Allow me to introduce myself...
I began my professional life as a theatre director. I've worked on a wide variety of productions over the years – ranging from large, elaborate productions to small, intimate workshops. The thing that always kept me excited by my work was combining various creative elements (lighting, actors, text, costumes) to tell the story in the perfect way.
Along the way, I found myself doing graphic and web design. At first it was only by necessity, as theatre doesn't have the budget to hire it out. But I realized I was really enjoying the challenges of learning the new software and code and applying these new story-telling elements. When we moved back to the west coast in 2005, I took advantage of the change of scenery and went back to school to get a second Bachelors degree, this time in Graphic Design at Portland State University.
My design approach
As I make the transition into the design world, my approach still stems from a problem-solving focus. I believe that the primary difference between art and design is that design must create a solution. If that solution is brilliant enough, then it may be well confused as art, but it's fundamental reason for being still has to solve a problem. To meet this challenge, I bring the communication and interpersonal skills honed from all those years of theatre as well as a strong artistic sensibility. These skills come in extremely handy in translating client needs into 'design-speak.' The projects that most excite me are the ones that most successfully and creatively fulfill the client's needs.
I have one of those relentless minds that's always gathering information. A design professor once told me that we should have "eyes that eat" and I've always loved that phrase. When I was growing up, this was not a good thing. But I'm fortunate to have found ways to use this as a strength, first in theatre and now in design. The ability to channel my natural curiosity and desire to learn about new things has helped me immeasurably in my creative endeavors and allowed me to lead a very interesting life. I'm fortunate to live in a time of constant change, where the ability to evolve is such an asset. I look forward to seeing what lies ahead.