Meet Cassie Hanuscak | Brand Designer

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

Hi Cassie, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
Work/life balance is a fundamental component of happiness. Happiness is not waiting for us to find at the end of our journey when we reach our goals, but rather in the process of achieving. We have to be intentional with our time management in our journey to find our own unique equilibrium.

We all understand that too much work results in stress and unhealthy behaviors, and not enough prevents us from reaching our full potential. We have to get to know and accept our own personal limits, and understand they can fluctuate.

I can quickly recognize when my own work/life balance is out of alignment because I begin to feel fatigued, but I have come to understand that I have two kinds of tired. One requires sleep, and one requires more of what sparks joy in my life. As many creatives are, I am at my core an introvert, and there are times it is not my body but my soul that is tired. I need solitude and time to nourish my soul to return to equilibrium.

Many define work/life balance with set working hours, typically 9-5 Monday-Friday. Don’t work on the weekends for work/life balance they say. As a business owner, as a single mom, and as a creative, I have learned I thrive in a different routine. I have realized that work/life balance is not dictated by a black and white schedule but is found in the grey areas when you leave room for flexibility.

If working late at night, which is when my own personal focus often peaks and I am the most creative, allows me to pick up my son early from school and spend the afternoon with him, then I feel I have achieved my balance. Sometimes it means going to bed extra early and forcing myself to sit down at the desk and focus in the early morning. However, I know to schedule the less creative tasks for myself in those early morning hours.

I have found that as long as I am intentional with my schedule in a way that works for my own unique levels of tolerance and productivity, leave room for that flexibility, and focus on one thing at a time, I find my own personal level of satisfaction.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My primary life passion is art. However, my second passion is psychology. Through my professional growth, and my own personal development, I have found immense satisfaction pursuing a career in the space where they intersect: brand design.

I am an INFJ (one of the Myers-Briggs personality types). That means I am creative and insightful. I typically ask a lot of questions to get to the heart of things. My favorite question is WHY.

In graphic design, details matter, and I pay attention to those details. I believe successful design should always have a thoughtful approach and a unique strategy to tell a story. I always start with why.

Great design doesn’t just look good; successful design connects with the ideal audience, produces engagement, and converts.

I thoroughly enjoy the journey getting to know each and every one of my clients, helping them define their company, and expressing that personality through the use of typography, color psychology, and other artistic means. The resulting visual graphics are cohesive and in proper alignment to support the messaging. Consistency is key to producing the results my clients are after.

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?
Atlanta is the city in the forest, and that is my favorite thing. Hiking and kayaking are a must. Old Rope Mill Park in Woodstock where I live is a great kayaking spot. It is about a 40-minute easy paddle to Toonigh Creek waterfall. Vickery Creek in Roswell offers a unique opportunity to explore the trails, experience a bit of history, and to see a powerful waterfall, all while still being in walking distance of great restaurants and bars. Sweetwater Creek State Park is next on my list to visit.

My favorite restaurant in all of the city is easily Cafe Sunflower, a genuinely delicious vegan restaurant in Buckhead.

Inside the perimeter, the BeltLine offers my favorite experience of the city. I usually start my day with brunch in midtown (South City Kitchen is fantastic), followed by a stroll through Piedmont Park where I have experienced some great festivals. From there, we get on the BeltLine which takes us to Ponce City Market and Krog Street Market. The food and drink options are always phenomenal (LadyBird is a favorite), and there is always something going on. There is no shortage of street art either. Finding the Tiny Doors is one of my favorite art projects to discover!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I am often asked why I decided to pursue a career in graphic design. I have been an artist my whole life and I knew very early on that is where my primary passion was and where I found my joy. I began oil painting classes as a young child, and I continued to pursue art classes through school as I grew up. It is really my high school art teacher, Kim Pittman Bartholomew, who I really have to thank for my career. She is the one who recognized the potential in my work and began that conversation with me and encouraged me to pursue this path.

Website: https://www.caslynbd.com/

Instagram: instagram.com/caslyn.branding 

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassie-hanuscak-a19a11203/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/caslynbd