So you want to learn more about me, huh? Well, I currently reside in Durham, NC, while daydreaming of living on the west coast. I grew up in a small town in South Carolina, and later in life I attended the University of South Carolina, Columbia.
From the age of 5 I wanted to be a veterinarian, so my college career began with me as a pre-med/biology major. I must confess that secretly, when I would daydream about college, I imagined my self in front of an easel or a potter’s wheel. When it dawned on me that if I did not get into vet school I would spend the rest of my life in a sterol lab, I decided upon Humanities. When looking for a new major I found that I really enjoyed my photography classes. After taking an Adobe Photoshop class one semester, the professor took me aside and asked if I ever thought about going into graphic design. Later when I realized the futility in trying to make a living as a photographer I switched to graphic design. The change was a perfect fit, and I felt that I had finally found where I belonged.
After school, I found that it was quite the challenge to find a job as a graphic designer. While in school, I had taken a night job working as a Network Systems Analyst for a telecommunications company. In order to pay the bills during my search, I decided to continue on with the company while I looked for a design job. Slowly I began to take on some freelance work, and eventually found a position working during the day as an Art Director for a local Magazine. For a little over year, I worked at both of these jobs, until the magazine closed its doors. All the while I had been continuously searching for work in my field, but to no avail. The local economy was rough at best, and trying to find work in a college town with a design program wasn't nearly impossible.
About two years ago I decided to expand my search by looking around in other states. While searching, I also started some self studies in web design and mark up languages. Since I had only taken one computer science class in college that taught HTML, I was not as knowledgeable as I would have liked to have been so I bought some books and taught myself CSS.
One day, a friend introduced me to an opportunity to get in on the ground floor of a web based software company. It was a technical support position, but I would get practical experience with HTML and web design on the job. I jumped at the chance at working with coding email templates, trouble shooting HTML/CSS, and giving design advice to customers. I took the job, packed up my belongings, and moved to Raleigh. Just recently I have moved to Durham in order to be closer to work. Those gas prices will get you every time!
Last year I was given the opportunity to work on the deign team, and to assist with the rebranding of the company as they were changing their name. Fortunately I had branding experience with other companies in South Carolina, so I felt well prepared for the challenge. Now I am spearheading the revamping of the template library within the software application I work on. I also spend my days catching and fixing errors in custom templates built for customers, and Loralie and I are settling in nicely in our little Durham apartment.
"It is not because things are difficult, that we do not dare, it is because we do not dare, that they are difficult."
— Seneca
This is a quote that my Papa lived by.In his memory I try to live every day by this idea.
» I grew up in my family's print shop in a small town in the South. I learned different bindery and collating techniques. I did get to watch cartoons and do some normal kid stuff but I remember waking up in the summer getting ready to go to work with my dad getting excited about the silkscreen job we had that day. Or getting a chance to baby-sit the off-set press.
» One of my favorite things to do after school was to spend the afternoon at the print shop helping out with shooting negatives for metal press plates, helping watch the front counter, or getting a chance to work with the foiling machine.
» My father collected two Guttenberg presses with a collection of several led typefaces. I would get the chance to help out when my Dad would play with the Guttenbergs in our garage. I enjoyed this time with my Dad and it was fun to actually get a chance to work with older techniques. It's wild to think that the techniques I learned growing up are now considered old.
» In College I worked for the campus radio station WUSC 90.5fm. I had a two hour prime time slot in the afternoon for five years. I served as Assistant P.R. Director and Assistant Music Librarian (2000-2001) and I was elected Music Director (2001-2002). This was the most fun and most stressful year of my college carrier.
» I Volunteered in 2003 for the Riverbanks Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Columbia, SC. I worked in the Art Department as well as the Aquarium. I dive in the viewing tank feeding fish and swimming with sharks. I designed the logo for the Animal Enrichment Program while I worked in the Art Department.
Places on the web I like to spend time ogaling and draw insperation from.