I've heard a lot of gripes about the difference between designers and artists.

Designers are like scientists.They believe in formulas and testing hypotheses. They are calculated and precise, and they research things to death. Artists are like alchemists. They can turn iron into gold, and there is a little bit of magic that happens whenever they touch something. They think outside of the box and turn the box into something else.

I say all this because I think I fall right in the middle, balancing both those sides. While design is a muscle that we have to train. We also can't ignore those lightning strikes of inspiration when they come.

You'll see in my work that I deeply love analog. While I embrace and celebrate new design methods, I am also drawn to the tactile and visceral feeling I get when I touch Letraset or woodblock type. I am a designer who loves typography because I've touched it. It wasn't until I was in a print shop moving type around with my hands that I felt like I knew what I was doing.

I am a good designer, employee, and artist because I am multifaceted. I love getting things done, being precise, researching, and testing ideas like a scientist. But I also embrace the side of me that leans into the magic of being an artist. It helps me take a step back and see things more holistically. I am a designer who won't make matters worse because I believe that I might even make them better.