Instagram Stories: Hanna Seabrook of Gadabout Creative

Gadabout Creative founder, Hanna Seabrook. 

All photos courtesy of Gadabout Creative.

I  spent months searching for a word that acknowledged my favorite personality traits," says Hanna Seabrook of her hunt to find the right title for her graphic design and branding studio. Five years ago, she settled on the word gadabout: an inherently social, habitual pleasure seeker—a word that perfectly embodies Seabrook's outlook on life, work, and design. While she considers it her job to communicate through visual rhetorics, creating that kind of aesthetic-driven dialogue doesn't stop at the beautiful websites and business cards she designs for her clients. Through her elegant Instagram account, the Southerner showcases an aesthetic that stretches to every aspect of the enviable lifestyle she's created. Here, her views on style, collaboration, and sharing life's pretty moments.

The Beginnings

"My interest in design was piqued while working on an album artwork project for a graphics class in boarding school. Until that point, I had never consciously realized that someone set out to design such a thing. And furthermore, that those design decisions were important. It was the first time I realized how many industries are dependent on effective graphic design. After seeing my project printed and hung, I knew that I wanted to be someone who made aesthetic decisions for a living, may they be frivolous or significant."

on instagram

"Because I am particular, my Instagrams are less frequent than most. They are often a brief look at my design decisions or something that made me stop and be grateful for my surroundings. Maybe a room looks lovely in that light, we have house guests coming for the weekend, or the dogs look fancy on a sofa I am proud to have finally recovered. Whatever the moment, the satisfaction that comes from living well is what prompts me to share. I like feeds that are sincere, purposeful, and distinctive."

on style

"Though I appreciate the collected look, especially in the home, I have grown to love the editing process. I would like to say my design decisions are always quick and effective, but the truth is I often need time to experiment and make slight changes. It is a rare day when I have not moved a piece of furniture from one room to the other, or shifted a trinket from one table to the next. It fascinates me how these small changes can turn a room on its head. The same is true for my personal style. I'm still tinkering with it. Though colors other than neutrals and blues are starting to look a little out of place in my closet, and trends are few and far between, I feel lucky to know what I love. The classics have always been enough for me."

the work

"No matter the medium, I gravitate toward simplicity, softness, clean lines, and products of feminine and masculine juxtaposition. When my aesthetic suits the client's needs, I absolutely see parallels. Those projects tend to be my favorite simply because it calls for true collaboration: We can approach the design process as people instead of professionals. The end result is often clean, timeless, and slightly experimental."