cheeky paper co began as my senior thesis project as a creative advertising student at the University of Miami. I wanted to prove that breaking all the design rules I had learned would make something magical: designs that wouldn’t fail to put a smile on people’s faces. I repurposed my childhood doodles and created a whole world of whimsy. I produced prototypes notebooks, enamel pins, patches, and more.
My first year as a post-grad (May 2019-May 2020) was a year of experimentation– a year to prove to myself that cheeky DID make people smile and there was room for it in the world. I moved across the country to LA and spent my weekends packing my car with tables, chairs, and displays to sell my products at local markets of all sorts. I discovered that when total strangers approached my table they began to smirk — and not only because my adorable dog was by my side.
As much as I wish cheeky were my full-time job, I have held two different agency roles since moving to LA to help pay the bills, and I now work at Bobbi Brown Cosmetics. While I was working at Chandelier Creative, I fell into a deep creative rut. I spent countless days and nights at the agency and fell into a crazy work routine, typical in the advertising world. I spent long, consistent hours designing for other people the way that they wanted. I knew that this was the reality I was entering into, but I didn’t realize how much it would diminish my own desire to create. I spent nine months neglecting my true motivation to create.
Getting laid off from Chandelier Creative due to the pandemic was the best thing to happen to me although, it definitely did not feel like that at the time. For two weeks I sat on my couch, ate cereal and ice cream, and convinced myself I had lost the best job ever– when, in fact, the best job had been sitting under my nose the entire time.
cheeky paper co re-launched on Labor Day. With fresh new branding, a wildly user-friendly site, and a campaign launch featuring drag queens, diversity, and a whole lot of smiles — the launch was a hit (among my family and friends… we’re still working on the general public.) Losing my job to COVID reinvigorated my passion and ignited my desire to make cheeky paper co a household name. I KNOW that cheeky has the potential to make it big; I need to get it in front of the right people. I hope viewing my site and Instagram bring joy to your day! Thank you for the opportunity to share my work.
