Say hello to Kelly, our newest copywriter here at Lāer Studio. With a journey that’s as unique as her perspective, Kelly brings a blend of agency experience, freelance copywriting wisdom, and an undeniable passion for storytelling to our team. From writing fan fiction as a child to crafting memorable brand messages for tech giant Spotify, her path to becoming a freelance copywriter is filled with inspiration, creativity, and a true love for language. We sat down with Kelly to learn more about her journey, her creative process, and the things that keep her inspired.

1. Where are you based, where you’re from (if not the same location), and a little bit about your background? 

Hi, thanks for the opportunity! I’m from a teeny tiny town nobody has heard of in the Hudson Valley, about two hours north of New York City. I currently live in Kingston, NY, not far from my hometown. Something I love about Kingston is having access to the Hudson Valley, but also being close to the sprawling Catskill Mountains. I think being where I’m from helped instill this sense of adventure and curiosity in my sister and me. The rural landscape—plus the fact that we were probably the last generation to be raised without smartphones—fostered a quiet, artistic childhood. I remember making my own books (mostly fan fiction of me touring the world with my favorite bands), building miniature houses in the woods for fairies, and later, wandering around with my first camera.

Being in school was difficult for me. I loved learning, but I found sitting in classrooms all day to be restricting and uninspiring. Shortly after starting high school, I made a plan with my guidance counselor to graduate early, and that’s what I did. 

My mom, who worked in libraries, encouraged me to study advertising in college. From the beginning, my professors and mentors emphasized how a life in copywriting could be a winding road—and they were right. I graduated college without any job prospects, and about three months later in the middle of a busy bartending shift, I got an email from Ogilvy. After a few years there, I relocated to Kansas City to work at VMLY&R (and unbeknownst to me at the time, also to survive a pandemic). 

In hindsight, living in the Midwest was one of the best things I could do for my creativity. It ripped me away from my comfort zone and forced me to form opinions about a new culture entirely from scratch, without any influence from friends and family. Being in the vast, painfully flat Midwest also helped me realize it’s possible to have “reverse claustrophobia,” which is a fear of too much space. 

Later on, a job offer at Spotify brought me back to New York. I enjoyed a free Premium membership for a while, before gaining enough confidence as a copywriter to finally fly solo. I’ve been freelance copywriting for boutique agencies ever since.  

2. Do you have any favorite brands, messaging styles, etc. that inspired you on this path to writing or that you still turn to for an example of great copy? 

Oh man. I think my answer changes all the time because nowadays, great advertising is about being in the right place, in front of the right audience, at the right cultural moment—and because of our dwindling attention spans, there’s a new brand attempting that feat every day.

“For me, the brands that shine are the ones that move as quickly and fluidly as our modern brains and thumbs do.”

 There’s Dunkin’, Duolingo, RyanAir, and Wendy’s, to name a few. The beauty of great copywriting is that you can write the same memorable, funny sentence in a marketing email or in a global campaign. Liquid Death’s emails are just as clever as their Super Bowl spot. Their tagline “Don’t be scared, it’s just water,” lives permanently in my brain. Oh, and I love the social approach of Emma Chamberlain’s coffee company. Everything they post has some kind of reference or callback to the creator’s growing fandom. 

Outside of advertising, I find film, television, and local businesses to be conceptually inspiring. I feel like I’ve received an entire education in storytelling by watching shows like Better Things, White Lotus, and Twin Peaks. My favorite local business, Lagusta’s Lucious (known for their vegan chocolates and feminist roots), has created a beautifully quirky brand identity which I love. They decorate their products with the owner’s own handwriting scrawled in rainbow watercolor letters, and give their chocolates unforgettable names like the Furious Vulva and the Potato Chip Bonbon.

3. Where would someone find you outside of work, how do you like to spend your free time, and where do you seek creative inspiration?

In the morning, you’ll find me in bed with my cat. I try to spend a portion of the day grounding myself with deep breathing and offline activities. Eventually, I’ll make an appearance at my local coffee shop. From there, it’s either a thrift store in a dusty basement somewhere or wandering outdoors with my camera. In a way, I see thrifting and photography both as methods of collecting—and both are deeply inspiring acts. In the evening, I’m often with my partner. If we stay in, we’re playing chess or some kind of nerdy geography game. If we go out, we’re enjoying good vegan food and great wine.

4. Speaking of inspiration, are you reading or listening to (podcast, playlist, song, anything) lately?! 

My taste in music and podcasts is entirely based on my mood that day. However, I have a few all-time favorites. For albums, it’s Yard by Slow Pulp, Slanted and Enchanted by Pavement, The Jacket by Widowspeak, In Rainbows by Radiohead, and Cupid Deluxe by Blood Orange.

 For podcasts, it’s Anything Goes, Science Versus, The Photo Work Podcast, and Thank You In Advance.

As far as books go, I’m always reading about art and photography—whether it’s the latest issue of Aperture Magazine, a nonfiction book by Moyra Davey (who writes skillfully about the intersection of art and motherhood), or an art history textbook. When I’m feeling indulgent, I’ll read fiction by Ottessa Moshfegh or Donna Tartt. I’ve been working on Tartt’s masterpiece The Goldfinch for about a year. 

5. It seems like photography and writing are both forms of storytelling. Have you always been called to tell stories in some way, and/or do you feel like that’s partially why you fell into this line of work? 

There are so many intersections between the two disciplines. In one of her essays, writer and photographer Moyra Davey (mentioned above) points out that the word “photography” literally means “light writing” in Greek. This translation has always resonated with me.

“In writing, you have an alphabet of letters to tell a story and evoke a feeling. In photography, you have the light and everything it hits.”

It’s the artist’s job to find the best words or pictures. I think the common ground between a photographer and a copywriter is the limitations they face within their chosen mediums. Copywriters are often told to make an impact using the least amount of words possible, due to the length of a spot or the character count on a page. Photographers face a similar dilemma…how will I make an impact within a single, static frame? This goes for editing, too! I’ve grown to see photography as an act of editing. Every time you capture an image at a certain angle from a certain distance, you make a choice to edit the rest of the world out.

6. What do you think is the most challenging part of freelance copywriting? AND, what’s your go-to method for getting out of a creative rut? 

Earlier in my career, I would have said that digesting harsh feedback was the most difficult part of my job. Now that I’ve grown a thicker skin, I think my biggest challenge is staying true to my creative vision while respecting the network of opinions and advice that influence a project.

“If I can look at a final product that’s been influenced by countless people and still see a part of myself and my unique voice, I think that’s pretty cool.”

As a freelance copywriter, I have the ability to step out for a meandering walk when I’m in a rut and find this always helps. Moving my body around is often the simplest solution, yet I constantly forget to do it. 

7. Is there a copy, grammar, english, etc. rule that you love to break? 😈

Although it rarely meets the character count, I love a rambling, run-on sentence. I’ve also been known to invent new words if nothing in the thesaurus feels quite right. 

8. What’s your ideal writing setup—music or silence, coffee or tea, early morning or late night?

At the conceptual stage, I keep it simple: silence, coffee, and some incense burning. Once I’m on a roll, writing iterations of the same line or doing a naming exercise, I’m a little more flexible. I can write morning or night, at a cafe or at home, with some kind of stimulating music. My number one rule is I never write in a backless chair. My posture can’t keep up. 

9. If you could have dinner with any writer (living or dead), who would it be?

What a challenging question to answer! I’m breaking the rules and throwing a whole dinner party. I’d invite Virginia Woolf, James Baldwin, Ken Kesey, Joan Didion, Roxanne Gay, Donna Tartt, Ottessa Moshfegh, and David Lynch. It would be absolute chaos. 

10. Do you have a dream client or brand you’d love to write for?

For me, any client has the potential to be my “dream” one if the team is open-minded enough. I’ve worked with high-profile brands that have incredible reputations in the ad world, but the passion within their team has stagnated. On the other hand, some of my favorite projects have been with brands that lack status or appeal, but the team is bursting with energy and imagination. It’s always nice when the underdogs surprise you, and in advertising, they often do.

11. Thanks so much for taking the time to share, Kelly. If there’s anything else you’d like to add please do so!

Thank you so very much for giving me this opportunity! It’s a pleasure and honor.

We’re beyond excited to have Kelly on board. Her approach to writing, grounded in curiosity, heart, and a deep understanding of brand storytelling, is exactly what we value here at Lāer. With her diverse experiences and passion for creativity, we can’t wait to see the incredible impact she’ll make on our projects and beyond (and we know you’ll love her work as much as we do). Stay tuned for more from Kelly and the rest of the team.