What does it mean to write your own narrative? How do you create space for yourself to pursue your passions?

Join Lauren “Lo” Harris ’18, recent alum and New York based illustrator and animator, who has been featured in The Chicago Tribune, TODAY and on The Ellen Degeneres Show. She will use her work to guide us through how she transitioned from her time at Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism to striking out on her own as a freelance artist who has collaborated with brands such as Amazon, Hulu, Old Navy, The United Nations and more!

When Lo entered Medill, there were few opportunities to learn graphic or motion design skills, so she continued to build her skills through independent learning, internships and jobs in newsrooms like The New York Times, Bustle and NBC News.

When she joined WNUR, Northwestern’s Student run and operated radio station, she wanted to create an intersection for her love of music and journalism/production so she founded and built a media team, a sub-publication within WNUR that empowered students to represent WNUR at concerts and festivals as press photographers, reporters and writers.

When she broke her hand in 2019 she decided to rekindle her love for drawing and built an Instagram account where she could create and experiment with finding her own voice and style. From this, she accumulated nearly 25,000 followers on her platform and launched her illustration career.

Since then, she has continued to write her own narrative and grow as an accomplished commercial and children’s book illustrator, designer, as well as an active supporter for following your own creative passions. You may have seen her work for the cover of the newest edition in the Little People Big Dreams series featuring Michael Jordan. Or on a t-shirt advocating for housing justice in Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s merch shop. Or even on your own social media timeline; her style is vibrant, joyous, and dynamic.

Learn more about Lo’s journey and what it means to create your own opportunities.
  • 1641418734-6a69711300ab0fa3
    Lo Harris
    Digital Artist
    Lauren "Lo" Harris is a NYC-based digital artist who specializes in illustration and motion design. Through her bright palettes and relational compositions, Lo creates work that champions vibrance, confidence, joy, and celebrations of a more just and kind world. Her work integrates themes of social justice, female empowerment and mental wellness and she has been publicly recognized on The Ellen Degeneres Show, The Chicago Tribune, Today.com and more. Learn more about Lo Harris on her website: loharris.com
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