the story of
pretty bird

“I was drawn to artists who existed in the space between art and design, particularly feminist artists like Barbara Kruger, Tracey Emin and Judy Chicago to name a few. “

meet the brains behind the beauty●

meet the brains behind the beauty●

meet the brains behind the beauty●

meet the brains behind the beauty●

meet the brains behind the beauty●

hi! I’m sam!

The story of Pretty Bird Creative and how I came to work in graphic design is a winding road. I was always creative, forever drawing, designing and figuring out how things worked. I saw creativity as a puzzle to solve and most of my time as a kid was spent glued to my sketchbooks or making my own radio shows on my double tape deck.

As I got older, I found it challenging to focus on one creative outlet, jumping from one project and medium to another. I thrived in an artistic environment, but I struggled to find my ‘thing’.

A winding journey to find the place my creative skills would feel at home lead to a few career choices along the way, all with a creative or design focus.

After studying fashion design and textiles production, I went on to COFA and a degree in art history and theory – another way I was seeking the source of visual thinking and creativity.

In my studies, I was drawn to artists who existed in the space between art and design, particularly feminist artists like Barbara Kruger, Tracey Emin and Judy Chicago to name a few. Feminist theory and the visual traditions to come out of it were, and still are, a constant source of inspiration for my life and work. I still look to these artists and my knowledge of art history and visual theories in my design work today.

My time at COFA gave me an important grounding in history, the world, cultural understanding through visual mediums and visual eras. What felt like an exercise in futility at the time, is now something I could not be more grateful for.

I’ve studied a lot; fashion, art, education, makeup and design. I used to think that this made me look flighty or uncommitted to any one craft. Now I know that I have always been hungry for knowledge and unwilling to settle.

At this point in my career, all these degrees and skills make sense. They meld together to make me a designer who is aware of the world around them, has a deep understanding of how people interact with the visual world and who has the ability to give back to the design community.

I am excited to keep learning and growing as a creative person.

pretty bird;
not just a name

My family name, on my mum’s side, is Bird! It’s one of those really aussie things where everyones nicknames seems to stem from something bird related and where feathered friends were a constant presence.

The legend that was Tom Bird, my grandad, had a bird as his signature. Uncles were Big Bird and Little Bird, and sometimes just Birdy. Somewhere along the line, a family friend crowned me ‘Pretty Bird’ and it stuck.

When it came to naming the studio, it felt all at once a natural fit and also awkward at the same time. Ultimately though, the very reasons why the name felt like the wrong choice (was it arrogant? would people assume it was born out of vanity? How can I call myself pretty?) were the reasons I needed to use it.

Pretty Bird Creative, is and will always be an inclusive space where all kinds of beauty are celebrated; we are all pretty birds.

I acknowledge the true custodians of the land upon which I live and work, the Gumbaynggir people. They have cared for this incredible land for thousands of years and understand its rhythms which means we can enjoy it today.

I pay my respects to elders past, present and emerging and extend this respect to the many cultures of the NSW Mid North Coast.

I feel so incredibly lucky to call this place home.