Photo credit: Alisha Jucevic
Franchesca Ramsey is an actor, writer, sought-after public speaker, and creator/star of the award-winning web series MTV Decoded. A former writer/correspondent for Comedy Central’s The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore, her first book, Well That Escalated Quickly was nominated for an NAACP award and named one of Amazon’s best books of 2018. In 2020 she served as writer/co-producer on the iCarly reboot for Paramount+ and guest starred on NBC’s Superstore. These days you’ll find her co-hosting Wondery’s new hit podcast Black History, For Real along with Acast’s Lemme Fix It! Before her life as a tv writer and actress Franchesca worked as a graphic designer for brands including Maybelline, Ann Taylor and the City of Miami Beach. In 2024 Franchesca’s debut feature was selected for the Sundance screenwriters fellowship program.
Tell us a bit about your creative career
I’m a true multi-hyphenate in every sense of the word! I’m a tv writer, producer, actress, graphic designer and content creator. Try saying that 5 times fast!
How and when did your creative journey come to life?
I’ve been a creative for as long as I can remember! As a kid, I grew up taking dance, piano and art classes where I learned how to draw, sculpt, sew and make jewelry. In middle school, I begged my mother to send me to computer camp and learned HTML and Photoshop. I credit that summer after 8th grade with sparking my love affair with art and technology. I went to a performing arts middle and high school where I studied acting and also took classes in figure drawing and costume design. In college, I studied acting, only to later switch my major to graphic design. After graduating with my BFA, I worked as a graphic designer for years before starting my career in film and tv, and have continued to use my design skills as a content creator and producer.
At the height of the pandemic, I moved from NY to LA and documented the process of decorating my apartment on social media. After a number of my decor videos went viral, I was inundated with messages from my audience asking where they could purchase my designs, which inspired my Otto Studio collaboration. It’s really incredible that what initially started as a creative project to get me through an emotionally taxing and scary time ended up inspiring millions of people to get out of their comfort zone and customize their space!
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What’s been a highlight of your career so far?
Obviously partnering with Otto Studio for my upcoming wallpaper collection is pretty high on the list! (*wink wink*) But if I had to pick a top moment I’d have to say losing the NAACP Award for best memoir to Michelle Obama. Not many people can say they’ve done that!
What inspires you on a day-to-day basis?
Good music, good food, my amazing friends, street art, the racks at my favorite consignment shop, TikTok (drag me) and Pinterest.
Tell us about the inspiration behind your collection!
Each design is based on the murals I hand painted in my apartment! For my 3 wallpapers: Ah-mazing, Brick by Brick and Brushed up, I painted each design and then scanned them into Photoshop and then Illustrator to create the repeating patterns.
As for the decals (pronounced “dee-cals” or “deck-als” if you ask the Otto Studio team), I’ve always been obsessed with shapes, particularly circles. My apartment is covered in them! So I made sure to include a variety of circles and arches in different colors so you could easily customize your space without committing to an entire wall.
What made you want to partner with Otto Studio on a collection?
I was first introduced to Otto Studio via my TikTok and Instagram mutual Imani Keal. Her “Imani at Home” collection was absolutely stunning and she had nothing but wonderful things to say about working with the Otto Studio team. I’m such a fan of her style and eye, so when it came time to work on my own collection, Otto Studio instantly shot to the top of my list.
What would be your one piece of advice to someone considering DIY wallpaper?
Give yourself permission to play! Life’s too short for white walls!
What are some creative ways to use wallpaper that you think could be fully explored?
The possibilities are truly endless! If you can’t commit to a full accent wall you can frame a few panels as an affordable alternative to large scale artwork. I also love the idea of using wallpaper to add patterned pops to stairs, dressers, bed headboards, or inside of shelving.
Who has been a creative inspiration to you?
Some of my favorite creative people include: Justina Blakely of the Jungalow, Mara Hoffman, Michalene Thomas, Basquiat, Jonathan Adler and Shade Akanbi of Printed Pattern People.
What would be your advice to your younger self, or to anyone starting out as a creative?
“Don’t compare your journey to anyone else’s.” And if I’m being completely honest, it’s something I often have to remind myself on the daily. Finding yourself and your path as a creative person is a lengthy one, and it’s impossible to know where exactly it’s going. The sooner you learn to embrace the twists and turns rather than worrying about what anyone else is doing, the better. You really don’t know what it’s taken for others to get where they are or if it’s even as good as it looks from the outside. Especially if you’re using social media as a measure.
What’s been one of the biggest failures you’ve had along the way, and what did you learn from it?
In 2018, I sold a pilot to Comedy Central which I then produced and starred in. It felt like a huge deal at the time (mainly because it was) and as a result I put A LOT of pressure on myself in hopes of going to series. I was so stressed and overwhelmed that I lost sight of the show I wanted to make and ended up compromising on a number of things that, in hindsight, didn’t match my vision. Ultimately, when the show didn’t go to series I was left kicking myself because in some ways it felt like I’d settled and was being punished for it. As much as I wanted to go to series, I now know it wasn’t the right show for me in the first place. But since then, I’ve committed to really trusting myself more and being honest about how I feel for better or for worse. Ultimately I’d rather give my all, love the work and fail versus half ass it or turn in something I don’t love and fail.
What does a typical day in your week look like?
I WISH I had a typical day to share! The only real constant is I go to the gym 3 days a week and daily walks with my dog Flex. Outside of that, every single day is different. I’m usually recording one of my two podcasts, filming/editing content for social media, taking meetings, taping auditions, running errands and maybe sneaking in a quick nap or an evening hang in the jacuzzi to close out the day.
