Shanae' Paulus
Creative Director
A LITTLE DITTY ABOUT ME
Who am I?
I’m a Midwestern girl at heart, born and raised in the great state of Iowa. My youth was spent between school, team sports, family activities and being outdoors at our cabin on the Mississippi. One amazing Christmas our “family gift” was packaged in a cow-print box and I was first exposed to the personal computer. Immediately in wonderment, I spent hours, days and years learning about how it worked and what it could do. This experience drove my academic interest into the creative and tech space where I enrolled in Iowa State University’s esteemed graphic design program.
After graduation I ventured to LA to work in production and events for Entertainment Fusion Group (EFG) and Liquid Theory Productions. After many long nights, great experience and a library of good stories I made my way back to Chicago. My time in Chicago has sharpened my skills in many different facets of production and creative management through freelance with Digital Kitchen and Kehoe Designs, as well as positions at Tribune Interactive and Broadcasting, DDB, TouchVision and now After the Whistle. I live in the South Loop with my wife Jackie and our two cats, Chai & Toasty Bob.
Things that float my boat:
A good, local espresso.
Adventurous travel and outdoor sports, specifically hiking and stand up paddle boarding.
Documentaries. Especially about the design world. Helvetica, anyone?
Yoga. I recently earned my 200-hour teaching license from YogaView. Namaste!
What do I do?
I pride myself in being called a creative Swiss army knife, which speaks to my ability to pivot between projects and being versed in different areas of production. I’m formerly trained in graphic design and I’m also self-taught in photography, video editing and motion design.
Even while getting my hands dirty in the Adobe suite, I’ll still make time to know my co-workers beyond their computer and share inspirational moments with my team. That could be a day trip to the movies or local watering hole after work, watching amazing work of others in the industry or taking the time to sit down and share network connections to help them grow. Cohesive creative vision is critical to good design and I enjoy balancing the client vision with my team’s, being cognizant to recognize, nurture and protect people’s good ideas. It’s important that my team knows they are heard and their input is respected.
What can others expect if they work with me?
Creativity Inc.’s mantra of “Getting the team right is a necessary precursor to getting the idea right” speaks to me. I am a clear communicator, quick learner and excellent multitasker. I’ve asked people what words they think describe me. I have received; warm, empathic, passionate, advocate and learner. I am always researching, learning and trying to better myself.
My peg board inspirational quotes:
“Drink beer for big ideas, coffee to get them done.” - Vitaliy Klimenko
“People who collect experiences are happier than people who collect things. Experiences continue to provide happiness through memories long after the event occurred.” - Carolyn Castiglia
“It’s not factual, It’s emotional. But you feel it instead of know it.” - Paula Scherr
“I’m not making something designed to answer questions, it’s more a design to raise them.” - Paula Scherr
My Personality types
Clifton Strengths: Strategic Thinking :: Learner, Achiever, Adaptability, Positivity, Belief
16 Personalities: Protagonist (ENFJ-A)
Everything Disc style is: iS
Myers-Briggs: ENFJ
Love Language : Words of affirmation, physical touch (I’m a hugger)
SYPartners Superpower: Harmonizing & Evangelizing
Brand Archetypes: Nurturer, Dreamer, Artist, Philosopher
My personality match is Khaleesi. #winning
