Christian Solorzano [00:00]

Hello, you are listening to Underscore, a show by the Chicago Graphic Design Club. I am your host, Christian Solorzano, and on today's episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with Ashley, a designer and illustrator at Chicago's beloved Lincoln Park Zoo. And together, we're going to be unpacking her trajectory and everything that has led her to a 10-plus-year role at the zoo.

And everything that led up to that, starting from her fascination with Disney princesses going back to her childhood, that becoming something of a fascination with illustration, music, album covers, and eventually going to Columbia College for design, where she eventually taught design as well, up until a few years ago. So we talk about that. We talk about the importance of mentorship. Giving back and also giving back and helping others as a way of really understanding what you think you know about our profession and our craft.

So great conversation that I hope you enjoy. And as always, if you enjoy conversations like this, I appreciate your support. And if you leave us a rating wherever you listen, it really helps us expand our reach. Thank you and enjoy the conversation. Hi, Ashley.

Ashley Bedore [01:23]

Hi, Christian. How are you?

Christian Solorzano [01:25]

Good. Nice to, first of all, to meet you in person. And I want to say special shout out to Johnny Mei, who is our mutual connection that made this that made the connection and made this possible. So Johnny, if you're watching, thank you.

Ashley Bedore [01:40]

Thank you, Johnny.

Christian Solorzano [01:41]

And I learned that you and Johnny met through AIGA Chicago's mentor program years ago. And I was also part of that mentor program. And I'm sure you and I were probably under the same roof at some point.

Ashley Bedore [01:57]

Yeah, I was actually looking into that. And I think we were doing that around 2016, 2017. Yeah, around that era. And I think I started being a mentee of Johnny. And then the next year, Johnny was like, do you want to just run a program together, and that's how I became a mentor and worked with Johnny, and that's really how our friendship began.

Christian Solorzano [02:20]

Cool. So I want to understand your introduction into graphic design. I know that illustration has played a big interest and role in your life, and I want to learn a little bit more about where that interest came from.

Ashley Bedore [02:36]

Sure. Do you want to talk about illustration or graphic design?

Christian Solorzano [02:40]

Anything creative, really.

Ashley Bedore [02:43]

Okay. I think I've been drawing as long as I can remember. It was like, it was just one of those things I was always good at as a kid. And I just kind of always knew I was going to be drawing in some capacity for like my life. Like as a kid, I was like, I was really into watching, all the Disney princesses and stuff. And I just wanted to draw them. And that's kind of how I started drawing things.

Just like tracing the VHS boxes, while I was watching movies. And then I just started drawing a lot, like at school. I was like the kid that knew how to draw good.

That's kind of like what I was known for. But I didn't really learn about graphic design until I was a little older, like until I was in high school. And it's funny because like I hear a lot of people on your podcast say that, like so many people are like, I didn't know what graphic design was until like I was a little bit older. And for me, that was when I started getting into music.

I got really into like album cover artwork, which I think many of us get our start into graphic design that way. I was really into like Raymond Pettibon and like kind of that, aesthetic of like the ink drawings and stuff. And then I got really into like the silkscreen concert posters. I was a big fan of like Jay Ryan and Bird Machine Press and stuff when I was in high school and just started collecting posters.

And I started realizing that like illustration and images could exist along with text and fonts. And that was called design. That was kind of like my first introduction as to what graphic design could be.

Christian Solorzano [04:36]

Yeah. Did you have a favorite Disney princess?

Ashley Bedore [04:39]

Yes. Childhood me was probably really into Ariel from the Little Mermaid.

Christian Solorzano [04:45]

Okay, nice. I don't think— I've only ever watched Pocahontas and I think Snow White. I was a PBS child.

Ashley Bedore [04:58]

Oh, that's so fun.

Christian Solorzano [04:59]

So that was like my childhood cartoon watching.

Ashley Bedore [05:02]

My kids are growing up as PBS children. Although we are starting to get into Disney a little bit. I'm revisiting all of that now as a parent.

Christian Solorzano [05:12]

And do you remember what the feeling was like when you first created something, like let's say an illustration or something, when you were consciously aware that this is I mean, I remember like drawing and stuff.

Ashley Bedore [05:29]

I have this really silly memory of being like in elementary school, and I was like kind of a jokester in class. I had this little side hustle going in school where I would make little signs for people to put on their desks. And people would be like, oh my God, I lost my eraser, can you put up a sign? And I was like, yeah, I got this.

And so I would make these like little signs for my friends and I guess that was my first graphic design gig.

Christian Solorzano [05:58]

Did you get paid?

Ashley Bedore [05:59]

Yeah, you know what? I think I got paid with like candy or something. Stuff like that.

Christian Solorzano [06:04]

Yeah. I remember in, when I was in elementary school, the boys loved to do Old English lettering. Yeah. Because it was tough and gangster or whatever. And they would they would draw your name and you'd pay them like, a dollar or something.

And then the girls would do bubble letters and like they would charge like a dollar. So it was like bubble letters for the girls and then like black letter for the guys. And I remember there was a girl who would she would sell song lyrics. Like she would just had a printer at home and she would be able to print song lyrics. And that to me was kind of like the introduction of like design as being something that could like Make you money.

So I love hearing stories about childhood kind of being the gateway into career and design. Yeah. So mentorship. So first of all, I wanna mention that you have one of the coolest jobs. I feel like—

Ashley Bedore [06:58]

Love it.

Christian Solorzano [06:59]

You work at Lincoln Park Zoo, which for most kids, I feel like animals like are amazing. Yeah. So like to be able to do design and also work for an institution that is centered around animals is really cool. And you've been there for 10 years?

Ashley Bedore [07:19]

Yeah.

Christian Solorzano [07:19]

Yes. Can you talk to us about how that happened and how does one just— I'm very curious.

Ashley Bedore [07:26]

Honestly, it happened because I applied for a job here and I got hired. I honestly didn't even know the zoo had graphic designers. It's not something I ever thought about. But as a kid, I was also one of those kids that was like really into animals.

I had a subscription to those zoo books that would arrive in the mail, and I was always watching like National Geographic shows, and I was just really obnoxious about it. And I kind of like was like, okay, if I'm not gonna be an artist, I'm gonna be a veterinarian. And the veterinarian career did not pan out. But when I saw the job posting for the zoo, I was like, oh my God, it's like the perfect intersection of all of my interests.

And by the way, I was hired as a production designer. That was the role that they had posted. And I was like, I don't know what that is, but it has designer in the name, so I'm just gonna apply for it.

And I actually applied for this job when I was doing my internship at Some Odd Pilot, and it was such a departure from the work I was doing at Samad Pilot, because when I started there, I was like, oh my God, I really want to work in like a cool design studio and, do some cool work like this. And then I saw the job at the zoo and I was like, that could be cool too.

And I applied for it on a whim, heard back like 3 months later, and the next thing I knew, I was working at the zoo.

Christian Solorzano [08:51]

So what was some of the production design stuff that you were doing when you started?

Ashley Bedore [08:56]

Well, I'm going to be honest with you. I think that job title was mislabeled because one of my first assignments starting here at the zoo was that I had to come up with a brand concept for a new event that we were doing called All Fest.

And I had no idea what I was doing. And there was a little bit of turnover happening in the department, so I didn't actually have a design director either. I had another colleague who was also a designer who still works with me today, and no one knew what was going on. And then the next thing I knew, I was just kind of working on a branding campaign for a new event at an institution that I had just started working for.

And I'm really proud that I rallied because I was like freaking out on the inside and I was like, I don't know anything about this. I don't know what I'm doing. And we actually still use some of those assets to this day that I designed in that first week. So it was it was kind of like an intense intro to the work I'd be doing here.

Christian Solorzano [09:54]

And how has your role evolved over the last 10 years?

Ashley Bedore [09:58]

It's evolved quite a bit. When I first started working here, I was strictly doing design work. They didn't really have a need or an interest in me doing illustration work. And even at the time, I had really shifted my focus to just design. Like when I started mentoring with the— with AIGA and started like my internship, I was I was like, okay, I'm pivoting from illustration to design. I'm gonna get really into design. And I just put like illustration on the back burner.

And it wasn't until like a few years into my role here that I, shifted my title a little bit. I became just a designer, not a production designer. And I experienced some like, things happening in my personal life that made me realize that I really missed drawing and I really missed that, illustration history that I had.

And I brought it up with my manager at the time and I was like, hey, is there a way that I can, start to incorporate illustration into the work that I'm doing here at the zoo? Because I really miss it. And she was really supportive and she was like, yeah, let's figure out how we can start to like bring some of that, back into our brand and how we can kind of integrate it into some, projects that we're doing.

And so it just kind of started slowly where I was like identifying, needs that we had at the zoo that we could potentially use illustration for. And then I just started being, a little more confident and gaining that confidence and being like, yes, like I am, I am an authority on this. Like I know about illustration, I know about design, and I know how we can, bring those two together for this institution.

And over the years, it's kind of evolved into me being kind of the go-to person on the team who handles like illustration requests. We have a few freelancers that we work with, and I kind of like wanted to identify like when do we hire a freelancer, when do I do the work. And now I have a really awesome junior designer on my team that works for me, and they do a lot of illustration work.

And so it's kind of like my job now to figure out who's doing what that style is, and where it fits best in our work.

Christian Solorzano [12:15]

Yeah, I like that. And you taught for a little bit at Columbia College.

Ashley Bedore [12:21]

I did.

Christian Solorzano [12:21]

And you also went to school there. And then you taught there. So talk to us about where are you originally from?

Ashley Bedore [12:29]

So I'm originally from the northwest suburbs. I grew up in Crystal Lake, and I went to school at Columbia College. For illustration. It was one of the only schools nearby that had a BFA in illustration, and at the time I was like diehard illustrator. I was like, I am only illustrating for the rest of my life. I need a program that does illustration. And so I ended up at Columbia College.

I graduated in 2009, and it wasn't until I think it was 2021 that I started teaching there. So it was a really big time span from the last time I had set foot at Columbia to when I started teaching. And the department had changed a lot in like a lot of really good ways. And I had never really considered teaching until 2021 or whenever that was.

And I was kind of recalling my time with the mentor program at AIGA, and I loved mentoring and I was like, I wonder if I should explore teaching. And they had an adjunct position opening. And then I interviewed with some of my old professors, which was really silly and fun, and started teaching shortly after.

Christian Solorzano [13:42]

Yeah. Did you have Guy as a professor? Guy Via?

Ashley Bedore [13:46]

I did not. I know who that is or was, but I did not have them.

Christian Solorzano [13:52]

Okay, got it. Yeah. Yeah. Columbia College, I, I've always respected like their design programs there. And when I— and I really like a lot of the stuff that they do. Most recently I went to— they have this big event at the end of the year called Manifest, and it's just floors of different creative arts disciplines. I was very impressed.

Ashley Bedore [14:15]

Yeah, it's a really— it's a cool thing that they do every year. And I remember doing that as a student. So it's when I was teaching, and by the way, I was teaching up until my second child was born, and then I was just a full-time job, 2 children, and I'm teaching adjunct on the side. That's too much. That was the only real reason I stepped down from teaching.

But it was really fun and I really enjoyed it and I enjoyed working with the students and it was really cool being in my old school again and like kind of seeing how things have changed and how some things have remained the same.

Christian Solorzano [14:51]

And given that mentorship seems like it plays a big role in your life and your profession, what are— when you were a mentee, what are some of the things that you found yourself like learning? Like what were some of the biggest lessons that you feel like you learned through your mentee experiences?

Ashley Bedore [15:11]

Yeah, I mean, since Johnny was my mentor. That was like an amazing mentor relationship because Johnny is just like so knowledgeable.

Like had so much experience. And I think for me, like it was a little bit of a crash course in graphic design because when I went to Columbia, my focus was illustration and I didn't really have like design classes at the time. Like I did one typography class and one like 2D design or whatever. And there seemed to be like a really big distinction when I was there of like, are you an illustrator or are you a designer? And I think now it's much more integrated.

But at the time I was so like insecure about my design skills and like I felt like I had no idea what I was doing. And so when Johnny was my mentor, he gave me like a real crash course in like design, and we started with my resume and just like kind of looking like really focusing on the typography and the page layout. And those were some of my earliest, design lessons. And it's like kind of stuck with me through my whole career.

Yeah, that basic feedback from Johnny at that time.

Christian Solorzano [16:23]

And you were also a mentor, correct? And what was that shift going from mentee to mentor?

Ashley Bedore [16:30]

For me, I feel like it was a really smart thing on Johnny's part because Johnny was like, hey, you're like more experienced than you realize or than you're giving yourself credit for. I think you can be the mentor.

And I was like, what? And I really feel like that was Johnny's secret plan all along. And he was just no, look, you can do this. And I think that was like a first moment where I was like, oh wait, I do actually know some of this stuff. And I like gained a lot of confidence. Kind of mentoring others. And, there's like that saying or whatever that's like, if you're like, you're learning more when you're teaching other people something.

Like it's really, it's being reinforced in your mind. I think that was true for me when I started like mentoring others on like my design and illustration experience and, all that stuff. It just kind of like solidified in my mind. I'm like, yes, like this is stuff that I know. Also, we like help others and give back, and it was awesome.

Christian Solorzano [17:31]

So like confidence tends to be something that I feel like creative people sometimes struggle with, just because my observation is that creative people tend to be more sensitive and often more emotional. Yeah, speaking for myself and speaking for a lot of my peers. So how do you like, how'd you build up the courage to be more confident and to trust your voice? Because I feel like that's sometimes the differentiator between a designer being good and being great. It's that confidence.

Ashley Bedore [18:10]

Yeah, that took a lot of time. I mean, even like, I remember, even when I was interning at SomeonePilot, I was so insecure and so just like shy. I was like, oh my God, everyone around me is so talented and they're so smart and they're doing cool stuff. And I was like, I have no idea what I have to offer, or what I'm even bringing to the table here.

And I don't think it was until like, I don't know, like a few years into my role here at the zoo when I started gaining some confidence. But I think also just like having some life experiences and just like Stuff that comes naturally as you age when you're just oh yeah, like I got this. Like it's not as scary as I thought. And it's like just kind of learning how to like trust myself to start with.

And then I learned how to like trust my skills as a designer, as an artist, illustrator. It just kind of all like follows that, if that makes sense.

Christian Solorzano [19:08]

Yeah. And when it came to Working professionally in design, did you find it difficult to, 'cause one of the things that I sometimes notice as well is that designers tend to identify with the work that they're creating. Like it feels like it's a part of them as opposed to a part, like as a part, as opposed to a solution to a problem.

And have you been able to make that distinction throughout your career, or do you find that you find it difficult to separate Ashley from the work?

Ashley Bedore [19:44]

I think only recently I've been able to separate myself from the work. I think before, yeah, like I was super sensitive and I put a lot of heart and soul into like the work that I made. And when it wasn't well received or there's like squirrels above us right now, when it wasn't well received or if I got some, tough criticism, that was hard. I took it personally and I'd be like, what's wrong with me? And I think now I'm like, yeah, that happens?

The work that I make is not a reflection of who I am, as a person. If I do good work, that's awesome. If I don't do good work, that just means I need to try again and I'll do better next time, probably. Maybe. Or maybe I won't. Yeah.

Christian Solorzano [20:36]

I remember my first job outta college, we would do these biweekly design reviews where we would tape up the work onto the wall. And it was always the most like nerve-wracking experience. 'Cause you'd like be working on it up until the last minute of print and then you'd print it and you'd be like, oh my God, there's a typo. Or there's like something feels off. And you just, it was just so terrible.

And I recall people would like, Sometimes would cry when they would get critiqued and it was terrible. And luckily, I don't know how you at the, at the zoo work, but like most of my work today is all digital. So I never print anything. Do you find yourself still, do you guys, I'm guessing there's a lot of printing involved with a lot of what you do or what's the yeah.

Ashley Bedore [21:26]

That's a good question. I mean, I think we are we're pretty hybrid these days, digital versus print. I mean, the work that we do, there's such a wide range of the work that we do. So there's a lot of, there's a lot of work that we do that's like on grounds. For instance, the signage, that's obviously all printed and tactile. That's not something that we would print in-house. That's something that we use a variety of vendors for.

So even when we're kind of like, taking a look at that stuff or critiquing, it's probably going to be on our screens before we actually see the printed product. But now of course we do a lot of digital work. We do a lot of digital ads. We have digital signage on ground now. You have an app, things like that. So we are mostly critiquing, through an app that we're using to like share projects and get feedback and approvals and stuff.

Every now and then when we're doing something, it is nice to kind of like print things out and put it on a board and be like, everybody take a step back and look at it, old school like that. But that's like really important still, I think, to be able to do that as a designer.

Christian Solorzano [22:36]

And as a designer, what are your favorite aspects of design? Is it typography? Is it color? Illustration, I'm guessing. But what's the one thing that you just obsess over?

Ashley Bedore [22:49]

I'm kind of a type nerd. And not that I like know anything about typography, but I am a huge nerd. And so I think I'm gonna like obsess over the type first and foremost. Okay. I love critiquing like type layout. I love looking at, the font that we're using and how that's working and I've always been pretty insecure about colors, which is a new thing that I'm trying to learn about.

So color is always going to be my kind of last thing that I, critique because I'm like, oh, I'm not sure.

Christian Solorzano [23:29]

Yeah, there's—

Ashley Bedore [23:31]

It's like uncharted territory for me.

Christian Solorzano [23:32]

Yeah. I remember there's a few— you maybe saw this, but a few years ago there was like a big debate on the color of a dress and people were like, is it blue? Is it gold? People were so undecided. And ever since then, I kind of started to believe that color is like super subjective.

And sometimes people will design stuff in color and they'll like walk me through their rationale of like what the color means. But yeah, at the end of the day, I feel like it's up to the person that's interpreting the color. Like some people love green and like it doesn't matter what you think green means, it's what the other people are ultimately gonna interpret that. So I don't, I don't like color for that reason.

Ashley Bedore [24:10]

I, so I actually took a color theory class at the Art Institute last year. 'Cause I was like, oh my God, I, this is the year I get into color. I'm gonna, I'm gonna learn this. And I took this like continuing studies class, which was awesome by the way. And I realized I actually knew a lot more than I thought I did.

But again, it was like kind of having someone to like kind of teach that to me in a formal setting to remind myself. I'm like, yes. I do know this stuff. And then from there, I— sorry, Chief Carlton with sticks and stuff. From there, I signed up for an oil painting class to like further torment myself. The subjectivity of color. And that's kind of where I'm at right now in my like personal practice.

I'm just like reminding myself daily that I know nothing about color and that it is so subjective.

Christian Solorzano [25:04]

And as, so you have 2 children and they're both young, they're kids. Have you noticed a reappreciation of the basics of seeing the world? I imagine that through their eyes you may be re-experiencing things for the first time, like whether it's PBS or like Disney or something. But has motherhood changed your it definitely has.

Ashley Bedore [25:36]

I think also more than anything, it's drastically changed the way that I work, like the way that I practice. And yes, it is like it's been fun kind of rediscovering, childhood through my kids' eyes. My kids are 2 and 4, so they're very young, and we are doing a lot of like, watching PBS and watching cartoons and, reading children's books.

It's been so fun to rediscover some favorite children's books and kind of think about the illustrations and the texts and the words as I'm like reading to them. That's been like a really sweet journey kind of to go back on, especially as an illustrator. But I think like more than anything, it's being a mother has changed how I, think about the work that I do and how I prioritize my time.

And how I just don't have time for, BS anymore. I'm— I just have very limited time that I can focus on a project. And so now I'm just— I'm so much more efficient. I'm just what do I need to get something done? I'll— instead of like, tormenting myself over like many drafts of something, now I'm just nope, that's it, that's the one that works, and we're gonna go with that.

And it's made me so much more efficient as a designer and just like an artist in general. But also it's made me more confident because I'm like, I don't have time to worry if I'm good enough anymore. I just have to do the work and I just need to see the work done and out in the world. And if it's not the best, that's okay.

Christian Solorzano [27:14]

And do they understand what you do?

Ashley Bedore [27:16]

No. They—

Christian Solorzano [27:18]

Do they know that you work at the zoo and that you're like animals?

Ashley Bedore [27:20]

They know that I work at the zoo. I think my 4-year-old, he knows now that I don't work with the animals. He's very disappointed by that because I brought him into my office one day and our offices, our admin building is like on zoo grounds, just like across the street. And he walked into my office and his face was just kind of like— he was like, Mommy, where are the animals? And I'm like, oh, well, I don't actually work with the animals.

You see, I'm a graphic designer, blah. And his eyes just like kind of glazed over. Yeah. Like she doesn't care.

Christian Solorzano [27:53]

Yeah. And as someone that works at the zoo, do you get— I'm guessing your knowledge of animals has expanded, a lot. And if so, can you just share with us a few milestones throughout your time at the zoo as they relate to your understanding of animals? Have you had any close encounters with any animals? Do you ever, I don't know, just talk to us about animals?

Ashley Bedore [28:31]

Okay. Okay. So in terms of zoos, we're actually a very conservative zoo in that we don't like, I'm not allowed to touch the animals. I don't get to hold the animals, or I've only been behind the scenes like a couple of times. We're very focused on like animal welfare, so anything that might cause the animal distress or that the animal might not be a willing participant in, we don't do, which is great. But I don't really have any like close encounter stories.

I think more than anything, working here has made me realize how little I do know because there are a lot of smart people working here. We have a lot of scientists on staff that are doing amazing like conservation and like research, and I have learned so much from them in my time here. I don't have a specific example. I think it's just like I'm in constant awe of like all the nerds that I work with.

Christian Solorzano [29:30]

Do you know any of the animals by name?

Ashley Bedore [29:32]

Yeah, I mean, they all have names. Yeah, I, I'm really bad at the names. Like some of my colleagues are like, oh my God, that's so-and-so. And I'm like, oh yeah, I should know that. I'm like, honestly, like I'm way more interested in the wildlife than comes here at the zoo. I know at some— I know you're going to ask me what my favorite animal is because everyone always wants to know. You tell someone you work at a zoo and they're like, what's your favorite animal?

My favorite animal is the— we have these black-crowned night herons that migrate to the zoo every year. And they actually nest in our children's zoo area. And they lay their eggs. They have their chicks and stuff, and then they fly and migrate back to where they came from. And this happens every year. It's like a whole colony, and it grows larger and larger every year. It's a really special thing for us because they're like a protected species, and they've like chosen us.

And they make a huge mess every year. They're very loud and messy. They like poop everywhere. Every year I have to make all these signs, that's like, watch out for the poop. And it just like thrills me every year. They're so fascinating. And the fact that they're a wild species that comes here to nest and they're not even a zoo animal, they're just like a part of the zoo. It's like kind of a part of the story here. They're wonderful.

Christian Solorzano [30:59]

What about your least favorite animal?

Ashley Bedore [31:01]

My least favorite animal? Oh my God. I don't have a least favorite animal. I mean, I like them all. I even like the bugs. I like the spiders.

Christian Solorzano [31:09]

We have you ever seen like an animal fight, or does that ever happen?

Ashley Bedore [31:15]

Yeah, I mean, a couple of our species, some of their natural behavior is to fight or to have conflicts. Like we have a bachelor gorilla troop, and occasionally they get into some tuffles, tussles, whatever that word is. And they do beat each other up pretty badly. And I have made signs for that to be like, Don't worry, we know the gorilla has a cut on him, but that's normal.

That's just part of their, how they, assert dominance and how they, figure out, who's who in the colony. So yeah, we do have fights, but it's all like normal animal behavior.

Christian Solorzano [31:53]

Yeah. So I'm assuming that when you're working on, let's say, any kind of material collateral for the zoo, are the animals the inspiration or how do you— like, I'm interested in where you draw inspiration from?

Ashley Bedore [32:08]

That's a really good question. I think to answer that question, I have to say that like working at the zoo is like, it's like a very unique in-house role in that I have, I have a lot of different clients with really different needs. I actually, I counted today because I was like, who are all the departments that I work for? And there's like I would say like 10 total different departments that I'll work for on any given day, and they all have very different design needs.

And so where I draw inspiration from determines a lot on like who that, client is. So like if I'm working on a campaign for our development team who are like literally responsible for raising all the money here, I'm probably going to go with like a very like powerful animal. Like we're going to show like our lions or, something that's a real like a popular species. I'm probably not going to put like, a snake on the COVID of something for that because they'll be like, no, please.

Versus if I'm doing something for— I'm trying to think of another example, like events. If we're trying to promote a specific event and there's like an animal tied to that might determine what, animal I'm focusing on. Or like, we might not focus on an animal at all. It might be something to do with our researchers, or like maybe it's our gardens. We're like an accredited arboretum now, so we have a lot of plant species that we're like promoting. Yeah, so it varies greatly. Yeah, honestly.

Christian Solorzano [33:53]

Okay. And then as far as Chicago I'm interested in like what's kept you here. I know you're originally from Illinois, but is there something about Chicago specifically that you love? Or I'm just— I'm interested in your relationship to the city.

Ashley Bedore [34:12]

I love Chicago. I think the scene here is so special. I think everyone is really nice. I think there is something to be said about that, like Midwestern, niceness or whatever. I think that what's kept me here is like the community, the design community, but also the city itself. The city is so beautiful. We are, as we sit right now, we're right by the lake.

And the lakefront is something that's so unique to Chicago and it's so I just think it's so special. And as someone who likes, wildlife and, natural spaces it's really special to find all that here in Chicago.

I also like— I have some like history with Chicago. I mean, my, I have some like artists in the family. Like my great uncle was a sculptor who, lived here briefly and his wife was a painter at the Art Institute and I have a little side research project going on where I'm like kind of doing some research into her and like her works that she's done here through the Art Institute and just like some exhibitions she's had.

But I think I have like that kind of like family tie here, that history here, and also just it's just a great place. I love it.

Christian Solorzano [35:39]

Yeah, I like that. I do feel like Chicago has every— like it has everything.

Ashley Bedore [35:46]

Yeah. And it's like central. It's like you can get to anywhere you need to go from O'Hare, right? And I, as someone who's like traveled a lot, I like that because I'm like, oh, it's easy to get to New York, it's easy to get to the West Coast, it's easy to travel like internationally. And so it's a great hub to be here.

Christian Solorzano [36:02]

So when you're not working and you have free time, where do you— where can someone find you? What are your favorite Chicago spots?

Ashley Bedore [36:11]

Right now I don't have a ton of free time because I am parenting in my free time. So you'll probably find me at like a playground.

With my kids. There's a lot of great playgrounds here. I do love hanging out in this, green space by the zoo, kind of on, my lunch break or, kind of in my spare time while I'm working. I like being close to the lake. I like kind of walking around and just seeing, who's hanging out here? What is— what's the public doing? What are the visitors and guests doing here at the zoo?

Christian Solorzano [36:44]

Yeah. Yeah. So what do you do when you want to just like have a lot of fun? What's your, what's your version of just like letting loose?

Ashley Bedore [36:55]

And yeah creatively, creative-wise I, I'm getting into painting. I am trying to do something new that's like scary, and for me that's oil painting because it's hard and it's expensive and there's a lot of like steps and I have to learn about color. And so I think for fun right now, I'm kind of like, I'm like, let's paint something and let's torment myself and, question my ability to like make something look real.

Christian Solorzano [37:27]

And what subject matter are you interested in?

Ashley Bedore [37:30]

It's a good question. I don't know yet because I'm kind of like exploring that right now. But I've been I really want to be someone who can paint hands. Turns out that's really hard. Painting hands and fingers is like impossible.

Christian Solorzano [37:47]

It's like AI can't even do it.

Ashley Bedore [37:49]

I know. It's like, who could do that? I have so much more respect for painters now. Because like I feel like I can do that stuff as an illustrator, like either working digitally on like my iPad or like, sketching. It's like a whole different thing when you're painting. And it's just it's like my next little hurdle to overcome. I'm just I'm gonna figure it out. And do it. But it's like, there's a lot of growing pains right now. Yeah.

Christian Solorzano [38:14]

Yeah. Well, it's good that you're doing it. Yeah. Painting, I've only, I only ever really do watercolor. Because it's very forgiving and like if you mess up—

Ashley Bedore [38:24]

It's hard.

Christian Solorzano [38:25]

Yeah, it is. But I've been doing a lot of clowns just cuz they're fun. Like they're so colorful and if you screw up, it just becomes a scary clown. So.

Ashley Bedore [38:35]

I really like that. Yeah. You're like, I meant for it to look like that.

Christian Solorzano [38:39]

Yes. I just bought a there's a vintage shop up north, I think in Edgewater, and I just bought like this really big clown painting and it's just a clown that's like chilling on the couch. Like it's like the, it's like a clown that's taking a break. And it's in my bathroom, like right in front of the mirror. So like when you're like washing your hands, you just have this like clown behind you that's just like laying on the couch.

Ashley Bedore [39:07]

Casual.

Christian Solorzano [39:08]

So maybe you could do a clown.

Ashley Bedore [39:11]

I don't know, Christian. I'm gonna leave that up to you. I don't see me painting clowns anytime in the near future, but I'll let you know if I do.

Christian Solorzano [39:19]

Okay, sounds good. So in another life, what would you be doing if it were not design?

Ashley Bedore [39:26]

I think I would be working with plants. I think I'd be working in horticulture.

Christian Solorzano [39:33]

You got it.

Ashley Bedore [39:35]

I am like a huge plant nerd. And I think I actually— I think I'm like really annoying to the horticulturists here at the zoo because I'm always like, what are you guys doing? What are you planting? Can I help? And they're just please leave us alone.

Christian Solorzano [39:50]

So I'm assuming you have a lot of plants.

Ashley Bedore [39:51]

I did and then I had children. I have a few plants in my house that are very special to me that I've like managed to keep alive. One of them is my— I have a lime tree named Eric. Eric has been with us for like 8 years.

And I'm determined not to kill Eric. When I had kids though, I lost a lot of because I was like, oh wow, kids are a lot of work, and kind of like plants are a lot of work too. And I was kind of like, I have to pick. I picked my kids.

Christian Solorzano [40:25]

Do you have any pets?

Ashley Bedore [40:28]

No.

Christian Solorzano [40:28]

No pets.

Ashley Bedore [40:29]

I can do kids or pets. I can't do both.

Christian Solorzano [40:31]

You can't do both?

Ashley Bedore [40:32]

No.

Christian Solorzano [40:32]

Would you say that you're more of a dog person or a cat person?

Ashley Bedore [40:36]

I would say I'm more of a cat person. However, I am Allergic to cats. So spiritually I'm a cat person. Physically, I can't be around cats.

Christian Solorzano [40:47]

Yeah. So lately, what's been inspiring you? I feel like design right now, it's at such an interesting point because artificial intelligence is just like unavoidable and like it's just everywhere and you can't— yeah, everyone's talking about it and everyone's making things with it. That I find it difficult to not want to participate because I see what other people are doing with it and I can't be critical if I'm not actively doing something to like combat whatever it is that I'm judging.

Ashley Bedore [41:20]

That's a good point.

Christian Solorzano [41:21]

So what are your thoughts on just technology? How do you feel about the industry right now?

Ashley Bedore [41:27]

I wish I had something smart to say to that, but I don't know. I mean, I feel like there are a lot of people much smarter than me who are kind of, answering or tackling this question right now. And you're right, I see a lot of I see a lot of good coming out of AI and what AI can do for design and designers in our industry. But I also see a lot of bad.

And I think what's like getting me down right now is I'm seeing a lot of a lot of friends in the industry, a lot of illustrators, a lot of artists kind of losing out on work right now. Now because they're being replaced a little bit by AI. And that that's kind of hard to see and that's hard to witness. And I don't know what the future holds for that. I think probably it'll like even out a little bit and settle down, hopefully.

But I don't know how to feel about it. I think right now my response to, all of this technology and advancement is that I'm kind of taking a step back a little bit. And I think it's just a combination of being overwhelmed from parenting and overwhelmed from like, working all the time and also, parenting when I'm not working is that I feel the need to like get off the computer. Like I need to like step away from the screen.

And I think that's why I've kind of been into oil painting because I need to like revisit like Physical artwork, and I need to like literally like touch grass and just like you know do something real. And that's been my response. And like I don't know if that's like the healthiest response to like kind of bury my head in the sand and be like I don't have the answers right now. But that's kind of where I'm at.

And you know I'll let you know if that changes in like a year or two. But I'm kind of just like here to see what's gonna happen?

Christian Solorzano [43:26]

Yeah, I like that response because it's so overwhelming. Yeah, like everything that's going on is so stressful and like there's just it's nonstop. And I feel like every single day I see something new that's coming out. And it's just like hard to, hard to keep up.

Ashley Bedore [43:41]

So it is hard to keep up.

Christian Solorzano [43:42]

Yeah. Yeah. So I think what you're doing is like the healthy, the healthy thing. Like you're listening to your body and you're yeah, allowing yourself to like learn a true craft. Which is painting.

Ashley Bedore [43:53]

I'm trying. Yeah, I really, I'm like, I keep kind of joking, I'm like, oh, if the world ends, they're gonna need sign painters. So this is gonna be my value add to society.

Christian Solorzano [44:05]

Yeah. And what about, do you tend to be like an optimistic person or pessimistic? What's your, are you hopeful about the future?

Ashley Bedore [44:15]

I think that depends like how much time I spend on Reddit and like on the internet. Because I do find myself getting pessimistic. I'm like a big sci-fi nerd. And I think with everything that happens in the news and with technology, I'm like, yep, I know where this is going, guys, and it is not good. And then I'm like, wait, Ashley, come on. Because I am also an optimistic person and generally try to stay positive.

And so I think my instinct is first to be like, this is bad. And then I'm like, wait, like I can, find a positive spin on this.

And I think that also comes from like, I kind of see my role sometimes as to be like that, like mentor figure or to be kind of like that, like leadership, role or whatever, to be like, to not stress out like either the people that work for me or the people that are looking up to me and just be like, hey guys, like we're gonna figure this out. Maybe that's my mom voice coming out? Yeah.

Christian Solorzano [45:18]

What do you look at on Reddit?

Ashley Bedore [45:20]

I don't know, all sorts of crazy stuff. I mean, I got like into it during the pandemic because I was, I became a parent in the pandemic and there weren't a lot of other communities that I could— physical communities that I could be a part of. So I kind of joined this like, very specific parenting subreddit and that just that was my community. We were all like stuck inside and like isolated. And that's, I don't know, I spent a lot of time doing.

Christian Solorzano [45:51]

Okay. So like parenting, sci-fi. Yeah. What else? Like what if someone were to open up your YouTube? What's on the homepage?

Ashley Bedore [45:59]

Oh my God. That's a good question. That's a really good question. Right now you would find a lot of videos about like Québécois French because I'm like a lifelong French learner. And more recently, I've kind of shifted to like Québécois dialect because I've been spending a lot of time in Quebec.

Not planned, I just I've had a lot of like things happening there, and so I've been going there and I'm like, oh, I— it's so close to us, and I'm more likely to encounter like a French-Canadian speaker than a speaker from France. And what's— what are the nerdy differences here between that's dialect. So I have a lot of YouTube videos on that. I have, let's see, YouTube videos on workouts, Pilates. I've got, let's see, sci-fi videos. Gosh, what else am I looking at?

I'm not prepared for this question.

Christian Solorzano [46:54]

That's a good response. I like it. It's a very tame response. I was expecting some I don't know. I feel like every person has like a corner of their YouTube that they're a little bit ashamed about.

Ashley Bedore [47:11]

Their secret YouTube.

Christian Solorzano [47:14]

Celebrity gossip or like just something that's like—

Ashley Bedore [47:17]

I do love celebrity gossip. I mean, that's more my Reddit corner, just celebrity gossip. A lot of— I'm on a lot of gardening groups. Okay. Local, actually I'm on a local like gardening Facebook group. And randomly one day, my sister-in-law posted on it and I like liked the post and she was like, oh my God, you're on this group. And I was like, yeah.

Christian Solorzano [47:38]

That's funny. So you, in the beginning you mentioned that music is a, was kind of like an influence growing up, like album covers. What's your relationship to music now? Do you still find yourself, is music still a big part of your life?

Ashley Bedore [47:53]

Yeah. Okay. It's huge. I mean, I love, I love music. I've gone through a lot of eras of music, and I'm kind of like getting back into it after being like— I was kind of in a very like kid music era when my, kids were born, and I was just like baby brain all the time. And now I'm like rediscovering music.

Right now, this is kind of an embarrassing confession, but like I There's been one genre of music that I never really knew much about, I never got into, and that is metal music. So I'm like on this journey of like discovering metal. So I've been like asking all my friends who are like big metalheads, I'm like, hey, send me like some recommendations. What should I, like an almost 40-year-old mom, who's, really embracing her rage, what should I listen to? Please tell me.

Christian Solorzano [48:52]

Okay, so metal. I go through black metal.

Ashley Bedore [48:57]

I don't know if you've, if you've been introduced to black metal yet, but, I'm trying to get my like subgenres straight, so if you wanna, if you wanna tell me about it, please.

Christian Solorzano [49:07]

It's like just very dark satanic metal.

Ashley Bedore [49:12]

Love it.

Christian Solorzano [49:12]

And it's really fun. Yeah, I used to be into it when I was a kid. And then as an adult, I've been rediscovering it and finding that some of it's kind of silly because it's like so over the top. It's just like they take themselves so serious. It's fun though. It is really fun.

Ashley Bedore [49:30]

I really love it. I'm— yeah. It's been a joy.

Christian Solorzano [49:34]

What about video? What kind of content do you consume? What's your video? What do you— I know you mentioned your YouTube, but do you find yourself like watching films or TV shows or how do you— What are you an avid consumer of?

Ashley Bedore [49:50]

This is also embarrassing. I'm an avid consumer of British murder mysteries because I find it really comforting. Yeah, I have a subscription to BritBox, so I'm basically like an old elderly British lady, like in my consumption. I love— there's like a niche genre where it's like cozy village murder mysteries. So it's like really low stakes, and there's usually like an amateur detective involved, and there's at least one murder. And it's, it just follows a very specific like style, and I just find it delightful.

Christian Solorzano [50:36]

Yeah, it's like so niche.

Ashley Bedore [50:38]

So niche. And, my husband makes fun of me sometimes, but now I think he's into it and he'll watch that with me.

Christian Solorzano [50:46]

Very cool. So we've been— we talked a little bit about technology and AI, but is there anything else that you feel when it comes to the industry? What's something else that you see? I'm assuming that with being an educator for some time, and working with, let's say, junior designers, what do you find to be the biggest gap right now when it comes to designers today?

What would be your call to action for someone listening that is in a position where they can fill a gap in the community and the industry and whatever, the classroom?

Ashley Bedore [51:34]

That's a good question, Christian. I guess. Okay. So to answer part of that question where I'm seeing like a gap in like young or emerging designers, I think, I think back like when we were in school, like it was encouraged to kind of like find your niche and find like a very specific area that you're good at. And now I feel like we're asking designers to do everything. They have to wear so many hats now.

You have to know— I don't know, just like think of anything and you're like, they want a designer to do that. And I think I think that might be the hardest thing. What I'm seeing in emerging designers is that they're kind of just like all over the place.

They're like trying to do it all, understandably, because they're being asked to do it all. And I think like I would love to see designers find that niche again or find that, something that makes them unique and find where they have like their unique voice and bring that to the table because I think we are lacking that.

And I think that, I think it shows. I mean, I, because that's what makes you stand out, right? As a, as an artist, as a designer, as a creative, like kind of like bring your own brand of weird to the table and like just own it. And that's, I think, going to be a more valuable asset than any like AI or like, technology advancement.

Christian Solorzano [53:06]

Yeah. It's like that point of view that I think matters a lot. And I feel like because of this culture of Pinterest and like Instagram and all these kind of things, like it's easy to create beautiful looking work. Yeah. That lacks a point of view. Because you're just using reference material to create something. So with— so for example, when you're looking for young talents, what's something that stands out?

Ashley Bedore [53:38]

I think real-world experience stands out to me. And I don't mean that as like job experience because I know it's so hard when you're starting out and everyone's like 5 years of experience and you're like, I just need a job.

I think for me, I want to know like, what life experience have you had? Did you grow up in another country? Are you— do you have some like weird interests on the side that you do? What are your like, personal interest projects? Do you like to use a unique media? Just kind of like, I just wanna know about the person, the individual that I'm looking at? Yeah.

Christian Solorzano [54:22]

And when it comes to like, I'm assuming like you're, when you're working, you're leading a team or you're like leading creative, what are you, what have you found to be some of the characteristics that you feel like foster the most creative environments?

Ashley Bedore [54:41]

I think above all else is kindness. I think that when you feel comfortable with a team of people and you feel like you can be yourself, I think that's when you make the best work. And I think that only comes through when everyone is kind and supportive. I mean, I've obviously have, experiences from like school and, other jobs I've had where maybe it wasn't the most supportive environment. Maybe it was a little competitive or maybe like needlessly critical.

I think, my style is more like uplifting and kind and like supportive. And I think that when the people I'm working with feel supported and feel like they can just kind of relax a little bit, I think then they're more willing to try new things. They're willing to take risks, and they're willing to kind of like put themselves out there more. So yeah.

Christian Solorzano [55:46]

Yeah, I think the, everything that you explain, I think the word that I've heard to describe that is psychological safety, which is to make people feel psychologically safe. Like that, like they can't make a mistake and there's not going to be any like Punishment or like, that kind of thing.

Ashley Bedore [56:08]

They're not going to feel embarrassed. Because we make mistakes all the time. And I, I've embarrassed myself many times. And so I think it's like, it's nice when we know that we can make those mistakes and we're not going to be like made fun of or called out for.

Christian Solorzano [56:25]

Yeah. Well, what would you say is your most common mistake that you make?

Ashley Bedore [56:31]

Oh, that's a hard question.

I feel like my most common mistake is that— this is— I'm so worried about doing this all the time that I'm missing something like really obvious. Like sometimes, I think it's also recently, I'm just like so scattered all the time now that like when I sit down to work, if I'm not like focused, if I'm not like in the right headspace, I'll like be working on a brief for a while and then I'm like, wait a minute, yeah. Wait, they asked for something totally different.

And I just I was just, in the zone and I just forgot, a very important part of the brief or the request? And I'm like, that's embarrassing.

Christian Solorzano [57:10]

Yeah, it happens. For me it's email. Like any, like just written communication. I, I've been thinking about just having an auto-reply to my email that just says like, just call me. 'cause I don't know, to your point about being on the computer, like I just dread like, oh yeah, when you have to respond to long emails and it's just I just wanna talk, why can't we just talk about this? Why do we need to do a big email? So, right. Email is mine. Yeah.

So lately, is there anything any new projects that you're working on that maybe you can tease us with, whether it's like personal projects or something that we can look forward to seeing sometime in the future?

Ashley Bedore [57:58]

Gosh, you know what? Hopefully you will see a body of work for me that is oil painting. Once I find the time, that's like my famous last words. I'm like, well, when I have the time, so I'm trying, I'm trying really hard to make that time for myself. I haven't quite figured out what the secret is to being like a working mother and also an artist, because that's like, that's really hard.

It's really hard to carve out that time to be like, this is my painting time. I haven't figured that out yet, but hopefully you will see a body of work from me. I would love to like have a show at some point. I know that's like a really lofty goal, but I'm going to, I'm going to do it. Yeah.

Christian Solorzano [58:45]

So have you— so these paintings that you're doing, how large are they and what's the I mean, Christian, I've literally done like 2. You have? I mean, that's a good—

Ashley Bedore [58:56]

And they're just on like some free canvases I got from someone who didn't want them anymore. So it's like whatever I find right now. Although I really want to work smaller because that's my instinct is to work small. So yeah, I don't know, gonna find some small canvases.

Christian Solorzano [59:14]

So paint a picture for us. So like when you're painting and everything is right. It's a perfect mood for perfect everything. What are the, what are the things that need to be in place in order for you to be in the zone? Is it a time of day? Is it a type of music? Is it— what's going on?

Ashley Bedore [59:39]

It's gotta be music that I know and that I can either sing along to, or it's gotta be like, Jazz or something that I'm not going to get like too distracted by. And time of day, honestly, the time of day doesn't matter anymore. It's just whenever I have the time. Like last night, I actually had some time to work, to do some painting, and it was like evening, which is not usually a creative time for me because usually by evening I'm just like spent.

I'm like, I can't, I cannot do a single like creative thing. I need to turn my brain off and watch a British murder mystery. But last night I had some time. My kids were with the— with my in-laws. And so I was like, you know what, I'm gonna do some painting. And that was a really productive time because I, just had that space, set up. I could just do like an hour or 2 of work and it was great.

Normally I'm most creative in the mornings. I'm a morning person, which I know is really obnoxious to some people, but like I do all of my creative work Usually in the morning, and then how early is like admin work and stuff? Yeah.

Christian Solorzano [60:44]

How early of a morning person? Well, like four a.m. Six a.m.

Ashley Bedore [60:50]

My kids have made me like a very early morning person. They usually wake up around six a.m. So I'm up. I'm up and at 'em at six a.m. Usually, which means I'm at the office doing my creative work at nine a.m. Okay. Yeah, I think that's. That's why I'm like, I'm up so early that by the time it's like 7 o'clock, I'm like, I'm done. I can't, I can't do anymore.

Christian Solorzano [61:13]

One of the things that I'm always really curious about people is their office essentials. What are some things that you can't live without? And you can't say coffee.

Ashley Bedore [61:26]

I can or can't?

Christian Solorzano [61:29]

You can't.

Ashley Bedore [61:29]

Okay. Okay, so back in the day, I had a very specific office setup. I was like, I have to work in this space, otherwise I won't be creative. That has all gone out the window because I've had 2 kids, I've moved, I've barely unpacked. I do not have an office setup right now. I have a flex space that is kind of an office, but it's also where my kids read their books, and it's also where my husband does his work.

And we really haven't unpacked the boxes, and so it's literally just a chaotic mess of papers. I also have a little space dedicated to painting, also not set up properly.

Christian Solorzano [62:13]

How recent did you move?

Ashley Bedore [62:14]

I moved last year. And it turns out that moving with a 2-year-old and a 4-year-old is a nightmare. And so I My space is a total mess right now at home. My office here at the zoo, I kind of joke that I haven't updated my desk in like 5 years because the pandemic hit and I just like worked from home? And now I'm kind of getting back into the office and the swing of things. I'm like, oh my God, like—

Like the other day I was like, I have shoes in my desk that don't even fit me anymore because I haven't worn them enough? So to answer your question, I have learned that I need very little to actually be creative. And to make work and that I can really do it anywhere.

And that was a good valuable lesson for me because before that I was like, oh no, I need to have my setup, otherwise I won't get anything done. And that actually prevented me from getting things done because like it had to be like the perfect combination of circumstances in order to feel like creative. And now I'm like, oh my God, that's all that's all BS. I don't need that. I can really just do it anywhere.

Christian Solorzano [63:23]

So I feel like this space that we're doing this conversation, like a very appropriate response. Being able to do it anywhere.

Ashley Bedore [63:32]

We're literally sitting in Lincoln Park on the lawn under some oak trees, and we're getting pelted by acorns and sticks. There are squirrels above us. And I feel like we've had a very productive conversation.

Christian Solorzano [63:45]

And the grass is kind of wet.

Ashley Bedore [63:47]

Yeah, we are. Yeah, we're sitting on like muddy grass right now. But you know what? We haven't let it bother us.

Christian Solorzano [63:53]

Yeah, I like it. Yeah, it's very nice. So we're almost at time, but I would love to know for people that are listening, what's the best way for someone to get ahold of you and why should they contact you? What are, what are some, I feel like I love your like as prepare— as I was preparing for this interview, like I just love your illustration style.

Ashley Bedore [64:17]

Oh, thank you.

Christian Solorzano [64:17]

And I feel like People should get in touch with you. I mean, that's one of the many reasons. It's like just because of your illustrations. And I think just working at the zoo are 2 very fun trivia facts about you. But yeah. And then also mentorship. I feel like you get, even though I've only known you for a little bit, like I get this impression that you're very giving. So I guess I answered your question. It's like, that's why people should get in touch with you.

Ashley Bedore [64:48]

I do have a lot of, students and recent grads reach out to me a lot and that's great. I love that. I give what I can if I have time to meet up with them or time for a call, I definitely offer that. Let's see, why should people reach out to me? There's a few different reasons I would love to hear from people. I would love to hear from anyone who is also working in a cultural institution in Chicago.

I'm always curious about, people who are designing at like museums or other zoos, aquariums, any like any cultural institutions like that. I'm always down to chat. I feel like you should reach out to me if you have any, recommendations for metal. Bands that I should check out. I feel like you should also reach out to me if you have any interesting projects. I'm gonna just put it out there, I've always wanted to illustrate like a wine label or like a beer label or something.

That's like kind of my dream project that's never happened. Yeah, I mean, I'm always, I'm always just down to chat. Email's the best place. I'm also like on Instagram. Feel free to message me there. Yeah.

Christian Solorzano [66:08]

I think they should also reach out and ask, how are your paintings coming along?

Ashley Bedore [66:12]

Oh no. I see now that I'm like putting this out in the world, I feel like I'm gonna be held accountable.

Christian Solorzano [66:17]

When is your show?

Ashley Bedore [66:18]

I, it's hopefully no time soon. 'Cause last night I sat down to paint and I was like, that's it. I'm gonna paint a hand. And I started painting the hand and I was like, oh no. I was like, I have a lot of work to do. Yeah.

Christian Solorzano [66:30]

Well, the Chicago Graphic Design Club, we have this publication. That comes out every year, and I think it would be cool to have you maybe paint something for that.

Ashley Bedore [66:42]

Oh God, okay.

Christian Solorzano [66:43]

You know what?

Ashley Bedore [66:44]

I'm going to. You said that and I'm like, okay. Because I saw that you put out that like call for submissions. And I was like, I have nothing to offer this. I don't even know what I would like submit, but I will try to think of something.

Christian Solorzano [66:58]

Painting would be cool, or illustration, but Anyways, and that has a deadline and—

Ashley Bedore [67:04]

Oh God. All right. I'll try my best.

Christian Solorzano [67:09]

Yeah. Okay, cool. Well, thank you so much. It was a pleasure chatting with you.

Ashley Bedore [67:14]

Thank you, Christian.

Christian Solorzano [67:15]

You're so nice. And shout out to Johnny for connecting the two of us. That's what I love about this club is all of the connections and people that know people that make connections happen.

Ashley Bedore [67:29]

Yeah, I was gonna say, I think it's so cool that you started this, Christian, because listening to like all the other episodes of like this podcast it's really like kind of creating a sense of community because I know a few people that have been on the podcast and I'm like, oh my God, like I should reach out to them. Like it's so fun to hear them talk again and to hear others, talk about design and, art and stuff.

And it's just been it's been a really special thing. So yeah, I love this.

Christian Solorzano [68:01]

Yeah, it's been fun. And I just love the responses. To me, the biggest reward is when someone tells me that they've connected with someone that they heard on the show. Yeah. I'm like, all right, I did my job. So it's awesome. So thank you for, being a part of our history and all that kind of stuff.

Ashley Bedore [68:22]

Thanks for having me.

Christian Solorzano [68:23]

Yeah. So with that said, if people want to get in contact with you, I'll include all of your links in the description for this episode. And maybe in the future there could be some kind of collaboration between the club and either you or maybe the zoo or just something. I feel like—

Ashley Bedore [68:39]

I would love that.

Christian Solorzano [68:40]

There's such a— I feel like the zoo is so, you like people understand that there is design that happens at the zoo. But no one really thinks about like who's doing it or how it comes to be. It's just like it's there and, that's it. But who makes it?

Ashley Bedore [68:58]

So yeah, that's like a whole other conversation.

Christian Solorzano [69:01]

Yeah. So maybe that's something that could happen at Site 10 in the future.

Ashley Bedore [69:05]

Let's do it. Cool.

Christian Solorzano [69:06]

Awesome. Well, thank you so much.

Ashley Bedore [69:07]

Thank you, Christian.

Christian Solorzano [69:08]

Cool. We did it.

Ashley Bedore [69:12]

Yay! And we didn't get Too injured.

Christian Solorzano [69:16]

Thank you so much for sticking around till the end. If you want to learn more, visit www.chicagographicdesign.club. Thank you and goodbye.