As a high school sophomore in Mrs. Stubbs’ honors english class, it was pretty common to show up to class and get hit with a timed, impromptu essay assignment. I could write about pretty much anything (and quite well), but the day we were tasked with describing where we pictured ourselves in ten years, the words seized in my head.
I finally came up with something along the lines of “I hope to be happy, traveling, and making art.” In the fifteen years or so since that day, it’s been an unconventional route in pursuit of all three. As it turns out, careers in the travel industry don’t allow for the kind of free time to work on my art as I thought they might. Early mornings, late nights, weekends, holidays, and mandatory overtime put my art on hold for a lot of years.
I got commissioned for the occasional portrait and entertained myself by entering a number of freelance contests- winning quite a few- including a national safety campaign for Southwest Airlines, but I wasn’t satisfied.
I dedicated myself to learning Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop inside out which helped me land a job as a production artist. While I learned a ton regarding printer’s marks, optimizing files, color matching, photo editing, and layout, my creativity wasn’t being utilized. I wanted to be the one doing the designing, not the design fixing.
I started applying to graphic design roles and even managed to get a few interviews. They liked my work and my personality, but I was basically unhirable without a degree.
With that, I took my natural talent, passion, and determination and forged my way through a BA in graphic design while working full time and freelancing on the side. I have since compiled a portfolio of work I am very proud of and that I loved creating. All of my pieces and projects tell not only the story of individual brands, but also a bit of my own story as well.
