My First Week

I started my first week of classes this week and so far it's great!

Outside the school on my first day

My first week of classes has been really good and really interesting, I'm really enjoying it! We began the class by talking a little bit about the creative process and the history of design. One of the very first things we talked about was to not be embarrassed or self-conscious about our work. There will be people who don't like it, but we shouldn't paralyze ourselves with fear or anxiety because it may not be perfect or loved by all; rather, we should just do our best and be consistent. Paul Rand said, "Don't try to be original, just be good," because in the end consistency is the key to a good designer. And Elizabeth Gilbert said that we shouldn't be afraid, shouldn't be daunted, but just show up and do our job.

On the first day, we also talked a little about the creative process and where ideas come from. Ideas can come from research, what we glean from our surroundings, divine inspiration, dreams, collaboration, etc. There are so many things that can influence a good idea, but the key is to not be a complete isolationist about it and the best designers are those who can learn from and collaborate with other people; sometimes it takes a village. It got me thinking about my own creative process and while I'm not exactly sure how my ideas generate, I can see how I've been influenced by each of the above-mentioned ways, except for dreams, I've never been much of a dreamer. I have however woken up with ideas in mind, so maybe I am influenced by my sub-conscious after all.

We spent the rest of the first day talking about the history of design, which I found really interesting. It was cool to see how graphic design has developed and evolved over the decades, from shortly before 1920 to today, just the evolution is awesome. We looked at some posters, magazine spreads, logos, and other designs to fully understand the history while we talked about designers who influenced the field in the various media of design. It was really interesting.

My second day was a special situation because I won't be in class on Saturday, my teacher let me come in a different day with the full time class so I could learn what he'll be teaching on Saturday so that I don't fall behind. We talked about color--I had no idea how involved it was--and the differences between print color and web color (CMYK vs. RGB) and were introduced to the Pantone colors.

After the color introduction, we started working on the computer with Adobe Illustrator, a program with which I am unfamiliar, so that was exciting. We learned about the pen tool and traced a picture to learn how to use it to create curves and straight lines. I still need some practice, but it was only the first day, so I'll learn the more I do it.

And class was canceled last night because of weather.

I've also been assigned my first two projects. One involves construction paper and creating a symmetrical, asymmetrical, and positive/negative space using black and white construction paper. The other is to draw on a design movement or designer's style of the past and create a project for Black History Month. I'm looking forward to both and have gotten my wheels turning a little on them already. I'll post the projects (and processes as needed) as I go, so look for more posts soon.

So, my first week has been really good and it will be fun to see what more I learn along the way!

The Beginning

I always said that I wouldn't start a blog until I was married, I don't know why I chose that as a landmark, but I did. Maybe because my life pretty much consists of work, church, and sleep. Doesn't sound too exciting, does it? And between my journal and Facebook, I keep a pretty good history of my life. But then I decided to pursue a certification in graphic and web design, and thought that for my token readers who want to know/see what I'll be creating and producing during my program (not just at the end), this would be the best way to showcase my work, especially the printed work.

Thus, the "Brownie by Design" blog was created. I'm grateful for my last name as it opens so many naming conventions! As I said, this blog will not be so much of a personal, "here's what's going on in my life" blog--though personal things may filter through--as it will be a way to display my work during the next 18 months and beyond.

Some may wonder how I decided to do this, so here's a brief background. I think scrapbooking is a family trait, as the majority of women in my family seem to be interested and talented at it, and I was blessed with the same trait. I've enjoyed scrapbooking for as long as I can remember and a good friend of mine and I recently decided that if my life were to be an artistic medium, it would be a scrapbook. That being said, I appreciate how pictures can convey meaning and how one can use a combination of pictures and words to present a message. As a sophomore in high school, I took a multimedia class where we learned the basics of graphic and web design, created projects, learned PowerPoint, etc. It was one of my favorite classes in high school and I decided that I would major in Multimedia Design in college (since I'd ruled out becoming a marine biologist after taking a biology class). When I went off to college, they no longer offered Multimedia Design as a major (it happens at small schools) so I pursued a degree in Business Marketing, which I thoroughly enjoyed, and did my creative scrapbooking, posters, etc. in my free time.

After graduating in 2006, I served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for 18 months and it was one of the best things I've ever done. Upon returning from my mission, I felt it was time to figure out what to do with the rest of my life. I had some of ideas of things I'd like my job to be, but wasn't sure exactly what job that was. I started working for a law firm and began thinking about a Masters' degree, but was undecided on the subject and didn't want to start a program only to realize half-way through that it wasn't what I wanted to do. So I waited and I prayed about it (a lot) to figure out what to do. After working in the law firm for 18 months, I got a new job as an administrative assistant, which is fine, pays the bills, and has great benefits, but isn't what I want to do forever. So, I kept praying and pondering, seeking to figure out what to do. I even took the GRE, but ultimately I received the answer that a Masters' wasn't the right move for me, at least not at the moment.

About six months after receiving the answer, I had a mission reunion that took me to Salt Lake City. The reunion was wonderful as was seeing some old friends, but perhaps the greatest blessing was that I got away from my circumstances for the better part of a week and my mind was clear and more open to direction. On the way home from Utah, as I was writing in my journal (often a revelatory experience for me) I had the thought come that while pursuing a Masters' wasn't right, maybe I should consider a certification (something the career counselor at work advised me of) in graphic design. As I thought about it, I felt really good about it, as I've had an interest in graphic design since I was 16. When I got home, I looked into programs and schools, went on a couple of visits, prayed about it, and decided to pursue my certification in graphic and web design at the Center for Digital Imaging Arts at Boston University in Georgetown, part-time while I continue to work my full-time job.

Thus, the decision wasn't a difficult one, it was just a long time coming. Perhaps the greatest lesson I learned from this is that truly our prayers are answered, it's just in the Lord's timing. I'm grateful to be starting the program and know that this is the right time for me to do it. Had I tried to do it earlier, it wouldn't have worked out and I can see how things came together in my life recently to prepare me for this. (For an excellent talk on timing from a modern-day Apostle, I recommend "Timing" by Elder Dallin H. Oaks.)

I'm really excited about this! The more I think about it and prepare for it, the better I feel about it. And, I can see myself in this career and enjoying it.

I also want to thank all my friends and family for their support during this, it really means a lot!

So, here I go! Classes start January 24, wish me luck (my two token readers!)!

As a starting point, kind of a "before" picture, here is a poster I did recently for my good friend's birthday. I'm looking forward to learning new things, concepts, and programs to make this year's better.