Run by Carly Berry, IT’S NOT THAT WEIRD is a mish-mash of a one-kook design studio, transient emporium, and micro-press.
By day INTW works with brands to help them fly their freak flag by creating bespoke art & design. Carly gets paid real-life, actual money to create characters, gig posters, and beer labels among other frivolous art by trusting, good-hearted, clients who may be experiencing psychosis but are solid patrons nonetheless. By night, the Riso paper trays come down, the squeegees come out, and we’re getting high on freshly unsleeved flat stock while slinging ink ’till the early hours.
This studio is fueled by vegan food, the hunt for the best thrift finds, and owes all their success to Command + Z. Most work is created digitally but with a background in screenprinting, inspired by ’90s cartoons and traditional tattoos, Carly’s style focuses on bold design with restricted color palettes.
“When I’m working digitally I love to incorporate the hand-touched element so replicating textures and print flaws, like off-registered colors and lived-in apparel, is totally my jam,” says CB.
Carly, the sole shopkeeper of the online (and occasional pop-up) emporium, is actually usually found tinkering with her RZ220 or seeing how many film positives she can fit on one screen. As a self-proclaimed micropress, you best believe there’s also a Kelsy Excelsior 3×5 tabletop press in the mix along with a small hot foil stamper and the smallest collection of lead type you’ll ever find. You could say maximalism is the key cornerstone of INTW.
What about the art itself? Carly touches on the human experience and uses comedic-adjacent situations in an attempt to get viewers to realize they aren’t alone. Being alive is hard and INTW wants to provide a place where you can unbutton your mind pants, let your metaphorical gut hang out, and crack jokes with the ethereal.