wallace is an artist and textile designer in Georgia. From wallpapers and prints to stationary and fabrics, Lulie’s creations are soothing, sophisticated, and the perfect hint of Southern. 

Talia Tigges 

Talia Tigges owns White Hearth Pottery, where she sells beautiful, handmade pottery pieces from her workshop in Virginia. Our favorite piece is her Cameleon Dish. 

Charlestan Design Co.

Charlestan Design Co. is a design studio that provides branding and logo design, packaging, illustration, typography, and more.

Related: When Is It Time to Rebrand Your Business?

Emily Jeffords

Emily Jeffords is an impressionist painter and creative educator. Her Botanicals in Blue collection is delightful, with natural pigments and mixed media. She’s also going to be joining us on the podcast later this year!

Amber Lewis

Amber Lewis, an interior designer in California, creates calming, elegant, and traditional spaces. She layers soft, natural tones with stunning textures to create the most gorgeous designs. 

Conclusion

Surrounding yourself with creatives who inspire you, encourage you, and are genuine can have the richest impact on your designs and business.  

It’s your turn. Who are the individuals that inspire you? We want to meet them. Share their names in the comments below.