I came into Newhouse as a photojournalism major and thought that it was the path I would be on until I graduated. All throughout high school I was known as the “photo girl” and always had a camera in hand or was in the darkroom developing pictures. So, in the fall 2018 I enrolled in the Intro to Graphic Design course because it was a requirement, completely dreading it because I thought that I would hate it and that it wouldn’t come naturally to me, but I as the course continued something about design began to appeal more to me than photo and ultimately through the countless mental breakdowns I decided to switch my major. Once it was officially changed, it was almost as if something clicked and I knew that I was on the right path. As someone who always thought my life would stay on a clear path the change was actually what I needed. It completely makes sense as I was a yearbook editor all throughout high school and design and layout had almost come naturally to me. I think that being a design major has given me more creative freedom, but I can still incorporate my love of photography without it being the only focus of my life.
Some of my most vivid memories from my childhood are learning to draw and paint with my grandfather. A talented painter and designer, he owned his own advertising agency and headed all of the creative work. He introduced me to the world of art. He took me to museums, we looked at his own work and he helped me create my own. As I got older, I realized that I was pretty good at drawing. It became something that I was very passionate about. Whether I worked on poster on the Civil War for history class or a painting for my art class, I put my greatest effort into making sure the design of the project was perfect. When my grandfather passed away, I was devastated and began to draw even more. From then on, I knew that I wanted to be like him and pursue a career in the arts. When it was time to apply to colleges, I put a lot of thought into my major. After weighing all the options, I felt confident with my decision to major in graphic design. I believe that the opportunities are endless with design. It allows me to combine my love of photography, illustration, and painting. There is no better feeling than producing a piece of work, that after countless hours of effort, you are very proud of. Design allows me to convey my thoughts and feelings to others, which is an incredible thing. I feel as though design has the potential to open up many doors in my life, and I am excited to see where it leads me. I hope that at the end of this class, when I look at my work from before the semester vs the end of it, I see clear improvement.
So glad you found your way into design!