My design story thus far

I credit my grandmother for what creative genes I do have; she is indeed an artist in every aspect of her life. But I'd have to say that my early years weren't all that creative, unless you consider coloring within the lines as evidence of real artist aptitude. I do remember my parents enrolling me in one art class that consisted of, first, learning how to draw cartoon animals and, second, learning how to mold them out of clay. And let me tell you, by the end of that class, I could draw and mold a pretty sweet looking elephant. If the curators at the Met could have only seen them . . . But it seemed that with all school and personal projects, I had a propensity to look and create with a "designer's" eye.

My first "design" project (layout from 1990, drawings from 1983):

In junior high, I signed-up for the yearbook staff and was put in charge of "layout." It was my responsibility to oversee the organization of the entire book and to make sure that it's design was cohesive and esthetically pleasing. I personally designed the section landing pages and thought, at the time, that my layout, like, totally rocked.

Spanish Fork Intermediate School 1993-1994 yearbook (pages 2-3):

After graduation from high school, I attended Rick College where I was profoundly inspired by Kelly Burgener, the head of the art department and a design professor. He introduced me to a major called "Graphic Design," a degree that I knew nothing about and that, quite frankly, terrified me. But he made me feel like I could be successful in this field, seeing something in me that I could not see. I changed my major and stuck with it, taking watercolor painting, oil painting, acrylic painting, figure drawing, facial drawing, 3-D drawing, 2-D drawing, ceramics and sculpting, color theory, and hours and hours of design classes. And after completing my freshman year, I accepted a job in the art department under Kelly's direction. I will be forever grateful for my association with him. His nurturing guidance and confidence in me was of unmeasurable importance.

After Ricks, I went to Brigham Young University. It had been a dream of mine since I was old enough to memorize the words of the Cougar Fight Song. I applied and was accepted into their BFA Graphic Design program. I also took a position as a lab assistant in the BYU color center. It was the perfect job for a graphic design student. It allowed me to increase my proficiency in InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, and in other programs, and I began to have a better knowledge of color and the printing process. (Not to mention my employee discount that made the printing all of my class projects so much cheaper.) I worked hard to keep my head above water in a crazy competitive, dog-eat-dog type of major.

After finishing my junior year, I applied for and accepted a position at Pentagram Design Firm in New York City. I worked as part of a design team under the direction of Micheal Bierut and other talented senior graphic designers. This experience was of more importance than I could have ever imagined. I learned to be independent and self-sufficient. I learned how to be creatively inspired. I learned what it meant to be a graphic designer and an artist. I learned what my chosen profession was all about. And I learned what I would want for myself long-term within this field.

I left New York City to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. While there, I put my artistic creativity on hold and instead gladly focused on serving the people of Louisiana and Mississippi. But one Christmas, I was asked to make a few posters for a religious festival in a small Mississippi town. They gave me poster boards, construction paper, a black magic marker, a pair of scissors, and a glue stick. Hmmm, not really the medium I was hoping for but I jumped at the chance to be a little creative.

Liberty Christmas Music Festival posters:

After a year and a half, I returned to BYU to continue my studies in Graphic Design but I also began taking classes in the field of American Studies, focusing primarily on politics and pop culture. I found my own personal happy place by studying a combination of topics that I was passionate about, however unrelated they may have seemed on the surface.

I now work at Stampin' Up! as the Catalog Design Manager. I associate with some amazingly creative people, particularly the individuals on my team, on a daily basis. And I absolutely love my job. We work in an atmosphere of collaboration that allows me to grow as a designer and as an individual. I have found a place there that meets the expectations I've set for both my professional and personal life.