How does one sum up 27 years of work and experience? With a BFA in Painting from Tyler School of Art, Temple University, my green-bean ambitious self got a foot in the door by promising to do ANYTHING to get work - including sharpening pencils. My honest approach landed me a few freelancing gigs doing grunt work – mock-ups, scanning, copy edits, and fighting with various office printers. Pretty basic stuff. But wow, did I learn a lot and my aptitude for technical challenges grew. This fact ultimately became clear when I found an HTML for Dummies book sitting on my desk one morning. I was suddenly the firms' new web designer.
The year was 1997.
Fast forward a few years, I opened my own graphics studio in 2002. Bringing that same self-driven attitude, I worked with several big clients like HBO, Wawa, Ikea, and FedEx. The words 'I can’t' do not exist when you hustle for yourself. I was tenacious, taking jobs that challenged and grew my knowledge and skills.
But as it does, the economy made working for myself difficult, and I dove into the corporate world.
For the past 7-years, I have worked for a direct sales company (think Tupperware parties). As their only graphic designer, the job with this young company was perfect for my independent, “jack of all trades” skill set. I generated all graphics for web, print, packaging, POS, email design, HTML/Bootstrap, etc., and became the go-to person for technical issues and problem-solving.
Currently, I am looking for a new challenge. I possess a unique combination of skills and experience – traditional drawing and illustrative skills, technical skills (like print production and knowledge of web practices/coding, and motion graphics), and a self-driven attitude (ability to work independently on multiple projects with tight deadlines). I know I would be an asset to any firm looking for a hard-working, creative, technically knowledgeable design professional. And, if my new employers/clients happen to like dogs, the movie Trolls, and vintage 1960s ceramics, I know we will get along famously.
Feel free to reach out with any questions. I would be delighted to hear from you.