Hi there, My name is Rhiannon, but you can call me Rhia. I am a Canadian artist & designer.

My story

Throughout my life I’ve always had art as my designated ‘side hustle’, but my choice to work in digital media full-time flourished in 2017. I stumbled across a job as an assistant for an e-commerce website with a local garden centre. At the time I was working in a government office, generally unhappy with the work I was doing. I knew it was a huge leap. I had good consistent income, benefits, and coworkers I cared for, but knew I needed a change.

I took the job and never looked back.

Working for a small business pushed me to learn more about myself as a creative, and how I could connect my love of art with digital media to engage an audience. Within a year I started freelancing as a graphic designer and digital media manager on the side, as well as furthering my education in digital production, writing, and design at Camosun College in Victoria B.C. I worked my way up in my full-time job and eventually ran all aspects of the brand’s online presence while overseeing the online store operations. In October 2019, I decided it was time to take another leap (I like big leaps apparently) and continue following my passion for design. I left my position to work as a full-time freelancer, starting my own business. In this time I have learned so much more about myself as a designer, I have been able to collaborate with other amazing creatives, and I have been able to grow my business more than I had ever imagined.

quick facts

+ One day I hope to go live in Japan. I travelled there in 2019, and it was my first time flying.

+ I have two cats. One has thumbs, the other has a corkscrew tail. Their names are Finn & Ellie.

+ When I'm not working I spend my time doing embroidery, painting, or needle felting. My favourite video games are RTS (real-time strategy) & I unironically love Farming Simulator.

+ My hair has been every colour but green or yellow. It probably won’t even match the photos on my website by the time this is live. (future edit: I was right, it doesn’t)

+ Collect salt & pepper shakers. I currently have over 30 and I always look out for them at thrift stores.

+ My favourite podcasts are Reply All, Criminal, Oh No Ross & Carrie, Lore, & The Adventure Zone.

My choice to go into design should’ve been an easy one, though I struggled with it for a long time. I always knew I wanted to be an artist but as the daughter of one, I knew the struggle behind trying to establish yourself. Photography has also always been a passion of mine, yet it still didn’t feel like it was the right path for me. I took various design classes throughout the years and nothing stuck. I was even accepted to & attended the Emily Carr University of Art + Design. I felt like I wasn’t learning what I wanted and I was frustrated, so finally, I decided to teach myself. I had the fundamentals from my previous education in the arts which made for a great building block when teaching myself all the software and programs needed for my desired career.

I’ve taken the Graphic Design Specialization online from CalArts and received my certificate, and I am currently working towards taking my Adobe certification. I’ve always loved to teach myself things. As a kid, I spent hours on the internet learning basic code and I was taught Photoshop at the age of 10 (my mum will be mad that I’m outing her for my amount of unmonitored time on the world wide web, sorry mum). Now that I’m here, working in an industry that I love it feels like the perfect fit. My approach to design is honest and thoughtful. I love listening to my client’s design needs and dreams, then working to creatively implement them in a way that will most benefit their business. I want to work with other creatives, small businesses, and entrepreneurs and support them so they can find their perfect fit too.