In My Own Words

Interview Transcript

 

Tell us about yourself.

To be honest, I’m new to design – emotionally. I never actually took an interest in this field, my mother did. This was apparently a dream career for her, so for the past decade I’ve lived out her dream as an assistant working on catalogs and doing photoshoots of military gear, as a design instructor at a high school for at-risk youths, and as the senior designer at a medium-sized corporation responsible for the art direction and execution of all incoming projects as well as the overall look and feel of the company’s branding.

 

It was during a recent stint working as a designer and production artist at a local agency that I read a book that changed my entire outlook on design. Possibly with having my education so frequently interrupted I never developed a real appreciation for it, but this book helped me see design for what it truly is. Because of this, although my prior experience is important, I don’t think it is quite as relevant because I don't believe I've yet scratched the surface of my potential.

 

But I’m all about personal growth and education and am therefore constantly working to expand my skillsets. And I must admit, I kind of have a longstanding code-crush on the development side that I hope to eventually have the opportunity to merge with my design career.

 

Where do you see yourself in the next 5-10 years?

By my assertion, there are 2 very probable realities for me. Reality A, has me touring the country with my composer spouse by my side, helping to promote the film adaption of one of many incredible novels. Reality B, I’ve married my creativity and visual communication skills and experience with a knowledge of front-end and back-end coding and the latest in tech trends, and am contributing greatly to keeping a company on the cutting edge, thereby eliminating any future need for re-focusing or re-branding.  

 

How would your teammates describe you?

Hardworking, at times, to a fault – which I’m hard working on. Committed. Empathetic. Inclusive. Eager to learn. They’d say that I am constantly pushing myself to be better in every aspect whether that means taking coursework to be more efficient at using common industry tools, taking coursework to acquire new skills, or carving out time to practice learning a new language or two. But I’m sure they would also say that I continuously encourage and push them toward their own greatness. 

 

What is your greatest strength/weakness?

Very easy. My greatest strength is my willingness to learn. My greatest weakness is self-doubt. I’m learning how to deal with that but I'm not sold that I ever actually will (ha ha).

 

What has been the greatest challenge in your career?

These moments. Right here. The in-between that brings about the need for self-promotion. I've had many work-related challenges, of course. Workplace culture, leadership or lack thereof, improper training, negative co-workers, etc. But nothing has been or ever will prove itself to be as great a challenge as the in-between moments that require one to reflect on their life, personal and professional, their truth, their weaknesses. How to present oneself in a manner that is at once intriguing and appealing and yet still raw enough that I'm not setting my pins up to be knocked down. To be a cheerleader for your own accomplishments and acknowledge your shortcomings while still presenting oneself as malleable so that the stranger that you hope to impress will understand that while my resume may lack some of the luster that they are looking for, I am not the definitive sum total of my past experiences but am able to be bent and pressed out of shape without breaking or cracking, until I am what is needed in this moment in time.

 

BONUS QUESTION

If you could live inside of any TV show what would it be?

Hands down, Jane the Virgin. And if your follow up question is why would you want to live inside a telenova, the answer is because, uhmmm…WHY WOULDN’T YOU?!!