Why Digital Media & Web Design?

I'm 34 years old and have never had a degree. However I am talented in many ways. In fact, so many ways that it took me forever to decide what to get a degree in.

When I was 19, I went to school for Graphic Arts, but then I quit because I was BORED!

(no this is NOT me, but merely a representation of my teenage angst)

Needless to say my parents were not happy! Since then, I've worked retail, I've been a waitress, a hostess, and a receptionist. I was a full-time Nanny for 8.5 years, I was an apprentice at a hair salon-I cut, styled, & colored hair. I've painted murals, sold photographs, and this last year I took a few photography classes at the local Tech college. It was exactly a year ago last summer, that I started to think back on my life and wonder if I should have never quit school when I was 19 years old.

After one of my photography classes I was looking at some graphic art work on the hall of school near my classroom. My photography instructor came over to me and said "I always enjoy looking at their work. You know I used to do this before I got into photography?" I said "Really? Me too..only I quit school for it, over ten years ago." And he said to me "Well, it's never too late to go back. You're still young yet." Then he winked at me and said that "no thing's impossible". It was like he was a messenger sent from heaven. I'm glad that conversation happened.



Soon after that conversation, I started researching on how to make graphics and logos from Photoshop. I attempted a few "simple" logos, they looked pretty good considering my lack of knowledge of Photoshop. I only have Photoshop Elements 7 to work with. It would be nice if I had something more updated and expansive, but alas it was given to me for free. I am thankful I have even that to work with!

Once I realized that I can do decent logos with a limited software, then maybe this would be something I could do for a career. I looked around online and found some websites where you can submit your work and they choose the best logo or graphic for their company. Basically you're against hundreds of other entries, but you can tell who has the best software and better creativity. However having good software doesn't always mean anything. You have to have a creative mind in order to produce a catching logo. Several of my "simple" but creative logos were under consideration, but then I got banned from the website for some reason, and they didn't even tell me WHY! Maybe I copied someones idea and didn't even realize it? I don't know, but you gotta be very careful on being original. I was pretty pissed, because several of the offers were around $500-$2,000 for EACH logo submitted.

It was then that I realized, "Hey that's a decent amount of money for just ONE logo, imagine what I could do if I went back to college and learned a bit more?" Some of the top designers on that website made $50,000.00/year. Damn. Being a Nanny I only made about $15,000.00 a year. I could totally make a living off that, travel, have my own place and perhaps someday (soon I hope) support a family.



So the decision was pretty easy to make after that discovery. When I went to school for Graphic Design back in 1998, the digital world was not as advanced as it is today, and the job market for it wasn't really big. That was another reason I dropped out. I wasn't guaranteed a job once I graduated. I thought it would be a big waste of time and money. Still my parents didn't want to accept me quitting. Well, I don't regret it, because if I hadn't, then maybe I wouldn't be going into what I'm going for now, which is Digital Media & Web Design. They didn't even offer this or was in existence back in 1998. Plus, I can make a good deal of income with this new career. I know some people who graduated with a degree in Graphic Design, and NONE of them are even doing that kind of work here in Wisconsin.

That's another thing. Location, location, location. Milwaukee, Wisconsin isn't exactly the center of media attention. I have lived in Orlando, FL and San Francisco, CA and those are places I really enjoyed living in. I MAY resort back to either of those places once I graduate, to secure any success I may have in the future. We shall see.

ONE STEP AT A TIME :)



I am looking forward to my studies and learning this new world of Digital design..most importantly designing websites and using Photoshop. I think it's amazing the things you can do with that software! It's like magic at your fingertips, and hey we all like to do a little magic ;)

Peace From Within

The past couple months, I've been doing a lot of searching and looking inside myself. Allowing myself to be open to the world and people around me. I feel as if I'm come to a new place. And I wish I could put it into words easier..All I can do is share with you some things that have happened and what I've learned from them..

I was traveling to Orlando in March when I went through a horrendous day flying from one airport to the next. It was the most frustrating and upsetting day I've ever had while traveling. Missing my connection flight and on top of that American Airlines made me pay twice to check in my luggage. Then since I missed my flight I had to fly into Orlando later than all the rest of my family who I was meeting there. They were already at the Resort and starting their vacation while I sat in a terminal in Atlanta. You can believe I was pissed. While I waited for my connection flight, I had a few hours and a lot of time to think. I was still recovering from a breakup and my heart hadn't totally healed. I was in a state of "when is it going to be MY turn to be happy?" and "What is so wrong with me that no one wants to be with me?" and "WHY won't anything ever go RIGHT for me??" ETC. ETC. We've ALL been there..

So here I am on my laptop at the airport chatting with a friend and realizing that strangers are noticing the tears streaking down my face. I sat there thinking "I thought I was going to marry this man, how am I ever going to get over this? Will it ever go away?" As they say, time heals. Time..then I started thinking "I'm going to be 34 this year and I've never been married and never had any children? What do people think of me? That I'm not capable of a committed relationship? That I'm not mature enough to get married? That I'm not pretty enough?"

At that same time I was crying and sitting in that airport, I read something in an email that was sent to me: "If you keep thinking negatively about yourself, that reflects on your outer self and radiates to other people, whether you 'say' anything or not. Your Soul has a mirror. If you are not at peace with yourself, the world will steer away. And the longer you feel that way, the longer you are going to wait for your other half. We must love ourselves first, before someone else can love us"

DING! Light Bulb! And boy I felt like a fool at that moment..it was so true. I've heard those things said before many times, but never really followed it. I guess I had to crash and burn first in order to see that it was what I truly needed to follow.

It's been 3 months since that day.

I've made some new decisions in my life and it is going in a new direction and for the first time in a while I am happy and peaceful with myself..

I've also realized that when it comes to love and romance, it is not something you can control, it is not something you can predict, it is not something that you chase. It finds you when YOU find you. It happens when it's the perfect moment. And I'd rather hold out for that moment than chase someone that is just going to clip my wings and drag me under..I want to fly with that person. I don't want a man that isn't going to help me spread my wings.

Every experience is a learning opportunity. Every heartache, every disappointment, every betrayal, is something we can grow from..but that's our choice. We can either let it bury us deeper into destruction or we can say "well that was dumb" learn from it, and "let it go.."

Next time you're feeling icky about yourself, just breathe...look ahead, and know that you are worth your existence. If someone can't see that, than they aren't the one for you. They aren't capable of helping you FLY..

You deserve goodness. Believe it, and it will come to you.

*Raise your glass* To yourself ;)