Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Slogar.
Hi Jennifer, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started Happy Day as a freelance graphic design business during my senior year at the University of Florida. I graduated from UF in May 2020 – right at the beginning of the pandemic. The job market was bleak and I had a lot of free time on my hands, so I invested all of my time and energy into expanding Happy Day. I sold custom digital portraits and booked several design and branding clients before winning an honorable mention in the Her Campus Business Competition. I won a grant which I invested into equipment and supplies to branch out into products. Happy Day now offers the same branding, design & portrait services as before, as well as products for sale such as stickers, prints, suncatchers, stationery and tote bags. My main mission with Happy Day is to inspire, empower and bring joy to my customers through the power of creativity, whether that’s through custom design or fun products.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has definitely not been a smooth road. I’ve struggled with comparing Happy Day to other businesses and artists and feeling not creative enough. I also went back to school for a post-grad certificate, so I’ve had to balance being a full-time student and being a full-time business owner. However, I genuinely love what I do, and that helps drive me to keep creating and keep going.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I specialize in retro typography and floral illustrations. I also use a lot of bright colors. Lately I’ve been diving into surface pattern design and am trying to build a pattern portfolio and get into art licensing. I’m really proud of how much I’ve grown as an artist in the past couple years and the unique style that I’ve created for Happy Day. I always aim for my art to make people feel happy, whether that’s through the colors, the illustrations, the quotes I use in some designs, the overall vibe, or a combination of everything.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I grew up in Orlando and moved back after college. I love exploring downtown Orlando and the surrounding areas, like College Park and Park Ave. My absolute favorite part of Orlando is Lake Eola. Nature is always a big inspiration to me, and Lake Eola’s nature is absolutely gorgeous. There’s also always interesting events and people watching which can be really inspiring in my art as well.
Contact Info:
- Email: hellohappydaydesignco@gmail.com
- Website: www.happydaydesign.co
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/happydaydesign.co
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/hellohappydaydesign.co
- Other: www.etsy.com/shop/HappyDayDesignCoShop
