An employee spotlight to be remembered! We asked Lauren Flynn, a Jr. Art Director on our team, how she practices self care and some things she does to de-stress.

Hi Lauren! What’s on your To-Do list today?
I have to make some social post assets and work on some logo designs!

An artsy type! Are you on the creative side of things?
Yep! I’m a Junior Art Director.

What do you like about being here?
I like that I get to be creative every day with my friends. I love working out creative solutions, whether it’s coming up with new ideas or tinkering with a logo or design, it feels like working on a puzzle. And then there’s the satisfaction of snapping in that last piece once something’s finished.

What does positive work culture mean to you, and how has LUDWIG+ provided that?
Positive work culture means finding a balance between work and life, and feeling like you and your coworkers have each others’ back during the workday. After six months of being here at LUDWIG+, I feel that I can ask anyone for help, no matter their role.

When it gets fast-paced at work, how do you center yourself?
This year, working from home has provided a nice environment for staying centered. When things get a little hectic, I still have my cat, Girl, here with me. It might be a crazy stressful day but she carries on snoring on, her perch behind my desk, or running around with a toy. I like to think I take in some of her calming energy.

What’s something you want to do more for yourself?
Having more free time outside. It’s been hard during the pandemic to leave the house especially when it’s cold out. I’d like to have more outdoor hobbies! Now that it’s getting warmer, I want to make more of an effort to change my routine.

Do you have any personal hobbies or passions that help you detach from work?
My main hobbies are still art related and I like to paint with acrylic mostly, or draw on my iPad. I recently started an illustration instagram (@lorange.peel) to keep all of my work in one place and show it off.

What’s something you’d like to learn?
Inspired by The Great British Baking Show, I’d love to be some kind of amazing baker or specialty cake decorator and put my illustration skills to use in a fun way. As of now, my baking is not so great, so I have a lot to learn.

Quick- What’s a word you’d use to describe yourself?
Inspired! I’m always finding inspiration in different places, there never seems to be enough time in the day to finish all of the projects I have in mind.

What activities make you feel good about yourself?
Exercising is a big one. It feels good to have a constant strength goal to be working toward, and I also find it meditative. On days that I’m stressed or anxious, it helps block out my brain and bring me back to a normal level.

What positive habits do you have? What are the negative ones?
Exercise is probably my most positive habit. My boyfriend and I have simple workout routines we do at home in the living room while watching The Office. Literally, we are never not rewatching The Office. As soon as it ends, we start it over again so we have something easy to distract us while exercising. But we’ve been doing these at-home workouts for years, so luckily we weren’t thrown off when gyms were closed during lockdown- the daily workout routines actually helped provide some normalcy!

My most negative habit is probably wasting too much time on my phone. We’re all so connected these days, it’s always within an arm’s reach and I hate being that attached to it. I pick it up to answer a text and next thing I know, I’m going down a rabbit hole learning about sleep or looking at cute animal gifs.

When or where do you feel most comfortable?
I’m definitely a homebody! I’m most comfortable in soft, stretchy clothes hanging out at home. I love to hang out on our porch with a drink or sit in my office and draw with an audiobook on in my headphones!

What are the things you’re good at?
I am really good at The Office trivia. Like I mentioned before, my boyfriend and I are never not in the process of rewatching that show. I don’t know what’s wrong with us, it’s a comfort thing at this point and I know way too much about it. Another mostly useless thing I’m good at is ice skating. I was a competitive figure skater for over 10 years. It kept me super busy throughout my school years but turns out it’s not really a skill that translates to anything too useful in adulthood. Who knew!

Who are some positive people in your life?
My main friend group from high school. We all live in different cities and have gone to different colleges for very different things- they’re STEM people and I went to art school. We don’t get to see each other very often but our group chat has never died. We text every day about the dumbest stuff. There are lots of funny picture and video links involved, but it’s nice to still be silly with this core group of friends.

What was your favorite moment this week/month/year?
My favorite moment of the past year was a week spent up north with my boyfriend and his family. We go every year and it’s always the best time. We spend the whole week outside in the sun, by the water, hanging out with the family dogs, hunting for Petoskey stones, reading, snacking, drinking beer from Short’s brewery, and playing board games together.

Ok Lauren…

Walking outside or Gym?
Walking outside!

Morning or Night person?
Night!

Reading or Listening to music?
Both! I’ve made a point to read more this year, so I’m always working through a couple books, but I couldn’t live without music either.

Breakfast or Brunch?
Brunch! Bottomless mimosas and a nap after, preferably.

Cosmetic Face Masks or Serums?
Face masks, I got some cool paper ones on a trip I took to Japan and they had animal face designs on them, so they looked silly and made my skin so soft.

What are you going to do for yourself today?
I am going to sit on my porch with a drink and enjoy the nice weather. I’m one of those people who bought a leash for their cat so she can join me out there too :)

Lastly, do you have any advice for a 22 year old just entering the industry who sometimes gets overwhelmed and lost in the hustle and bustle of advertising? What would you say to remind them to slow down?
As someone still new to the industry myself, I wouldn’t want to say too much at risk of sounding super condescending, but I’d advise them to take a step back and put things into perspective. If they’re doing their best and trying to improve, they’re probably doing okay! Mistakes happen, and especially as you’re starting out, they are necessary! I’d also remind them that advertising isn’t everything, it’s a job. It can be a fun, creative collaborative one, but it’s still a job. It’s important to maintain a life outside of work and to keep up with things that excite you.