We are honored to share this wonderful interview with our friend Katie Evans! Katie is a Brooklyn-based mother of two and talented art director who has used her creativity in the interior design industry as well with some exciting kid-related projects. She also recently launched an adorable collection of collage prints perfect for your kiddo's space.
Read on below for some sage advice on business ownership (and getting started with it), motherhood and letting go of rigidity. We hope you enjoy the many takeaways here and thanks Katie for taking time to talk with us! We are a huge fan of everything you create.
Q: Can you share a bit about what your family looks like as well as your work as an entrepreneur? How and when did your journey as a mother and business owner start?
A: I’m a Brooklyn-based creative balancing life with family and a business that blends art direction, interior design, and collage art.
My family and I live in Brooklyn, NY, where we’ve been for about 16 years since my husband and I started dating. Our daughter Frances is 5.5, and our son George is 2.5. My husband works full time, and I’ve worked part time since Frances was born, reinventing my career along the way. I’m now a freelance art director, interior designer, and artist—and proudly multidimensional. In my previous life, I worked in-house with fashion and home brands, but in 2018 I went out on my own to consult full-time, helping small businesses tell their brand stories through creative content. I’m currently working on creative direction for The Foggy Dog’s fall campaign, in the planning stages for E. Frances Paper’s holiday imagery, designing branding for a writer’s new play, and editing images I took for Ophelia and Indigo’s upcoming pajama and bag launch.
I’ve also taken on interior design projects for residential kids’ rooms, a Montessori school, and a local nursery school—an extension of my creative work that feels especially meaningful. In the spirit of pushing myself creatively and doing more with my hands, I’ve started learning how to build furniture and home decor. I haven’t made anything yet, but I’m in the early stages of figuring out how to bring the ideas in my head to life and learning how to use power tools.
Having the flexibility of freelance work has been essential for our family. My husband has a rigid schedule, so I’m the one who pivots when someone’s sick, there’s an appointment, or the dishwasher floods. Like many moms, I wear a lot of hats. That used to be true in my creative work too—concepting a photoshoot, designing a catalog, illustrating textiles. So motherhood didn’t feel like a huge leap in terms of being multifaceted. If anything, it’s deepened my creativity and pushed me to be more resilient, more reflective, and more intentional in both life and work.
Q: Do you have any favorite childhood toys, games, activities or even spaces that stand out to you?
A: Polly Pockets were my absolute favorite—those tiny worlds fascinated me. My mom saved some, and now my daughter plays with them too, which is really special. I also loved playing pretend with my little sister and neighborhood friends—school, dance class, whatever role I could take on. My mom even bought me a real grade book, and I’d fill it with made-up students and grades.
Decorating and rearranging my bedroom was another big one. I didn’t realize it then, but that love for creating cozy, imaginative spaces definitely shaped what I do now.
Q: What is hardest for you to juggle or balance right now? Have you found any hacks that are helping?
A: I have a long list of creative ideas and skills I want to explore—like learning woodworking!—but with limited kid-free hours, those usually get pushed to the side for income-generating work or home responsibilities. It’s hard to carve out personal time without feeling guilty.
One thing that’s helped is a personal goals workbook my friend @gracegclarke created. It encourages you to zoom out, look at the year in 90-day chunks, and set manageable goals across areas like family, work, and home. It’s really helped me stay grounded, focused, and kind to myself when things don’t go perfectly. I even set a calendar reminder to review my progress and reassess each quarter.
Q: Do you have any advice for an aspiring business owner who is stuck and doesn’t know where to start?
Q: I feel that being a mother often pushes you to embrace something that may not have initially come easily. For us it’s embracing the play and the mess. What might it be for you?
A: Motherhood taught me to let go of rigidity. I used to get really frustrated when plans didn’t go as expected. If a sick day upended my schedule, I’d feel disappointed and resentful. But over time—and with a lot of mindset work—I’ve learned to be more flexible.
Now, when things shift, I try to take a deep breath, be grateful for the flexibility I do have, and remind myself it’s okay to press pause. It’s still a work in progress, but that mind shift has been huge for my mental health.
Eventually, after enough projects and telling people I was available, I made the leap after three years. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing—you can ease in and build confidence as you go.
Q: There is inspiration in so many places especially as a creative type! Who and / or what inspires you?
A: My kids! Playing with them, getting messy with art supplies, reading beautifully illustrated books—it all sparks ideas. I pull a lot of inspiration from children’s books and shows. The colors and shapes illustrated by Kenesha Sneed in Shapes of Clay helped inspire my kids’ room design, and a Mr. Rogers episode where he visits Eric Carle’s studio made me want to try collage again.
I love making things with my hands—like turning a cardboard box into an ice cream shop—but the pretend play part is a little harder for me! Still, the creative play we do together has been such a rich source of inspiration.
Q: One thing that has helped my state of mind is focusing on gratitude daily. What are you grateful for?
A: Same. I love this question—starting my day with just a few moments of gratitude really puts me on a positive foot. I don’t journal daily, but my therapist encouraged me to name three things I’m grateful for as soon as I wake up, and it’s made such a difference. Today: the spring weather, a fun client shoot I’m working on, the 8 hours of sleep I got (!!), and that no one in our house is sick—though now that I’ve said that, I might’ve jinxed it.
Q: What are your favorite activities or places to enjoy with your little(s) nowadays?
A: We’re lucky to live near an amazing waterfront park in Brooklyn with playgrounds, grassy spots, great food, and gorgeous views. We can spend an entire day there and everyone leaves happy. George and Frances are at such a fun age—they play so well together, and it’s a joy to watch their imaginations run wild.
Q: If you are into quizzes and whatnot, do you care to share your horoscope? Your enneagram?
A: I’m an Enneagram 1w2 with a social subtype. That means I’m principled, driven by a desire to improve things, and I care deeply about supporting others. At my best, I’m thoughtful and encouraging. At my worst, I can wrestle with perfectionism and fear of criticism—but I’m working on it!
Q: When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A: I always knew I’d do something creative. I poured my heart into every school project—science fair boards, book reports, dioramas. I went to arts-focused middle and high schools where I studied drawing, printmaking, and photography alongside academics. I majored in graphic design in college, but it wasn’t until junior year that I realized I could turn that into a career working for magazines and fashion brands.
To learn more about Katie and her work, head over to https://www.katie-evans.com. You can also see more on her Instagram account over at https://www.instagram.com/heykatieevans/. Be sure to check out her shop at https://www.etsy.com/shop/katieevansstudio?dd_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F.