If you were to look into Allie Cohen's head, you would see colorful designs, glitter and a whole lot of extra-ness. Behind this elaborate inspiration, comes her hard work, determination and the element of being fearlessly herself.
Cohen, a recent University of Pittsburgh graduate and Philly native, founded her business Creativejawns with the same vibes and aesthetics she loves. "My brand is intricate, flashy and optimistic," said Cohen, "I want to create something you'll look at and say, 'I know this is Creativejawns' work.'" Self-taught in graphic design and with a passion for social media, Cohen was able to turn her portfolio of authentic work into a successful business.
In Summer 2019, Cohen created the instagram account @creativejawns to keep her artwork all in one place and showcase it to her friends and family.
Her colorful, jam-packed collages became a huge hit among her network. "I started slowly making phone backgrounds for my friends, and it kind of just blew up," Cohen said. "I was getting so many orders, and I thought I should turn this into a full time business."
Cohen then opened a Redbubble shop with her unique designs, allowing her to take Creativejawns to the next level. She appreciated the simple nature of the Redbubble platform, as it allows for artists to sell their work on a variety of products - from phone cases, to wall art, to laptop skins and more. With Redbubble, customers can decorate their dorms, electronics and even stationary with Creativejawns designs.
Penn State dorm room decked out in CreativejawnsDesigns from @Creativejawns
"It's been really cool to grow from only making orders for people I know to hitting people all over the country," Cohen said.
In running her business, Cohen has used the skills she learned from being a communications major and managing the social media of her sorority. "Just learning how to manage an account and figure out what content people like to see definitely contributed [to her success with Creativejawns]."
Getting in touch with her customers has proved important for Cohen, as custom orders are a large part of "what separates Creativejawns from other accounts." Outside of her standard designs, Cohen also works closely with customers to create personalized collages for them including their own pictures, color schemes and overall vibes. After this process of collaboration, customers can print this new design on any product.
Cohen especially loves working with customers to create custom acrylic boxes for them because they are so meaningful.Design by @Creativejawns
Creativejawns caught the attention of Betches podcast Off Campus and they also wanted to get in on this collaborative process. After creating a personal collage for the podcast including their grungy college aesthetic, Cohen was able to get her brand out even more. "It was just really awesome to be able to work in my early stages with such a big account, and it definitely helped me believe more in myself and this process," said Cohen.
Creativejawns has also collaborated with popular meme account @sittingatmycubicle, college merch account Jersey Boy Apparel, and even her alma mater, the University of Pittsburgh, to create a virtual welcome gift to the incoming class of 2024.
At the end of the day, staying true to herself and following her gut has been the key to her brand's success, said Cohen. Her advice to people who want to build their own brand like her is to not "let anyone's doubts or fears, including your own, stand in the way of your dreams."
Cohen integrates the words she lives by into her designs Design by @Creativejawns
