Meet Brooke Fancellu | Graphic Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brooke Fancellu and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brooke, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
If I hadn’t taken the leap and left my comfortable corporate job as a graphic designer, I would’ve never discovered what was waiting on the other side of uncertainty. Taking that risk opened the door to something deeply personal: I built Moka Crème, my own creative studio—a space where I could finally blend everything I love. That one bold move led to a first year filled with growth, purpose, and a kind of freedom I didn’t know I was missing. Risk, for me, has been the starting point of everything that now feels truly aligned.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I didn’t fall into design by magic.

Since college, my path has been anything but linear. I changed programs three times, never really knowing what I wanted to do. I wanted to try everything… and nothing at the same time. The only thing I knew for sure was that I wanted to create. I’ve always had this need to express myself with my hands — to craft, to imagine, to bring ideas to life. Back then, the thought of spending my days in front of a computer seemed impossible. And yet…

What’s always guided me is curiosity and persistence. I didn’t study graphic design. I kind of stumbled into it by accident — and a bit of guts. I was working at a gift basket company, doing a job that didn’t feel like me at all. One day, the graphic designer left, and without overthinking it, I raised my hand and said, “I can do it.” I had played around with the programs a bit in college, and I told myself: fake it till you make it.

And it was in that moment — sitting in front of a screen, working on my very first design — that I knew. This was it. This was my thing.

I kept learning as I went. I signed up for evening classes at university, more out of a desire to grow than to get a degree. Then I landed a job at a retail company, working with people who had all studied design for years. Impostor syndrome? Big time. But it pushed me to work even harder. I spent so many nights watching YouTube tutorials, building personal projects, learning — again and again.

It wasn’t easy. But it shaped me.

Now, five years later, I’m a full-time freelancer. I live off my creativity. I choose the projects I take on. I work from wherever, whenever. And I realize now that what I thought were detours were actually part of the path.

If there’s one thing I want people to take away from my story, it’s that there isn’t just one way to get to where you want to be. It doesn’t always take a degree or a perfect plan. Sometimes, you just have to go for it. Say yes before you’re ready. Work hard. Follow what lights you up.

And most of all, learn to trust yourself. Because when your heart and your head are in it — you’ll always find your way.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I recently moved out of Montreal and settled in a small town called Saint-Adèle, in the Laurentians. Honestly, it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I completely fell in love with this place — the quiet, the nature, the space to breathe.

Life here is slower and simpler in the best way. I spend a lot more time outside — riding my bike (I discover new routes almost every day), walking in the woods, swimming in lakes, or just enjoying the fresh air. It’s been such a reset, both personally and creatively.

If my best friend came to visit for a week, we’d definitely go for a hike — probably Mont Loup-Garou, which is just nearby. It’s a nice trail with a great view at the top. We’d bring a local microbrewery beer with us and crack it open at the summit to celebrate the climb.

One evening, we’d grab dinner at Les Vieilles Portes in Saint-Sauveur. It’s a cozy little spot with a great vibe and good food — perfect after a day outdoors.

We’d ride bikes along the P’tit Train du Nord, explore some of the cute shops in town, take a dip in Lac Rond, and probably end a few nights around a campfire, chatting and watching the stars.

Moving here has been a huge change — but in all the right ways. I feel more grounded, more inspired, and just… more myself.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I wouldn’t be where I am today without the support of the people closest to me. My boyfriend, Nicholas Gosset, has played such a huge role in giving me the confidence to take the leap into freelance life. As a freelance photographer and entrepreneur himself, he understood the fear and the freedom that comes with it—and kept reminding me I could do it too. I’m also incredibly grateful for my friend Carolane Bélanger, an amazing artist and freelance graphic designer. We worked together at the same company for years, and she left a few months before I did to pursue her own creative path. Watching her thrive gave me so much motivation, and she was there to support me through every step. I feel lucky to be surrounded by people who share a similar vision of life—one that values freedom, creativity, and building something on your own.

Website: https://mokacreme.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moka.creme/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moka.creme.2024/