Growing up, I would spend countless hours indoors while everyone else was outside, playing in the snow. I taught myself how to proficiently use Adobe Photoshop at age 15. I would spend my late nights creating and recreating Christmas cards, all addressed to fake families, all featuring fake families that I wasn’t apart of. There was just something so beautiful about knowing how to make something – anything – look exactly the way I had imagined it.
But the reality is that I never pursued it as a career. Instead, I went to college and got an English/ Communications degree. Immediately out of college I landed my dream job, one I am still at today, working as the Marketing Manager. Figures I would not take the design route – but still gravitate to a career that is somewhat design related.
But several years ago, I was approached by a friend to create a custom wedding suite, and it brought back so many dreams that I never pursued in fear of failure. It brought back the desire to WANT to do it all over again. So that’s what I did. And to my surprise, it was all quite a success. In fact, one of the items I created was asked about so much that I decided to open an Etsy shop. It’s now my most popular item – with over 2500+ units sold.
To say I am humbled is an understatement. To say I am living the dream is also an understatement. I am constantly blessed with clients and people who trust my work – who trust in my ability as a designer. Somedays I still question if I’m a fraud, because frankly I didn’t go to school for design. I didn’t take any lessons, or learn the correct meaning of kerning. I just kind of taught myself – and trusted that what I thought looked good, actually looked good. And while I’ve spent the last 15 years of my life doubting whether or not I could actually have a career as a designer, it is so reassuring that I am here, now, with this shop, with this website, with countless designer projects that I never thought possible.
I am so grateful to all my past clients, all my future clients, and everyone else who has just been kind enough to offer me a bit of security.
Needless to say, this has all meant the world to me.