This hopefully looks like a capital “R”

I tried a couple of things but this is the option that I felt worked the best to represent an “R.” 🙂

Contract, In-House, Corporate, or Business Owner?

I’ve always had the goal of one day being able to sustain myself on freelance work alone, because after years of experience in a variety of positions in the work force, I like the idea of being my own manager, working on a variety of projects, and the flexibility that often comes with contract work. Another big consideration for me is that I’d like to find a position (or at least, work my way up to a position) in which I can work remotely. 

Hearing about the experiences of our guest speakers these past weeks, I’m starting to put into context how difficult it can be to work solely on contract when first starting out, and I’m warming up to the idea of looking for a corporate or preferably an in-house position to get my bearings in the field, potentially establish some new connections, and then reevaluate the idea of branching out more on my own down the road. 

Additionally, I would one day love to have enough of a presence and following in the art world to own and run a small business in which I sell my illustrations via prints, zines, stickers, and potentially apparel and original pieces as well. That’s a lofty goal for much further down the road, and who knows what new direction this dream might take on, but I can safely say that I’d love to one day be in the position to consider working for myself and establishing a small business based around my personal brand. 

“Follow the Water Downhill”

The sentiments that Stefan shared in his guest lecture on Friday about his career path and wide-ranging resume couldn’t have come at a better time. It was really something I needed to hear, especially since my own design trajectory has but anything but clear-cut, and I have a wide range of artistic interests.

As a kid I was always drawn to storytelling, and became especially inspired by animation, and started practicing studio art (continuing up through high school– particularly developing painting and sketching abilities). 

I ended up attending the University of CA, Santa Cruz for college, and my trajectory shifted– I double majored in Film and Theatre Arts/Production concentration. I gained experience in cinematography, screen & playwriting, directing, but was particularly interested in theatrical design, specifically scenic design & painting for stage productions.

I think something really struck me about the concept of designing the visual world of a play, plus it was a bit of a return to my fine arts/studio art background. By the end of my undergraduate career, I was serving as the lead scenic painter for productions in our department, and had gained experience designing a number of shows as well. 

I then got offered a Teaching Assistant position through my Theatre Department, and a spot in their small graduate program where I committed to an intense, one year MA in theatre, with an emphasis in set design.

Following the program, I got offered an internship position with the Seattle Children’s Theatre where I would serve as their lead painter for a summer season and work with aspiring scenic artists in high school. It was a great experience, and perfect excuse to move up to Seattle, which has always been a dream of mine. 

Following my internship, I continued to do freelance scenic painting work and design stuff on the side, but found a permanent job in theatre administration at the 5th Avenue Theatre downtown which started to take up the bulk of my time. As time went on I realized that although I really liked the position and environment, I was ultimately feeling more and more sad that I wasn’t in a position to support myself through creative work entirely. Around this point I started to commit to doing more and more art in my free time, and began to dive a little more into the realm of digital art. 

I always dabbled with digital art/media while in school, and picked it up again when COVID left me jobless and in a complete existential crisis. I decided it’d be really beneficial for me to branch out into the field of graphic design because a) I really enjoy it and b) I know I have a handle on my own design process and really like designing and c) there seems to be SO much more possibility in this industry! 

Now at SCCA, I’m finding myself developing a real passion for graphic design and feel so grateful to have gained all my previous, various experiences prior to starting this program. I feel like everyday I’m pulling from previous knowledge to help me succeed in my current projects, even though I’ve never worked in graphic design before this program. I always felt self-conscious that I didn’t have one thing I was specialized in, and worried about how to brand myself, but Stefan’s lecture reaffirmed that a “brand” will come with time, and that our experiences are what make us– I have to stay open to whatever opportunities might come my way, and refrain from putting myself in a box for the sake of self-branding!