My official AIGA Minnesota Portfolio One-On-One essay submission. It was because of this essay, along with my portfolio of work, that I received the Larsen scholarship.

Things I've Learned, or Nobody Enjoys Setting Themselves On Fire, But When It Comes To Being Passionate About Something, It Seems Like A Metaphorical Given.


I’ve learned that being a graphic designer will provide me an avenue on which to speak to, and influence others both verbally and visually.

This isn’t to say that I enjoy manipulating others, but I’m fascinated with design’s ability to alter what was once a clear reality. Even without the power of advance software techniques, design can still make us feel things we never knew were possible. It’s about choosing the perfect image, whether or not it should be in black and white or color, where the copy should be placed, and what typeface should be used. It’s about determining what, where, when, and who to show it to, and why.

It’s about what you say. Design isn’t just pretty pictures on a page, it’s a language in and of itself. The words we choose to include in our work speak to our audience when we aren’t there to do it ourselves. And while some might argue that not all effective design needs to be accompanied by copy, I’d like to argue that a lack of copy is still copy.

I’ve learned that being a graphic designer means believing in myself and truly caring about the work I produce, because if I don’t, why should anyone else?

Quite a bit of the work we do in class can be considered formal exercises. Type experiments, color experiments, and more. So I couldn’t have been happier than when I had a chance to produce real world pieces when working for the College of Liberal arts as a designer and photographer.

But in reality, the work wasn’t great. And that’s why you won’t see any of it in my portfolio. It was a great experience to be sure, but I didn’t truly believe in the work I was doing. It was academic, and lacked any real depth. If I were to explain it to a potential employer I would be at a loss for words. Backing the work would be dishonest at best, and disrespectful at worst. I never want to be in the situation where I feel the need to apologize for my work. The moment I start doubting myself is the same moment that others will do the same.

I’ve learned that being a graphic designer means learning to love coffee.

I prefer French roast, no room for cream or sugar.

I’ve learned that being a graphic designer will allow me to create beautiful works of art, but with real, practical, and above all, effective implementations.

So often as students and designers we’re forced to make the distinction between art and design. And while I certainly don’t want to alienate either camp, I will argue that they can, in fact, be one in the same. Maybe not always, but at least occasionally.

To me, I don’t think I’ll ever want to distinguish between the two at any point in my life. In fact, I think I’d rather make it my life’s work to bridge that gap. Furthermore, I’d like to use artistically designed pieces in as successful of an implementation as possible. Of course this will vary depending on the content, but I want to prove to others that art and design are not mutually exclusive.		 I’ve learned that being a graphic designer means never being satisfied, going to bed late, and waking up early. But it also means knowing when to stop and breathe.

For years now I’ve been consumed by all things design, and thanks to Twitter, I doubt this will change any time soon. I always love familiarizing myself with the latest news in the industry, and I truly enjoy every minute of a conversation discussing what effects these advancements will have on society as well as the individual.

But sometimes I get tired. So I’ve also learned being a graphic designer means being able to say no, and being able to take a break. There’s a time and place for design, but it’s difficult to say no when it’s become such an important aspect of my life. However, I know the importance of building personal relationships and having hobbies. Of course I want to be a graphic designer, but I also want to be a good son, brother, colleague, friend, boyfriend, and one day husband and father who enjoys playing racquetball.

I’ve learned that being a graphic designer is what I’m truly passionate about, and at this point, I can’t imagine doing anything else with my life. Especially not politics.

It’s all these things and more that have affirmed my decision to become a graphic designer, and in reality, I could go on for pages and pages. But in the end, it’s my passion for design that has gotten me this far. It’s forced me to put myself out there and take risks just to better myself, something I wouldn’t normally do for most other things. When I’m designing, I feel something I can’t quite explain. I understand this isn’t a Lifetime movie special, so I’ll just say that design makes me happy, it’s as simple as that.

Despite being so comfortable with design, it has the acute ability to pull me out of my comfort zone. It forces me to think in ways I never knew possible. If I’m being dramatic, design is a drug.

So when I imagine my life years down the road, I know one thing to be true. When everything around me changes, my passion for design will remain constant, because design has lit a fire inside me in a way that nothing else has. And it’s a flame I don’t see blowing out any time soon.