Growing up I always knew that when I grew up, I wanted a creative job. At the time I wanted to be a dance teacher because dancing was my passion. Even though I still love dance, I knew that I did not want a career out of it when beginning my college experience. The other main type of art I created my whole life was painting. I loved painting anything from walls to canvases. However, I knew I did not want a career in painting either. It wasn’t until exploring majors my sophomore year that I became interested in graphic design and the design world. Once I took my first studio course, I was hooked! It never came to my realization that many arts related projects I had done before in high school and on social media were indeed graphic design. 

As a designer, I think my work is very colorful, simple, and ingenuous. I enjoy working with bright and bold colors because of the positive and happy mood that they convey. Color has always been one of the main factors and highlights of my work. I think choosing the right color for design can either make it or break it. Type has also become one of my favorite parts of the design process. I never realized just how many types there are to choose from. This can make the design process tricky sometimes because picking the perfect typeface can seem daunting. My eye for type has improved and I enjoy seeing how different typefaces pair together. Photography has always been a passion of mine as well. It has been very enjoyable using my own photography in my design work. Sports photography has especially become a passion within the last few years and has allowed me to combine both my love for design and photography. 

My goal when designing is to create a simple yet memorable design. Throughout my years at ECU, one important thing I have learned is that negative space is your friend. Not all designs have to be jam packed with information, sometimes a simple and clean design is more appealing and efficient. I struggled with this at first because when painting you want to fill the whole canvas, so I assumed the same was true when creating digitally. Designers want their work to be clean and easy on the eye while still having aesthetics and a clear message. I want the viewer to feel connected to my pieces while still being able to understand the meaning of them. Each project I have created in my time here at ECU has definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone and allowed me to explore many more typefaces, colors, and designs that I could ever imagine. Building brand identities are a topic I have begun to enjoy. When starting these projects, I never knew the impact they would have on me and how they truly do connect to my personality. My hope is that everyone who views my art feels something and longs for more.