At the early age of 7, I decided that I wanted to be a veterinarian who lived in a castle with horses, cows, goats, etc. However, the most important pet that I wanted in my super serious life was approximately one thousand dogs. It is crazy to think that I wanted so many dogs at such a young age (who am I kidding, I still want a thousand dogs. Let’s be realistic.) Around that time, I also realized that I absolutely loved to draw horses as well. I drew horses on any surface that I possibly could: on the sidewalk, on the wall, and obviously on my legs like any young artist would. It was at this point that my parents knew that I would always be on the more, to put it bluntly, creative side of thinking.
Art was always on my side. I could draw whenever I wanted as long as I had a piece of paper and a pencil. This creative side of thinking was really in my corner when my parents decided to separate when I was 10 years old. Now this would not be a huge deal if I was older, but seeing as though I was 10 years old. The entire divorce was essentially about me. A time when the spotlight was not in my favor. My heart was not in the clouds like they used to be. I vividly remember nights when I went to bed crying while I covered my ears from the screaming matches. The claw marks left a scar on my arms from being pulled one way to the next. Being able to draw and express myself through art was honestly the primary reason why I got through my pre-teen years. Combined with the way the world progressed, and the ever evolving technology. I dove into the world of digital media.
My life has had many ups and downs, but I truly think that high school taught me the patience I needed to understand what my parents went through with their separation. At the end of the day, they never lost sight of loving and supporting me despite absolutely hating each other. Within that lesson of patience, I also learned customer service with my first few jobs. I also learned that I wanted to not only work in art, but technology as well. However, my parents told me that an art degree was absolutely not a viable option. Something about art majors not being able to eat or something like that. I, on the other hand, decided that I wanted to combine the two worlds of art and technology with graphic communications at a vo-tech school that was near me. Through graphic communications, my entire world changed. I was now able to see the look on someone’s face when they decided they liked, or did not like, something. My passion grew when I saw the pure joy on my father’s face when he realized that graphic design was not something I just wanted to “try out.” His passion to see me grow and succeed has fueled me, regardless of if we were mad or upset with each other.
I want to be a graphic designer because it makes me feel like I can do anything I put my mind to. My options are endless, and my life has become colorful, despite the colors starting out as something minuscule.