Meet Bailey Stewart | Illustrator, Graphic Designer, Multifaceted Creative

We had the good fortune of connecting with Bailey Stewart and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Bailey, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
My thought process was just to stay persistent and see what happened! Always Angsty is a creative studio utilizing Angst as a catalyst for passionate design. It was born out of the realization that I wanted to bring community together through my art. I started by slowly working with small businesses, friends and non profits to bring them top notch illustration and graphic design and it has steadily grown.

There is such a fun challenge around marrying someone else’s ideas with my own creative style. I love the ability to designate the whole day for creating, whether it’s screen printing, working with clients, making pottery, or expanding my own creative skillset. I didn’t think too much about the future when I started and I’m stoked that Always Angsty is steadily gaining traction.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My art mainly centers around bright colors, encouraging messages and angst! Always Angsty is an extension of myself, I feel like I am always scheming up new projects and I’m filled with endless creative energy. About two years ago I dove headfirst into design. I have always painted and made pottery but when I got an iPad I started turning my sketches into intricate digital designs. One of my best friends started an organization focused around shredding the stigma of mental illness through skating and she asked me to do some designs for it. From there the ball started rolling and it hasn’t stopped since. I cold emailed other designers and asked them to get coffee, I took Skillshare courses, I YouTubed everything and constantly asked people questions. I’m still doing that today and its gotten me some really amazing projects.

I think angst is such a fun feeling. It can feel broody or buzzy but ultimately that feeling leads me to show up. It’s my catalyst to stay present and express myself. When we feel angst, I hope it leads us to get involved, to feel curious and to do something about it no matter how small.

I grew up outside of Chicago. I was constantly climbing trees and spilling paint on the kitchen table. I am so grateful that from a young age my family encouraged my artistic side. As I grew up, climbing trees turned into climbing mountains when I moved to Gunnison, CO for college. I studied Environmental Sustainability and Minored in Art. I believe my work has a heavy influence of social justice from my city upbringing mixed with movement and playfulness from living out West. Gunnison sparked my love for snowboarding, skateboarding and the showed me the importance of community.

I’ve learned to stay persistent, to not put myself in a box and to not take things too personally. Working with clients through freelance design can be so fun and rewarding but it can also be really tough at times.

I am most proud of Prickly Pear! Prickly Pear is an artist published magazine that my best friend I created 2 years ago. We released the second issue last summer and we were blown away by the amount of support it received. The 120 page magazine includes over 55 different artists from all over the country. It was created to offer a platform for folks to talk openly and honestly about sex, relationships, abuse and human intimacy. It is filled with essays, photographs, paintings, musing, doodles, questions and so much more. You can snag a copy from my website. Keep your eyes open for the call for submissions for issue #3.

I am so excited for what the future holds for Always Angsty and myself as a designer. At the moment I really want to push my personal style to see where it can go. In the upcoming years I would love to do more large murals, hone in on motion graphics and design for more brands and causes I love.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
In Gunnison they would have to eat at Sherpa Cafe, walk the Van Tull Loop and just wander around!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
So many people! But first off my Gram. From such a young age she encouraged my artistic side. We would always sit at her big dinning room table splayed out with water colors, collage materials and snacks. I think my desk is still set up that way today ha.

Also Skate Like a Girl, Mental Madness and all the homies.

Website: https://www.alwaysangsty.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alwaysangstyyy/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bailey-stewart-50b69a169/