Why Graphic Design?

I chose graphic design, because...

I can do anything.

Graphic design for me is infinite.

I was actually accepted into KCAI my senior year of high school, but I couldn't afford to go and my parents didn't believe art was a career. I ended up in community college in order to find a new career path, but ironically I only fell more in love with art. At the time I went to school for 15 hours and worked 40 hours a week in a non-climate control warehouse lifting boxes. This was the most miserable time in my life, but also the time I learned the most about myself. I learned that I could handle anything I set my mind and heart to. I learned that I needed to be challenged, be creative and think critically. Although, the money was good lifting boxes mindlessly wasn't cutting it for me. I remember one of my professors telling me that artist are like impoverished aristocrats, in that they don't always have physical wealth, but they have everything they need to be happy. Graphic design was it for me, the possibilities were endless and I could incorporate all of my interests into it such as photography, painting and fashion. Speaking of fashion, in high school I was introduced to street brands like The Hundreds, Johnny Cupcakes and Hellz Bellz. I fell in love with the idea of being able to represent an entire culture or lifestyle within an image. The ability to communicate an idea that resonates within someone is success to me.

Type and Image, Meggs& Graphic Design Sources, Hiebert:
I've never really thought of graphic design as an interface as Hiebert states it, but I have thought of it as a hybrid discipline as Meggs states. Majority of what Hiebert wrote put into words what I've always felt, such as crossing boundaries. One of my biggest reasons for choosing graphic design over fashion design was because of its versatility. In my previous college I tried to take a variety of classes such as printmaking, photography and painting and what I was that noticed that all my work could be translated into graphics and vice versa.

Stefan Sagmeister:
I've seen a lot of Stefan Sagmeister's work in the past, but I didn't know who the artist was. His perspective on design and the manner in which he includes the process in the design is intriguing. Every step of the process is as important as the final product, which is lesson we all should learn from. It's like building a house, if your foundation isn't strong the rest of the house will crumble.

Here are some of the designers that inspired me (if you're interested):