How did you end up in this career? It was my second semester my freshman year in college and I was undeclared. I had no idea what I wanted to do the rest of my life (who really does at 19 years old?!), but I knew I needed to pick something ASAP to avoid having to go for 5 years and end up with even more debt! I also knew I was not a fan of writing papers or studying all the time and I had a good friend who was majoring in graphic design. I loved art and being creative so I thought “Hmmm, why not? Let’s do this!”
What kind of education or training did you complete for this career? I have a BFA in Graphic Design that I definitely earned. Art classes are actually double the hours you take so for every 3 hours of class credit you get, you are actually in class 6+ hours. I had many all nighters in college. I recently had a sweet baby girl and when she was only a month old my friend asked me what motherhood was like and I simply said pretty much like college (up all night) only you are taking care of a tiny human! Like many other career fields, you need more than just a degree though. Experience is just as important as the education. Before working where I am now, I worked for American Airlines designing for the American Way magazine. It was a completely different environment, much more corporate, but just as fun and rewarding. I am a firm believer that the people you work with can make or break a job not matter what it is you are doing. I have also done various freelance jobs for friends on the side. Those are always really fun, but very hard to make a consistent living off of.
What advice would you give to someone who wants a similar career? For anyone who wants to go down this path make sure it is because of your passion and not for the money. It takes a lot of dedication and self discipline to make it far! It also is very fast paced and changing so if you know that going in, it makes it a lot easier to adapt and grow. Don’t let anyone tell you you cannot do it because you can’t draw or you are not creative enough. What do they know! This field is always open to new and fresh ideas. If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish a lot.
Do you have any other career dreams? What do you want to be when you grow up? I do! I have been very fortunate to live overseas in first and third world countries and I have a huge heart for people, traveling, other cultures and mission work. I especially love designing for non-profits. Unfortunately, it is very hard to find a paying graphic design position with a non-profit to be able to solely live off of. My ideal dream job would be to live overseas working with a mission organization, doing life with people while also still being able to do design. What is neat about that, is graphic design transcends all languages!
Any last thoughts or encouragement for others trying to decide what they want to do “when they grow up”? Some of the best advice I was ever given was to “Love God, Love people and just DO.” Meaning there is no right or wrong choice for what you decide to do with your life. College or no college? Business or Art? I think there is a tremendous amount of pressure in our society to choose the right American dream and that once you pick a path you’re stuck doing that forever. I believe that is complete BS. We have so many opportunities here in America and it is okay to have multiple dreams. It is okay to switch paths along the way. Change is good. Change is what grows us and it is experiencing life that matters, not climbing to the top of the career ladder. Loving others can look different in so many ways. Do you want to be known by how much money you make or by how many lives you have made better by simply being you?
