Designer Identity

Who am I?

As a designer, my style of communication depends upon everything that has contributed to forming my identity as a human being. I am constantly improving and evolving in my design work and processes. Currently, I have taken much of my inspiration from things I am passionate about and because of this I find great joy in my work. This is the type of designer I am and want to continue being: one who finds a feeling of pride and accomplishment with the work she has created and sent out into the world. I am a creator, maker, and artist. As such, I am sending my messages out into this world by being a painter, an illustrator, a sculptor, a designer, a musician, a baker, a chef, and a poet.

Skills

I have acquired a large number of skills I have added to what I like to call my "artist's toolbox". Over the years I have educated myself on art principles, creative processes and techniques (in both digital and traditional mediums), and spent hours upon hours training my hands to draw and create. I did this by learning all I could about handling as many mediums and materials that I could obtain access to. It is the accumulation of this knowledge that I believe will make me powerful as a designer and illustrator. I can draw upon all this information and learned skills to come up with the best design possible. I have spent years troubleshooting and learning what not to do, and what things don't work. Because of this, I have become faster and faster at coming up with answers to design problems because when I do come across these problems, it is easier for me to come up with solutions quickly because of what I have learned from the trials and errors of my past experiences.

Career Interests

After very carefully considering my future and what things I am really wanting to get out of earning my BFA, I have come up with a very specific plan of what kinds of things I would like to use my skills for to make my livelihood after college. I have put a considerable amount of thought into this and really thinking about what would make me happy and content with my life. I have known I would like to take my design career in the direction of package designing but it has only been this semester that I have acknowledged that I want to be a designer of things that are aimed towards appealing to/marketing towards children. I have thought about the types of jobs I am interested in and narrowed them down to these things:

Children's book illustration
Creative package design for kids games and toys
Textbook illustration
Designing teaching materials for kids like workbooks and flashcards
Pop-up book design and other forms of paper engineering (this could include greeting card design or other applications)
DIY Kit/Activity books for children
Illustrations for coloring books
Marketing to kids (clothes, food, toys, events, etc.) and possibly doing branding for companies who sell/distribute products that are for kids
Designing kids' posters, stickers, packaging for clothing/tee-shirts/shoes etc

Lifestyle wants and needs

I think my lifestyle wants and needs are complicated and subject to change so it is hard to pin down what specifically I want. I do know that I want my life to be arranged in a way where I live to work because I love what I do, rather than working to live and becoming a slave to my profession. I want to be comfortable economically in a way that I do not have to stress about spending money on the things I need while still having funds to save or use for things that I want. I love dogs and I have always wanted a pit-bull so I need to have a living situation where I can give a pet the time, care, and space it needs. This has always been important to me so it will be a big factor for as a continue making plans for the future. I need to find a job and a living situation that accommodates these things to find fulfillment in my career.
I want to be in a position where I am able to take vacations and time off throughout the year to travel or work on personal projects. I also want the of the amount of time I have off during the work week and the amount of time I am spending at work to be balanced in a way that I have an adequate amount of time to keep fit by exercising and getting enough sleep (very important for my mental stability). I do not want spend the majority of my time working throughout the week and trading my time and energy to gain a measly paycheck while someone else receives large monetary gains for the work that I did. I do not want to live in the American style workload anymore - no more working overtime or not having the options of sick pay, vacation days, or grievance pay. I basically want my employer to treat me like I am a human being and provide me things like time off and benefits like insurance so that I can keep myself healthy mental and physically. That way I can preform at my very best when I am working for them.
I have been planning for a while to move to the Netherlands after I graduate because the lifestyle of the Dutch people resonates with me and I am attracted to the beauty the country has to offer. I also love Dutch design and illustration so I have been making steps towards making my move to the Netherlands and learning as much as I can about Dutch language, art, and culture before I am ready to graduate. These are the main things I feel solid about regarding my goals and needs for the lifestyle I want to enjoy after I graduate and begin my career. I know that there are many other aspects of my future that I know are going to have to change and I will have to adapt as my life unfolds and takes me in directions I may not expect.

Work-style wants and needs

I am picturing what my day to day life will be like having a job in the art industry that I find satisfying and fulfilling. I'm going to have to be constantly learning even after I graduate from school, but I look forward to that. I am not sure what the exact specifics are of the type of employers I am seeking, but I want to find a creative team where I fit in and my work makes the team stronger. No matter where I am employed, the space I where I keep my creative tools and spend my time working is very important to me so as I picture my future, I imagine my work space/office being a reflection of the things I love. I see it as being a place where I am content and comfortable creating. Since I will be working with kids' stuff, I am expecting my office to probably look like a child's playroom. It will induce a visual sensory overload because it will be so colorful and filled with toys I have designed.
I may want to be self employed and take on freelance jobs rather than working for a specific company so that I can have more freedom with what I create, but if I do end up being employed with some type of creative company, I want to be in a place where I enjoy being with my coworkers and there is a positive environment so that my work life does not bring stress into my life outside of work. I want to stay busy creating things of all sorts after school and whatever channels I chose to use, I just want to be making things that will be appreciated and understood by a large audience. I have a lot to say and I am ready to start sharing my messages with the world through visual communication using the skills I have learned throughout my education and the experiences I have had during my life. I want to be challenged by my work, while still finding joy within the experience of creating and sharing my work for my own monetary gains. I want to work in a position where I do not regret my choice to be an artist for my career. I want a place where my responsibilities are clear and I have to skills to complete them proficiently while not experiencing excessive or unnecessary stress from my job.

Summary of career objectives and goals

I am confident that my skills that I have learned in school and throughout my life will earn me the employment I want and deserve after college. I want my choice of employment to bring me a sense of stability and satisfaction with my life. I want to be economically comfortable enough that I do not have to stress about my income and affording the things I want and need to live comfortably. I plan on using my illustration and design skills to produce products designed for children and I want to find a work environment where I enjoy my work. I want to feel like I am good at what I do and I am an important part of the team I work with. Doing this will make me feel accomplished when I complete projects and take pride in the work I create. I want to enjoy spending time and working with my coworkers, and I want my employer to respect me and offer me the things I need to have a good quality of life.