Unexpected Journey

     If you had told me back in high school, struggling through a Photoshop class and wondering why anyone thought layers and masks were fun, that one day I’d be nearing the finish line of a college degree in graphic design, I probably would’ve laughed. Back then, it felt like the whole world of design was speaking a language I didn’t understand. Once I joined the United States Navy, I felt that four years of my life as a mechanical engineer were shaped by discipline, structure, and purpose, none of which involved anything remotely creative. Design wasn’t just off my radar, it didn’t even seem like something people like me pursued. But as I transitioned out of the military, I found myself searching. Not just for a new career, but for a new voice. Something that let me express parts of myself I’d kept quiet or didn't even know existed. The problem was simple, I didn't see myself as a creative person. My only real experience was a Photoshop class that was frustrating. I had written off anything artsy as “not for me.” And yet, something kept pulling me toward visuals, toward stories told without words. I enrolled in a graphic arts and design program not because I was confident, but because I was curious. That curiosity quickly turned to doubt. In my first few classes, I felt behind. I didn’t have a sketchbook full of ideas, or a long list of designs. I felt like an outsider, someone who took too long on assignments, second-guessed every choice, and struggled to understand tools that others seemed to pick up instantly.

     One moment that stands out was my first project using Photoshop. I had to create a poster for a destination location for a travel agency, and after hours of working on it, I still felt it looked like something pulled from ClipArt.I feel that the real battle wasn’t with the different software we would learn to use almost every month, but it was with my mindset. I had to learn that everyone is creative and artistic in their own way, even me, we just have trouble tapping into that side of our creativity. Most people think that you’re either “born with it” or not. Untrue, because slowly, I began to see design as a craft, not a talent. Something that could be shaped, improved, and sharpened with time and patience. What helped me a lot in this process was that I started to reflect a lot on my blog post and the designs along the way. I watched YouTube tutorials, read other classmates' design blogs, and even began posting responses to projects done by my classmates, which both helped me learn how to do things. It helped me see how even in my very own work, I could use improvement on. Every critique became a map to get to where I wanted to be as a designer. Now, nearing the end of my associate’s degree, I see design differently. It’s no longer a world I don’t belong to, it's a language I’m still learning, but one I now understand how to speak. 

    From one of my most recent branding projects, where I explored emotional storytelling (like my Beats by Dre poster), to social media ads I built from scratch in Premiere Pro, I’ve started to build a body of work I’m proud of. This journey has taught me resilience, patience, and a new definition of creativity. It’s not about being perfect, it’s about being persistent. It’s not about flashy visuals, it's about clear communication and listening to the clients and learning their story and understanding their mission that best tells the world who they are. As I look ahead, I see design not just as a job, but as a way to contribute meaningful visuals.  Whether I end up designing for nonprofits, a big corporate company, or even if I go into freelance work for myself. I know that design can tell stories that matter, and that is what I intend to do.