The Business of Thriving: From Cornfields to Creative Careers

Join VCFA alum Lorilee Rager (GD ‘21) as she shares critical insights—like how to pronounce her last name, why she doesn’t have a middle name, and highly classified intel on her favorite colors and fonts. Oh, and also her journey from rural beginnings to building a thriving creative career as a designer, entrepreneur, and educator.

This talk explores the realities of running a creative business, navigating career pivots, and embracing lifelong learning as a key to fulfillment—even if you’re a terrible speller but endlessly curious. Lorilee will share personal insights, best practices, and practical advice for creatives forging their own paths—whether as freelancers, agency owners, in-house designers, or design professors.

She’ll also dive into the power of curiosity, understanding your origin story, and prioritizing mental health and wellness in a creative career. If there’s time (and there will be), she’d love an open conversation. The goal? To inspire you to pick up your own cartographer’s tools and start mapping the creative acres around you. Expect real-world stories, field notes from experience, and plenty of time for Q&A to keep the discussion engaging and dynamic.

Join us on March 20 at 8pm ET. Register in advance here or at the link below.

Lorilee Rager (GD ‘21), founder of Thrive Creative Group, LLC, is a passionate designer and educator with a Master’s degree in Graphic Design from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Also as an Assistant Professor at Austin Peay State University, she combines her entrepreneurial experience as an agency owner with her deep understanding of the addicted artist, encouraging authenticity, mental wellness, and the balance between creative work and life. Her teaching emphasizes the responsibility designers have to engage with the world meaningfully while prioritizing their own well-being. Through her podcast, Ground and Gratitude, and her roles as a mother and mentor, Lorilee shares insights on aligning creative careers with personal fulfillment, making design a safe space for living a purposeful life. https://thinkthrive.com/our-team/lorilee-rager/