The first time I created a design piece was in my 9th grade world history class. The assignment was to design a newspaper from the ancient South American Inca time. I did not have access to any design software so I hand cut and glued columns of text that I had typed up on my Mac. I spent more time selecting the fonts and adjusting the leading than I did on the actual writing. And by leading, I mean carefully selecting single space versus double space. In the end I created a single double sided tabloid sized newspaper with a beautifully designed masthead.
I can't remember what grade I earned on it and ironically, nor do I remember the history of the Incas. What I do remember vividly is the process and how much I enjoyed laying out my articles on the carpet of my bedroom floor. I loved drawing colored pencil illustrations to break up the blocks of text. Today, some 20+ years later, Adobe Cloud has replaced the glue sticks and I still enjoy the process just as much.
I'm happy to confess that my process is more refined now than it was back in 9th grade. I immerse myself in the content, ask questions about the target audience, collaborate with the team on the objectives, brainstorm ideas, sketch concepts, execute the creative, edit and revise the deliverables, execute more and well, I think you get the idea. And at times the process gets messy and it's worth it to create something impactful.
I've been fortunate to have a career has been an adventure filled with twists and turns and unexpected surprises that continue to excite. It's been rewarding with the numerous awards I've earned. And I can't wait to see what other adventures lie ahead.