Art was always my life. As a child, I used to love comic book illustration. Later, my education introduced me to those who broke ground in their exploration of art, and my own work bloomed into crazier dimensions. Art, I realized, holds a profound capacity for self-expression. Suddenly it became personal. I started experimenting with every medium I could get my hands on, and never looked back.
Then there's my mother, graphic designer for over 25 years (Esther Appel Communications). I hadn't planned to follow in her footsteps until I saw the relationship between design and artistic expression. They're separate, of course, but that correlation - the potential for graphic design to be more than strictly business, to be art - that's what sparked my interest.
So I earned my BS in graphic design from the Art Institute of Portland and dug into my career. Working 3 years at Frank Amato publishing house, I climbed from simple layouts to major articles. At Columbia Sports Wear, I got my hands dirty in post-production and photography, turning the cogs that make design work. With the creative juices flowing, I engaged a variety of projects at every stage of production and had the great honor of seeing my work put out there.
That's how it started. Along the way, I've learned a few things.
Design is expression. People want to get their product out there and give it life - and here's the designer, the person who gets to give it that expression. There's no honor more exciting.
Design is communication. It's about the audience. Obviously it's fun to find the new, fresh, hip approach - but our purpose is in being heard. We're here to say something that the audience finds relevant and meaningful, exploring the give and take between strategy and creativity. In short, a designer is a translator, taking the client's idea and turning it into something that people want to see and hear about.
Design is opportunity. For me, design is the opportunity to channel my love of art into my career. For the client, no less, it's the opportunity to make an impact that no other tool can accomplish.
Art is my life, and design is what I do.
What more could I ask?