Pencil Vs Pixel

What are some of your earliest creative memories and what lead you into design?

Some of my earliest memories of making things is in the classroom back in grade school. I would draw things from sports figures to cartoons. The thing that led me to design was a rock band. I was a drummer in a band and we needed posters, flyers and t-shirts. I volunteered to do it all, even though I had no experience doing it. I remember being so proud of my first t-shirt design. It was really well received (sold out at one of our shows). The positive experience motivated me to pursue art and design.

What are your three must-read design books, blogs or podcasts?

My three go-to’s are: 1. Creative Mornings (both, recorded and in-person) 2. Design Matters by Debbie Millman 3. Twitter (my news resource)

Who are your top five design crushes right now?

My current top five design crushes are: Chen Winner, Rodrigo Corral, Kelli Anderson, Dan Danger and Martyna Wojcik-Smierska.

What are the three worst jobs you have done leading up to where you are now, and how did you learn from them?

I believe that past work experience is what molds you. Whether you had a terrible experience somewhere or great experiences, they’re learning lessons. The three jobs that I dreaded the most, but learned a lot from, are: 1. Cabinet delivery person. I used to deliver cabinets. It was one of my first jobs out of high school. I had to wake up at 5:00 am and it was dreadful. I played music at the time and I would spend ‘dead time’ thinking about and strategizing new approaches to my music and visuals. I was excited to practice after work. Working taught me some big lessons like having discipline, not letting current circumstances get in your way, and staying positive. The environment wasn’t positive. I had to make the best of it. It taught me to think outside the box. 2. Restaurant worker. I started as a dishwasher, moved up to cook, busser and finally to server. Working in the restaurant business taught me empathy. I knew what everyone’s role was and I learned to respect it. I knew the difficulties and rewards of every position. 3. Retail stock associate. This was a place where I learned about the importance of customer service. I would go the extra mile to fulfill my duties. I learned that it was crucial to keep track of every single item in stock. The moment something went missing, inventory would get out of proportion. I learned that every single detail counts in business. Crucial learning experience that taught me what it takes to run a business.