accidentally inspired

"I think the biggest challenge anyone from a small town has to face is how to defeat small-mindedness and not get caught up in the drama that can happen in an insular community. Once I was able to gain perspective and feel more connected with the world through traveling and by attending a university fairly far from home, it was a lot easier to overcome any obstacles that might have existed before. But I’ve always loved to make art, and I think I would have pursued it whether I came from a small town or a big city. I’m happy that I’ve had the opportunities to avoid being a big fish in a very small pond."

"I think attending art school is an awesome and wonderful experience whether or not you know for sure if you want to be a fine artist. College in general is really just a wonderful way to transition into adulthood, as long as you don’t treat it like a massive excuse to party and drink your brain cells away. I worked incredibly hard in school, and because of that my professors gave me opportunities that other students didn’t have. School is what you make of it, and you could go to any college and get a great education as long as there are a couple of professors there who are willing to put the time in and that you, in turn, are willing to give 110%. There are people out there that say college isn’t necessary, but I definitely wasn’t mature enough to enter the workforce at 18, and I feel like I really found myself in art school. Plus, there are very few other opportunities to be surrounded by so many like-minded people having intense discussions about your work. I miss art school like crazy because those kind of critiques are hard to come by, and no matter how many artsy friends I have, nothing compares to being surrounded by 100 peers, all working 24 hours a day, exhausted but excited."

"I think people that have the most success in any career are those that can remain a bit humble—or at least empathetic—no matter what their career status. If you love people—love interacting with them, working with them—you’ll have success in your career. To have success as an independent designer or creative type, you have to be driven, you have to at least try to be organized, and you have to be pleasant to work with. Art directors will come back to you over and over again if you make the experience of working together a pleasant one. If you ask them, they will tell you that the number-one thing that turns them off from working with a person again is if that person was disrespectful, unkind, or seemed “above” the project. Freelancing is all about forming short partnerships with art directors and clients and making them feel that you’re as excited about it as they are."