Meet Monica.
I'm a Creative Director / Art and Design Director who, for over a decade, has freelanced across a dozen-plus repeat agencies with varying team dynamics, work systems, and rhythms. Freelance teaches you to be nimble and deliver, or you don't get called back for the next opportunity. That's how I've learned to walk into any team, at any stage, and lead like I've been there since the beginning.
I've led pitches, independently built brands from scratch, taken campaigns from concept through production, and covered maternity leaves when agencies needed someone who could step in and keep the work moving. Whether I'm leading the team or heads-down in the details, the work stays on strategy, on time, and on budget.
Plus, I’ve worked on beer and pharma and cheese products, so I’ve been around, under, and top of regulated messaging.
I've also founded two brands of my own, so I've sat on the client side of the table. That perspective, along with my small bench of trusted writing, music, and animation partners I can bring to the party, means getting the job done faster, with the client’s interest in mind.
Try me for your next creative project and watch me cook.
Agency Experience
FREELANCE CREATIVE DIRECTOR: adam&eveDDB NY, Mustache, DDB NY, Dagger, Doner, TBWA Chiat NY, Coleture Group, Edelman NY, Pereira O'Dell, Arnold NY, Havas, Publicis Kaplan Thaler, Big Spaceship
ASSOCIATE CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Havas NY, Publicis NY
SENIOR ART DIRECTOR: Nitro NY, Ogilvy NY
Skills Expertise
CRAFT: Creative Strategy, Brand Identity, Campaign Execution, Illustration, Copywriting
LEADERSHIP: Client Pitching and Presentation, Team Mentorship, Cross-Discipline Collaboration
TOOLS: Adobe Creative Suite, Adobe Premiere, Adobe Express, Figma, Google Suite, Squarespace, Shopify
Awards
ONE SHOW
EFFIE
NY ADDYS
FCS PORTFOLIO AWARDS
Client Experience
References
I’ve had the pleasure of working with Monica across multiple agencies, and every time, the feedback is the same: the teams absolutely love her. She’s not only an amazing art director and designer, but also incredibly collaborative, upbeat, and genuinely a joy to work with. She is always my first call, whether it's conceptual or design-led request. She brings creativity, energy, heart and fun to every project and team.
Lauren Cohen, VP Resource Management at Edelman
Monica is one of my absolute favorite go-to art director/creative directors to lean on for pitches, for both short and long-term engagements. She immediately makes herself part of the team, from partnering with full-time employees, picking up complicated files/projects mid-stream (and just figuring it out) to presenting and gaining trust with clients, running photoshoots and edits, she does it all. And all with style, creativity, and positive energy. When the end of the engagement comes, it's always hard to say goodbye. But, I know I will be working with her again next time the opportunity arises. (As long as she hasn't gotten nabbed by someone else.) Truly one-of-a-kind and you can trust her from her conceptual chops down to her executional excellence.
Cheryl Horsfall, Executive Creative Director at adam&eveDDB
Working with Monica on the design assets for our film Small Town Universe directly contributed to us raising 100% of the funding we needed to launch our impact campaign. She created a pitch deck that was not only beautiful and strategically organized, but clearly communicated both the heart of our film and the vision behind it. Once the funding was secured, she also redesigned our website, giving the project a clear, polished, and cohesive identity. I wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone looking for a designer who combines exceptional visual talent with thoughtful storytelling.
Katie Dellamaggiore, Director, Small Town Universe
Still here? Oh, hi! Here’s some other bits about me:
I love collaborating, songwriting, illustrating, and art directing retro photoshoots for family photos.
I may have also founded two companies.
I created The MoMeMans® and The Suburbs are for Suckers® as creative outlets and to keep growing as an artist. Follow The MoMeMans adventure on Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, Spotify, Apple Music, etc @themomemans and @thesuburbsareforsuckers
