ANGEL NUMBERS WITH DESIGNER CORINNE DODENHOFF
The multi-multi hyphenate artist plays in a band and never read the rule book ☁️
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Corinne Dodenhoff is a Philadelphia-based graphic, brand, and web designer, an illustrator, educator, consultant, coach, musician, vintage shop co-owner, and all-around creative type.
CORRINE’S DIVERGENT CREATIVE STRATEGIES: ACTION/INACTION
Frustration is valuable. If anger is fuel that burns hot and fast, frustration is a slightly less inflammable motivator that can push us to go deeper in our work… which in turn can illuminate what that internal angst is rooted in.
Multiple books, multiple projects. Corinne’s art practice mirrors her reading habits — gotta have more than one book on deck. It’s the law! Think about this re: creative work. Way harder to get “stuck” indefinitely if you always have a new container to pour your attention into. A client website, her vintage store, her illustration work, her band! Pour out your liquid creativity, and make sure you have enough bowls to catch it all.
“Whatever, nothing is real.” I mean, exactly.
What’s your metaphorical Adderall — something that slingshots you into an inspired creative tornado of action?
Is it weird if I say it’s actual Adderall? I was just diagnosed a year and a half ago with adult ADHD after having it my entire life but never being tested because I was socialized as a girl.
But aside from my meds, political dissidence and a perpetual fear of stagnation are two of the main motivating factors behind my work — especially my personal work. I like the challenge of expressing my viewpoints visually, and always pushing myself to learn new skills, try new styles, and get weird with it.
[…] Aside from my meds, political dissidence and a perpetual fear of stagnation are two of the main motivating factors behind my work — especially my personal work.
What idea or concept are you chewing on? Has it shown up in your work yet?
I think I’m always interested in the dichotomy between work and play, specifically as it relates to capitalism and the corrupt political systems I’m privy to here in the U.S.
What does it mean to incorporate more joy into our lives, and how can this build a more equitable society? Can we build something or create something that serves a purpose while also inspiring others to smile or provide a fleeting moment of happiness in an otherwise hellish landscape?
I think these ideas are what I base most of my work on, including my professional work and particularly with brand identity creation. I love the idea of creating design that is visual playtime for the eyes but also tells a story or tries to rally against the status quo.
How particular are you about your notebooks? Pens? What do you write in and with?
I wish I was someone who was more particular about these things. I really admire people who still use journals and pens on a regular basis, because it’s difficult for me to stay committed to the process of manually writing or drawing things. I’m very impatient.
However, when I do sketch work out on paper it’s usually in a dotted graph journal with a silky pen from Omoi Zakka, a local shop in Philly that sells incredible stationary and writing supplies.
I’ve never had a hard time sharing my work, mostly because I figured that if people didn’t like it then the worst that could happen was that they’d say something mean to me.
What was going through your mind when you first decided to share your work?
When I was younger, like in high school, sharing my artwork was just me trying to make a name for myself and express myself as a very unpopular angsty teen.
I’ve never had a hard time sharing my work, mostly because I figured that if people didn’t like it then the worst that could happen was that they’d say something mean to me; people were always saying mean things to me in school (sorry to be a bummer, but it’s true!) and so that kind of toughened my skin against critique of my artwork too.
What’s your media diet, at present?
Oh man, big question. I naturally want to break this down into a listicle for you.
TV
I just finished True Detective season 4, by far my second favorite season (after season 1, of course). I thought it was so important to touch on the legacy of missing and/or murdered indigenous women in this country. I also watch a lot of social and cultural commentary video essays on YouTube, particularly as it relates to womanhood and fashion/beauty. Some of my favorite video essayists are Mina Le, Jordan Theresa, and Final Girl Studio. I know that’s not TV technically, but I watch it on my TV so it counts!
Movies
I’m always into dark comedies, coming-of-age stories, witty banter, basically anything produced by A24. My to-watch movie list includes The Iron Claw, American Fiction, Pearl, and Lisa Frankenstein — I have a soft spot for Diablo Cody ever since I read her memoir Candy Girl.
Books
I’m an avid reader. I’m always reading something, sometimes multiple books at once because … neurodivergence. I just finished Severance by Ling Ma, which is a spectacular read that you’ll like if you enjoyed Crying in H Mart but also enjoy dystopian fiction, as I do. Other notable reads lately include:
Camgirl by Isa Mazzei
Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang
All About Love by bell hooks
Some of my favorite books of recent years are Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata, Trick Mirror by Jia Tolentino, The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett, and My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh. I also love memoirs from misfits, outcasts, and fellow artists.
Music
This is the category I could spend all day talking about. I play in a band (we’re called Queasy) and music has been my one non-monetized passion since I was a preteen. Current favorites include Nabihah Iqbal, Hanna Jadagu, Wednesday, A.O. Gerber, Porches, Hotline TNT, and Ratboys. If you feel like following on Spotify, I’m a playlist girlie so I’m constantly on there..
To be creative and to make things in 2024 is objectively difficult. You have to square off with distractions, global anarchy, and perpetual haunting of the existential question: “why bother?” What keeps you coming back to the ring?
A few things, firstly being, most honestly, paying my bills. Living in a capitalist dumpster fire is a majority of downsides, like needing to work all the time. But I’m also always motivated to keep pushing myself to create thanks to my peers, my clients, and my friends who are all so supportive and inspiring whenever the Big Scaries come creeping in.
I think I’m a fighter, or at least someone who doesn’t give up easily, and when your whole passion is helping other people tell their stories it becomes a little easier to throw yourself into that mission. Having a purpose is really helpful when it comes to keeping yourself going. I’m also someone who, when my brain is functioning at its best, is extremely motivated by keeping busy. My friends used to call me the Energizer Bunny.
John Cage was inspired to develop his practice of composing via random chance and chaos after reading a book about the Chinese divining practice, The I-Ching. What influences or inspiration from outside of your field or profession have made the biggest impact on your work or process?
Cooking (throwing a million ideas into a project to see what tastes best), gardening (realizing that everything has seasons and some things take time), and thrifting (hunting around for the perfect color, font, whatever).
I am also always, always, always inspired by fashion. In another life I think I was a fashion designer.
What do you do “wrong” that makes your work successful?
This question was made for me! I’ve been doing things backwards since the beginning. I never graduated from art college, I am self taught in almost everything I do, and I feel like I break the rules all the dang time to make things easier for myself. One big thing I do that goes against graphic designer best practices is incorporating color way earlier than you’re supposed to, especially in my branding projects. Sometimes I’ll start with the color palette when, ideally, you’re supposed to create the forms first. Whatever, nothing is real.
One big thing I do that goes against graphic designer best practices is incorporating color way earlier than you’re supposed to, especially in my branding projects. Sometimes I’ll start with the color palette when, ideally, you’re supposed to create the forms first. Whatever, nothing is real.
You’ve been working on something and it just isn’t coming through the way you’d like — do you kill your darlings and scrap the whole thing? Do you compost the idea? Do you file it away in your cabinet of misfit concepts to review later?
After the frustration has moved through my body, sometimes resulting in a very unappealing but cathartic crying session, I’ll try to take a step back from the project for a while and then approach it with fresh eyes. Usually this allows me to navigate the problems I’m having with the project from a different perspective.
Sometimes this means I scrap the idea and start over, sometimes I move forward and make adjustments, sometimes this means recognizing that this was a good idea and can be saved for a later project — which is why I have something in my contract that stipulates that clients aren’t entitled to my sketches, because those ideas are valuable currency! I try to be a waste-not type of person, especially with my time.
What’s a weird superstition you subscribe to?
I don’t necessarily believe in the prescribed meanings behind each number, but I do believe that seeing angel numbers is a sign to be more present in the moment. Sometimes I see so many in one day that I’ll laugh about it, and I have the distinct feeling that I’m on a good path.
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