In movies and tv the world of marketing and design looks very hip and carefree. No one really works, yet witty and (of course) wildly successful campaigns are developed, and extravagant client pitches are made.
While that may exist somewhere, here in my real world it's more often about being creative on demand. Countless ideas end up in recycling and deadlines can be tight. Concepts that appear casually tossed off are, in reality, painstakingly crafted. Images are carefully chosen to convey the desired emotion, words are calculated to present a specific message.
Like many people, I didn't find my calling immediately. There was art school, time spent as a horse trainer, barmaid and potter. Finally, I backed into fashion illustration. (Didn't see that coming, did you?) Eventually, I left illustration for a design/production job with an agency, followed by a stint at Syracuse University. Some years later, back in the northwest, I worked for various local, regional and global companies—and an assortment of agencies—and in 2007 I established imagina creative.
You've got to love design to stay with it. I enjoy meeting new people, building relationships, solving problems. What makes it truly worthwhile for me is that moment when a successful solution appears, and it just 'clicks'—both graphically and for the client's purposes.
(Many thanks to John Valls Photography for this image that replaced my selfie. John, you're amazing!)
