I have always known that I wanted to become a designer. The reason I do not say “graphic designer” is because if I did, it would not be true. Growing up, I held a love for Barbie movies, specifically the dresses and other clothes Barbie and her friends would wear throughout each movie. So much so that I have notebooks filled with pages of Barbie-inspired clothes that I have created. I originally wanted to become a fashion designer, making one-of-a-kind pieces that would impact the fashion world. As I got older, I expanded my interest in different things: paintings, sketchings, architectural designs, interiors of rooms and buildings, book covers, posters, illustrations, packaging, logos, the list goes on and on.
When it was time for me to consider colleges and make those seemingly big, life-changing decisions as to where I wanted to go and what I wanted to study, I felt stuck. When it came to choosing a major, there were just too many things that interested me, and too many different degrees for all of my interests. None seemed to have all the bells and whistles. I decided to confide in my mom and ask her: “What am I best at?” She told me that I was creative, imaginative, and always incorporating that creativity into all my projects both in and out of school, and then suggested graphic design. I did not like the idea of just designing t-shirts all day, every day. No thanks. After several weeks of my mom suggesting and pushing me to look further into graphic design, I finally gave in and gained a better understanding of what it is. I discovered… It is NOT just designing t-shirts. When I put the pieces together that I would get to design all forms of visual communication, I knew that it was exactly what I had been interested in all along. As usual, Mother knows best.
After I figured out what graphic design really entailed, I could not stop researching all the different aspects of it. My mind was blown to find such a variety of job options in the graphic design field. I knew then that this is what I want to do. I want to be a graphic designer because I want to wake up every day, excited to work on something I am passionate about. Also I get to express myself and help others express themselves, whether it be through illustrating, brand identity, packaging, or advertising, to name a few. The opportunity to continuously grow my knowledge is another bonus for me.Through all the years of school before college, never once was I truly excited to go to class. Now it is different: it is not that I have to go, but now I want to go.
As I am going through the design program at UCO, my excitement to learn and try new things has multiplied by the thousands. Every project has taught me something new about design that I am eager to utilize in my career. And to think it all started with drawing Barbie clothes.