My personal journey to becoming a graphic and web designer actually started when I was in high school - but I didn’t know it! Looking back now, I see how much I loved making programs and posters for school plays and creating little artsy tags for gifts. I remember once giving some driving advice from the passenger seat to an adult and them telling me, “Danielle, stop! You don’t have a backseat driver’s license!” Oh yeah? I went home, made a business-card sized license on my Windows 97 computer in Word, printed it out on my laser printer, and even had it laminated. Next time someone said to stop being a back seat driver, I whipped that puppy out and said, “Nope! I have a license to do that!” (It’s a wonder I survived to adulthood…)

Maybe one of my biggest regrets (at least when it comes to design) is not going to school for it - or at least to take some basic art classes. Everything I know I’ve taught myself, or learned from others, but I have no formal education in design. I sometimes wish I had it.

But slowly through the years, I found myself doing more and more graphics - video work for my parents, poster designs for local productions, logos and branding for friend’s businesses…and before long, I found myself as a graphic designer!

So, don’t be waiting until you have ALL your ducks in a row, or ALL the education - be ready to jump in! Or, maybe, you might look around and realize you’re already swimming. ;)