Self Promotion is the f*cking worst.
About Me
Hi I’m Kayla (She/Her) the queer artist and designer behind Tiny Werewolves. Alongside my two pups in my Chicago studio, I create retro-inspired graphics with modern vibes. My designs are colorful & soft with strong messages and often focus on LGBTQ+, political and social justice topics. I like to pair the soft, retro graphics with hard hitting themes like LGBTQ rights, abortion, mental health and more to make the juxtaposition of the two to be memorable but also fashion-forward and something that my customers want to wear and use daily. The fun, cartoon-like designs help soften the hard edge of topics that are often hard to talk about.
I also create custom commissions for folks wanting a personalized item. Mostly of pets, I’ve has drawn over 300 animals for my clients since launching the option in late 2020, first as stickers and then expanding to magnets, mugs, art prints and more, mostly of dogs and cats, however I’ve even had 2 horses, a pig, and a Guinea pig. With over 15 years of creative professional experience, I also freelance my graphic design and product development services.
In January 2022, I launched a monthly sticker and magnet subscription club. In March 2022, I began donating a portion of the sales to a featured cause or charity and I have donated over $700 to non-profits and causes since the program launched. This was rebranded to the “Everything Sucks Club” in 2023.
Everything Sucks: A Positively Good Stationery Club
When I set out last January to start a stickers/stationery club I had no idea what to expect. There were some bumps at first and I even wrote about trying something and failing when the original launch didn’t go as planned. As I mentioned in that post, failure is something no one wants, but it’s definitely something you can learn from if you’re open to …
What I give a sh*t about:
In the world today, it's hard, like really hard to see what a business stands for (in reality just choose *ANY* text-based platform and spend like 5 minutes seeing what they post about or who they follow and you'll get a pretty clear picture of what or who they support).
Things I believe in:
This list is ever growing and changing as the world also grows, shifts and changes. We as humans have a job both morally and empathetically to grow and change with it to be the best people we can.
• Trans Lives Matter • Protect Queer Kids • Black Lives Matter • Marriage Equality For All • No Human Is Illegal • Destigmatize Mental Health • Healthcare is a Human Right • Stolen Land Is Not Free • Unapologetically Pro-Choice • Abortions Are Healthcare • Pro-Vaccine • Climate Change Is Real • Ban Guns • Reproductive Rights For All • Vote Or Die • Tax The F*cking Rich •
Press & Collabs
In April 2023, Tiny Werewolves was included in the Chicago Reader's "Best of Chicago" edition, in the Buy Local Section. View the full OG article here and also my write up on dealing with my feelings around not feeling good enough to receive the attention below:
Impostor Syndrome Sucks
At the end of 2020, I started making custom illustrations of pets, not really knowing where it would take me. In nearly 3 years I’ve done over 300 pets - something that it so wild for me to think about. It’s also been so interesting to see my style evolve within the pet illustrations as time goes on - adding in some details and forgoing others.
In July 2024, I was contacted by the office of Delia Ramirez which led to a merch collab for the current congresswoman.
Why subscribe?
Never miss a Tiny Werewolves update. Sometimes it’s behind the scenes of my studio, and others it’s a product announcement. Maybe it’s a random thought or a lesson in design or art history. Maybe it’s a life update or something about our dogs, Tater Tot and Casserole.
Stay up-to-date
You won’t have to worry about missing anything. Every new edition of the newsletter goes directly to your inbox or the app. It’s very convenient.
