Meet Margaret Cogswell | Web Designer and Book Publisher

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

Hi Margaret, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
As trite as it may sound, I think I was born an artist. Some of my earliest memories are of sitting at the kitchen table, painting the Rancor from Star Wars in water color, writing and illustrating my first “book” (about my favorite and least favorite vegetables), and creating a Halloween-themed mobile for my room. My parents always encouraged me in my artistry, regardless of the medium. I was incredibly privileged to be enrolled in private art classes at the age of seven where I learned ceramics/pottery and painting with acrylics. They also enrolled me in piano lessons, which I hated at first but grew to love a few years later.

When I got older I continued working in traditional art mediums, but also started writing stories and working in the community theater. When I look back, there was no question I would pursue an artistic career; I lived and breathed art of many kinds and poured all of my efforts into it. I heard a lot about the “starving artist” growing up, which terrified me, but I was determined to make a living out of it, which is what lead me to game design.

I ended up attending SCAD in Savannah, GA and majored in Interactive Design and Video Game Development (because all signs pointed to it being a lucrative creative career). But when I graduated, I realized I didn’t want to move halfway across the country, or even the world, to have access to some of the best game studios, and I REALLY didn’t want to deal with what is known in the game industry as crunch time. So, like a lot of twenty year olds, I floated between a few uninspiring office jobs that were sort of design-adjacent and developed my graphic design skills until I was suddenly let go one day. I was temporarily crushed, but ultimately it was the best thing that ever happened to me because it was a turning point. I could choose to go all-in and take my design freelancing from side hustle to full-time, or keep playing the game in the proverbial rat race. I chose the former and have been running my design business for ten years as of Fall 2023. I know now in my bones that doing creative work to help other entrepreneurs is what I was born to do and what I was unknowingly training myself for all these years.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
After spending my early years doing traditional forms of art (painting, drawing, music, etc.) I ended up specializing in digital mediums. This was no accident; I chose my major of Game Design in college based almost entirely upon the estimated average salary, because frankly, I was terrified of becoming a “struggling artist.” I thought I could make it as a concept artist for games, but quickly learned that I didn’t care about the intricacies of human anatomy enough to compete. So I switched gears to narrative design for games, because I loved to write (and still do). In my junior year, I had an inkling that the game industry wasn’t really for me, but I stayed the course in my major because, let’s face it, it was too expensive to start over again. But I was lucky (or it was destiny), and one of my first jobs out of college was at a children’s book publishing company.

I learned more on that job than I think I did in all four years of college. I observed as my boss ran his company, thinking that entrepreneurship was intriguing; I mastered the softwares I still use in my job today; and most importantly, I learned how to make connections and be a genuine human in business, which is sorely lacking nowadays. So many people get sucked into working with marketing/design agencies by huge claims, false promises, and manufactured “realness,” until things get tough or there’s a bump in the road. Then suddenly everything is transactional and you’re just a number. Gross.

There have certainly been struggles on my path. My then-boyfriend/now-husband and I graduated within a year of each other during the recession (2010 and 2011). We both found jobs at the same children’s book publishing company, me in book design and him in app development, but unfortunately it shut down, so we were both jobless at the same time. There were plenty of bowls of ramen, late rent payments, and moments of doubt. But I kept pushing. I recognized the feeling I got when a client would tell me that I helped change their outlook on their own success through my work, and I held onto that. Initially only specializing in book design and publishing, I learned new skills and expanded into web design/development. That’s when things really took off and have grown steadily since. Life hasn’t been without its setbacks, but what I can consistently rely on is the circle of people and clients around me who are doing the hard work–the good work–to change the world for the better.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My best friend happens to live in the same city (lucky me!), so I know exactly what our itinerary would be. First, we’d start off with brunch at Roost in downtown Greenville. We love the outdoor seating and the water feature, the food and service has always been exceptional, and it’s super close to Kilwin’s so we can pop by and grab some chocolate afterwards! Then we’d probably make our way down to Sacred Chakra or Lou Lou Boutique for some fun shopping. We’d keep making our way down to Falls Park and sit on a bench somewhere, enjoying our Kilwin’s and talking about life. If it’s early enough in the day we might head over to Hampton Station and do an escape room at Escape Artist, then finish the day with a chicken tikka masala taco from White Duck. YUM! All in all, a pretty fun and low-key day, my favorite.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to first and foremost shoutout my parents, who provided me with not only the love and encouragement I needed to believe that I could succeed as an artist (in a world that often undervalues creative careers) but the actual tools and resources necessary to become successful at what I do. My capability was never questioned and that gave me the dogged confidence to pursue my dreams.

I want to shoutout my several mentors and coaches over the years, who collectively have taught me patience, boundaries, tenacity, prudence, and grit.

I also want to shoutout ALL of my clients over the past ten years. I have learned so much from watching their entrepreneurial ups and downs. I find myself surrounded by a phenomenally supportive community who cheer me on, inspire me to better myself, and push my creative limits!

Website: https://margaretcogswell.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/margaretanncogswell/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaret-cogswell-3b06a216/

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