I do not consider myself your typical graphic designer. I never saw myself as an artist, but rather as a marketer. My path to becoming a designer was a unique one. I grew up with a love for art, but I was never very talented, nor did I have any aspirations to become an artist. As I grew older, my love for art faded and my passion for sports grew. After graduating high school and no longer playing sports, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. But during the summer before college, I found sports design. A perfect combination of my two favorite hobbies, art, and sports. As with many artists, I didn’t have much natural talent. I had no shortage of ideas, but I struggled to put my ideas into action. I practiced non-stop, watching hours of tutorials, looking other designers work, and coming up with my own ideas. Slowly but surely, I got better and better, until I realized this is the career path I wanted to pursue. Once I made it to college, I immediately enrolled in graphic design courses and changed my major. Through my courses I found that it isn’t just sports design I am passionate about, and I have finally rediscovered my lost love for art.
Creating a visual product from an idea is what graphic design is to me. I have always been a creative person and struggled to put my ideas into words. Learning graphic design has allowed me to share my creative ideas through a new medium. In the new age of social media and technology, graphic designers are more valuable than ever. From creating brands to promoting them, creative minds are vital. What I have found to be most satisfying about being a graphic designer, is seeing what comes of your work. I have created social media graphics that have reached thousands, designed a football uniform worn by college athletes and fans in the stands, and designed flyers seen by hundreds of people. That is astonishing to me. To see something, I created in my mind, come to life, and the impact it can make is what makes the work worthwhile. To think about how one simple logo design can become so iconic, that people all over the world will recognize it is what motivates me. I push myself to become the best designer I can be, with the hopes of creating something that will stand out and inspire others.
I love what I do, and it has never felt like work to me. That was always a goal of mine. I want to avoid working in a field where I am stuck in a job I hate, just because I need money. And I have found my way around that through graphic design. Being able to push my creative limits, has led to me creating things I never thought possible. I have joined a community of extremely talented people in the design community. Every day I see new, incredible work that inspires and motivates me to push my creative limits. I couldn’t be any more thankful for finding my passion, and I am proud to be a part of the design community.