Meet Ann Briggs | Digital Illustrator

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

Hi Ann, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
AB Digital Studio started out as a passion project and has continued to be fueled by my passion for creating and expanding my artistic reach. I feel my brand is successful because my love for what I create is visible to my audience. I am able to be personal with my clients as I work with them on projects. We have conversations that feel comfortable, and not strictly business. I don’t want my brand to feel stuffy or as if I am creating only to pass the time or make money – I create because I love what I do and who I am creating for. Many of my clients are repeat customers, and I truly feel it is because we have a connection that is beyond just and artist and client.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
AB Digital Studio was something that started over 15 years ago when I first discovered Photoshop and creating graphics back in middle school. I taught myself a majority of what I knew on the platform, and the moment I felt comfortable creating I knew I wanted to do more with digital art. In high school, I used my skills in Photoshop to create content for events, from posters to web design on the schools website. One year, I was in charge of creating collages for every person in the graduating class – it was my first introduction to having one-on-one “client” meetings as I made each collage personal and unique to each person. This experience led to me being a part of SCAD’s Rising Star program my junior year and really setting my goals to growing my art and abilities. However, at this same time I was discovering I also loved chemistry and had to make the decision between SCAD for my art or Georgia Southern for Chemistry. I chose chemistry and really dove in, leaving my art behind. I was on track to go to Pharmacy school, but life happened and I decided to take a break after graduating with my Bachelors in Chemistry. It was during this break that I worked in retail and started working on graphic design again. I realized I was really missing my artistic side and started practicing new techniques, like digital illustration – I fell in love. Once again, I taught myself new skills on Photoshop and then started Art by AMB, a custom digital illustration business. After 3 years of doing it part time after work, it was apparent this is what I wanted to do full-time so I set my sights on making it a legitimate business with a whole new rebranding. I relaunched in January 2021 as AB Digital Studio and started thinking of how I wanted to grow. The challenges I faced during this were constant thoughts of “Will this work?”, “Is it worth it?”, “Did I make the right decision?” Every time I had those thoughts, I reminded myself that this is who I am. This business centers around my passion and love for simply creating. It shows in my products (I only illustrate what I enjoy, not just what is “trending”), and it shows in my events where I am able to express my joy for what I do each time I speak to a customer. I’ve learned through this whole experience that it is okay to question yourself, because through that you will find the answer and it almost always is: trust your gut feeling on this. Lean into the struggles and continue to find yourself through your passions.

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?
I live in Lawrenceville, GA, about 40 minutes northeast of Atlanta. There are a ton of great areas within and surrounding Lawrenceville that I would take someone visiting for the first time. Say they were staying for a week, I would start Day 1 at my favorite places downtown at the Square. Coffee would be at Reyna’s, where you can get a handcrafted espresso drink and fresh pastries. Next, I would take them over to Strange Taco for lunch – a great casual taco joint with a mix of classic and unique takes on tacos. After lunch, we could walk around the Square and shop at the bath & body shop (NV Bath & Body Bar), the local interior & furniture store (Sikes & Davis), the sweets and spice shop (Nancy’s Candy & Spice), and then spend some time exploring the comic book store (Galactic Quest). For dinner, we would walk over to McCray’s Tavern for some classic American food and a drink, and then finish the night in the Depot District. If its a Thursday night, then its Trivia on Tap at Slow Pour, where you can get a pitcher of your favorite beer for the table and enjoy some friendly competition! Now those are just a few of my favorite places, so realistically, we’ll be back downtown for most meals as there are so many more restaurants to enjoy. Besides Reyna’s, we could get coffee and a meal at Boulder Creek Coffee, The Peachtree Cafe, or Blue Rooster bake Shop. For food, there are so many options to choose from. You want pizza? There’s Cosmo’s on Crogan and the newly opened Maggazzino Delle. Craving traditional American cuisine? Then we’ll go to Local Republic or Universal Joint – depends on if you’re feeling a little more fancy or casual. If its seafood or BBQ you want, then Oyster Bay or Foggy Bottom BBQ is where we’ll go. For shopping, we have the Mall of Georgia nearby with great stores in and around it. Now for experiences for the rest of the trip, we’ll attempt to see a show at the Aurora Theatre if they’re putting on any, or plan to spend a few hours at Top Golf or Andretti Indoor Go-Karting. As much fun as exploring the city and surrounding areas is, I always love going to one of our breweries and listening to the live music performed by local musicians. There at Slow Pour or IronShield, you will find entertainment and a great atmosphere of people to enjoy your evening with friends and family – which is what I find most exciting.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
When I first started AB Digital Studio, my first “clients” were my best friends – Allyssa, Becca, and Brooke. They have supported me every step of my journey as I grow the brand and create new products. When I need feedback on a new product, they are the first people I reach out to. When I was looking to introduce hand-embroidered shirts into my product line, Becca lended her talents for hand embroidery to help me make it happen. When I needed assistance rebranding and updating my Etsy shop, I knew I could trust Allyssa to be my right hand lady. It wouldn’t be right to not give credit and recognition to Kellie Bernardi, founder of Inspired ATL. When I was looking for events to network and sell at, I found her group which focuses on inspiring local entrepreneurs and creating a space where we can all network with each other and potential clients. Throughout 2021, I was lucky to be a vendor at several of her events where I grew my business through sales and friendships with like-minded female business owners.

Website: ABDigitalStudioShop.etsy.com

Instagram: Instagram.com/ab.digitalstudio

Facebook: Facebook.com/ABDigitalStudio1