Artist Spotlight: Drawing A Blank Cards

This month we featured the sassy greeting cards of Noelle Hume (DRAWING A BLANK CARDS), who hails from our own hometown of Chicago! We came across her hilarious White Claw Christmas card and it was love at first sight. We chatted with her about finding your passions, making bold career changes, and how small encouragements from others can help us take leaps of faith that change our lives in big ways.

Tell us about the birth of Drawing A Blank Cards! 

Before I could read and write, I could doodle. As I got older, I would find myself in various creative rolls, but nothing really stuck. I would later get involved with hospitality and events, which anyone has ever done that knows, is incredibly stressful! I was miserable in my career and found myself wanting to do something I was more passionate about, but didn't know what.

Realizing I had an obsession for stationery and greeting cards, I dragged my then-fiancé to my favorite shop to show him what I had been obsessing over. When I expressed the idea of quitting my job and working there instead, my financé suggested I create my own cards. The light bulb went on and I thought to myself, "I did used to create my own greeting cards and pop-up cards as a kid. Why did I ever stop?"

I purchased a sketch book and some pens, and began brainstorming. With the help of my husband and a fantastic scanner and printer, I began turning my illustrations into greeting cards. 

Realizing I really wanted to make this happen for real, I needed to think of a company name. Nothing was coming to mind. I reached out to my mom for help and she too had nothing. She responded with a text saying, "Drawing a blank." (Light bulb moment number two). I wrote her back, "Are you SAYING you're 'drawing a blank,' or is that a name suggestion?" She was in fact drawing a blank, but we liked it, and Drawing A Blank Cards was born!

Did you always want to be an artist, even in childhood? 

Growing up, I knew I wanted to do something creative. I’m horrible at math, so I knew I wasn’t destined to become an engineer! I went to school for set decoration at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, so greeting cards really didn’t cross my mind until years later. I had always just made them for fun, for family and friends as a kid. Now that I make them, it seems pretty obvious, ha!

What is your favorite medium to create with? Describe your process. 

I really love a great pen and a nice pad of paper, but I have started using Procreate on my iPad and it really is a game changer. It’s just so easy to change your designs and color them all in one place. I used to draw everything out, scan them into the computer and color them in Photoshop. Now I just do it all in Procreate. Everything is still hand drawn by yours truly, it’s just an easier process from start to finish. 

Your cards are so sassy! Where do you find your inspiration? 

Haha, thank you! I can be pretty sassy, so most of the phrasing comes from my own personality. I was raised in a family where, if you dish it out, you better be able to take it back. We all give each other a hard time, which I love. So my personality really shines through in the extra sassy ones. I find other inspiration in things I see on TV and online, though.

What's your solution for combating “creative block” and maintaining productivity?  

Honestly, sometimes I just have to step away and let my mind veg out. When you force creativity, that’s when you’re least likely to be creative. My best ideas have come out of thin air. 

What does a typical day at your studio look like? How do you manage your time? 

I don’t really have a “typical day.” Sometimes I get on a good creative streak and knock out several drawings, other days I’m knocking out orders, and sometimes I’m working on custom orders for friends. My assistant Carl (my cat) is always a reliable helper!

What do you enjoy doing in your “free time?” 

This is super basic, but in my free time I like working out, going to brunch, and drawing new ideas. I also use my free time to prep for upcoming craft fairs. 

What are the biggest challenges you have faced to get to where you are now? What do you aspire to achieve in the future? 

The biggest challenges I’ve faced are just getting my products out there. It’s tough trying to get into wholesale and get your products into brick and mortar shops. Eventually I would like to have more than just greeting cards and really expand into different stationery.

How does the culture of your city contribute to the development of your independent business? 

I recently started doing more craft fairs in Chicago, and the people of this city have really welcomed my designs. There’s no better feeling than when I’m standing behind my display and people are holding my cards, getting a genuine laugh at them.

Do you have any plans to expand beyond stationery? 

I’m totally jumping on the pin bandwagon. I always loved them when I was younger, and they have really made a comeback in recent years. I’m working with a manufacturer to take some of my favorite card designs and turning them into pins. They’re a fun way to express yourself, so I hope people like them.