What is your current job?
I am currently in grad school at Philadelphia University studying to get my Masters in Textile Design with a concentration in print design. When not in school, I work as a freelance designer and work on my own design collections. I have freelanced for Anthropologie, and am currently designing rugs for a new rug company. I have a collection of rugs that will sell on a few home furnishing websites in mid July that I'm super excited about.
Why did you choose this profession?
I fell in love with painting at Haverford and knew that I needed to do something creative for my career but wasn't entirely sure what that job would be. Getting out of school I felt a bit lost and so I worked a variety of jobs to try to figure out what I wanted to do. Some of these jobs included working as a design consultant at a paint store, assisting the Fine Arts Dept at Haverford, working for a fine arts storage and moving company, and most recently working in home textile product development for Anthropologie. My position in product development wasn't very creative, however I worked closely with the textile designers and realized that it was the field that I wanted to be in. I needed more textile education so getting my masters in textile design was the natural next step.
What more do you wish to accomplish in your professional career?
My professional goal is to work for myself as a designer. I am a maker through and through, it's what I need to do in life. I constantly create things whether it's drawing, painting, designing on the computer, making jewelry, and I've recently learned howe to knit and weave. Next up is learning to sew! I will feel accomplished in my old age if I have pushed my creative boundaries, grown as an artist and designer, and hopefully made an impact in a few people's lives.
Tell us about a decision or change you made that turned out to be a positive career move.
Being persistent about working in a creative field has been the biggest career decision for me. I left a comfortable, well paid administrative job with a well known business consulting firm after 3 months because I realized that I absolutely had to do something creative in my career. It would have been so much easier to go a more practical route with what I chose to do for work but I was determined to find a creative job. My passion for art and design has proved to be more motivating than a comfortable and stable job.
That being said, I have worked two jobs at a time before, worked weekends, had side hustles to make money and had many sleepless nights and stressful days because of my desire to work in a creative field. I am 30 and only now figuring out what I want to do, so it definitely hasn't been easy.
How has Haverford influenced your professional career?
Professors Ying Li and Willie Williams of the Fine Arts department have been huge mentors for me and without a doubt helped me get to where I am today. The passion they have for their art has been hugely inspiring and motivating. The guidance and compassion they gave me both as an undergrad and when I worked for the department has been a gift that I am so grateful for and truly appreciate.