The other day, I was looking at an old photograph of myself and I remember playing in my own world for hours; I don’t know if that little girl knew who she was going to become. The truth is, every accomplishment I’ve ever had and everything I’ve done is a result of the love I am surrounded by. I owe the lessons I have learned to all my teachers along the way, whether it’s my high school teacher who taught me how to use illustrator or my Art Director at JMU Branding who lets me have creative freedom. I am a mosaic of everyone I have ever been surrounded by.
Being a designer has taught me that we all long for connection and it’s our job to illuminate voices and change perspectives, which is a huge responsibility to behold. We have a role that encompasses every job. We problem solve, collaborate and communicate with others in many aspects of the community, take in the world around us, and rebuild atmospheres in the interest of other people. I want to be the individual that connects a person to what serves them best. If I had to give advice to that little girl from the photograph, I would say create and live in that head of yours, but know when to appreciate the world around us, know when you need to draw connections, and see what people really need. Choose wisely, the community of people we build becomes who we are.