Destined to Design.
It may have taken an extra ten years to start my design career, but my journey has been developing my taste and style all along.
Teacher turned artist
When I look back at the dozens of posters I made for college clubs and the hours I spent painting theater sets (for a while it was hard to find clothes that weren’t covered in paint), it still amazes me that I didn’t realize I was destined to be a graphic designer.
I enjoyed reading, so I studied to be an English teacher. But after spending more time making beautiful slides and worksheets than writing lesson plans and correcting, I found that something wasn’t quite fitting in my chosen career.
After the Covid pandemic, I gave myself permission to go back to school to pursue a career in graphic design. With that shift, the puzzle pieces finally fit. I can spend my time making pretty graphics and it’s not procrastination—it’s my job. Now, at age 30, I am ready to use design to make a positive force for change in the world.
Creative confidence
My work as a whole tends to be a crisp and carefully considered illustrative style with a hint of cleverness (I’m a fan of puns). I’m quick to doodle thumbnails and storyboards in my sketchbook, getting excited over bringing a client’s vision to life. Parameters don’t scare me; they actually invigorate me because I have a direction to throw myself in, a problem to solve.
As a book lover, I enjoy formatting and typography, and as an art enthusiast, I am constantly refining my drawing skills. I love learning new things, so from week to week you will find me deep in a different project—website design, animation, illustration… Whatever you’re excited about making, I am too!
“Holly’s strength as a designer is understanding the core message and figuring out how to clearly (and concisely) convey that information through designs which are easy to read and understand.”
- Philip Wels