Christina Coldiron
Meet the Designer
Christina Coldiron is a full-time mom and part-time designer in Nashville, TN. The face behind Rosewood is inspired by her daughters, nature, and vintage finds. She is passionate about gathering people together and living life with a growth mindset. She explains, “All of us are unique and have so much to offer”.
A Poster Contest Started it All
Christina is one of the most creative people you will ever meet. Her mind is constantly designing spaces and images. When asked about her design projects she says, “It brings pure joy to my life”.
Her first design project? She won a poster contest in the fourth grade. The creative process, sense of accomplishment, and pride in her work stayed with her over the years. Christina followed her passion and studied advertising at Western Kentucky University. Everything seemed to fall into place from there.
The Creative Process
Fellow designers, artists, and even small business owners can learn a thing or two from Christina’s creative process.
1. First, she takes time to understand the purpose of the project by asking herself, “What am I doing and why?”
2. The next step is to get inspired. Use the purpose of the project as the foundation and find images to help anchor ideas.
3. After inspiration strikes, sketch ideas. Christina explains, “Even if they aren’t pretty, sketches are so helpful to create a direction.”
4. Next, refine your sketches. Try new things and keep working on your ideas until all possibilities are exhausted.
5. Don’t forget the value of giving your mind a break. Christina explains, “Usually after a break, I come back with a fresh set of eyes and see ways to improve”.
6. Get feedback. Share your work with the client and be open to critical feedback. New requests lead to fresh ideas. It is helpful to keep an open mind.
7. Refine. Refine. Refine.
8. Finalize the images. Clean up the artwork and send helpful files to your client.
The Best Advice
Christina described the best advice she received is to have a growth mindset. She explained, “It has opened the doors to many opportunities for me. Our brains continue to grow. We are not limited to past experiences.”
Christina’s Advice to New Designers
- The more you create, the easier it gets.
- Keep aspiring to grow and push yourself out of your comfort zone.
- Treat every project with the same level of importance. Why not make a barcode price tag look just as designed as a wedding monogram? The final look will be completely different and one will take more time, but the amount of finish should be the same.
- Set reasonable expectations for yourself and the client.
- Be transparent and communicate clearly.
- Encourage growth with all. Good things happen when you share knowledge and time.
Follow Christina Coldiron
Visit RosewoodNash.com or follow her on instagram @RosewoodNash
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