Tell me your major, grade, and what brought you to LBCC.
I am in the visual communications program and am currently about to finish up my first year. I was born in Corvallis, so LBCC just honestly seemed like the best option for me because I didn’t really want to move around too soon.
What sparked your interest in graphic design?
I’ve honestly been drawing my whole life, but I never really took it all that seriously. Most of my life you know, I’d just kind of doodle in the margins of my notebook and all of that. I started at LBCC and my classes, at the beginning, were really rough so I decided that I would maybe just try a class or two that would be a little more fun for me. I picked up a drawing class and I ended up really enjoying it, so I just started taking more and more art-focused classes. Then somehow I just kind of ended up falling into the visual communications program and realized that was the right move for me.
In the future, are you hoping to work for a specific graphic design company or do freelance work?
I am looking into freelance work, but I do enjoy working for people, just because it helps with, you know, having a more specific direction. I have been working as a screen printer for the past couple of years while I’ve been in school. Through that I met a really good mentor of mine, his name is Brady Chambers. I was working for him for about a year, and he has kind of a self-built screen printing shop in his backyard and so he basically does everything himself—aside from my help—and I really do like that self-built sort of thing. But I’m really open to anything, and I would also be interested in doing some larger-scale work, maybe with posters. I enjoy concert posters and that sort of design realm.
Tell me more about what kind of work you’ve done for screen printing shops.
Currently, I work at Shirt Circuit. We mostly just print T-shirts for smaller companies that are more local. We do a lot of work for OSU, the fire department, and the police department. So honestly it is labor, but I really enjoy it just because I get to be around art all the time and I get to see the outcome of graphic design. It’s nice to be able to be learning about the business from both ends essentially.
If you could only use three fonts to design with, which ones would they be?
I really like Reross, Garamond, and New Order.
What gives you inspiration to create?
I draw a lot of my inspiration from music and I would say photography is a really big one for me. I love looking at old photos and going through old photography books and graphic design textbooks. I’ll go to used bookstores and look for any kind of books on art that I can find and look through them. I do a bit of reading, but honestly, a lot of it is just looking through the pictures, seeing what catches my eye, and seeing how I can kind of turn that around into something a little more of my own.
Are there any role models you look up to and why?
Specifically in the LBCC program, I feel like Lewis Franklin has been a great role model for me. He always is so helpful with his ideas and the way he’s able to kind of get through to me. A lot of the time I feel like I can get a bit lost in my projects and not see the forest for the trees, and Lewis is really good for helping me get back on track. Also, Anne Magratten has been great for me as a professor, just the environment that she creates in her classes is very encouraging and it makes me excited to come to class.
What have you enjoyed most within the graphic design program at LBCC?
Honestly the people. I love all of the students surrounding me. I feel like everyone has a very similar mindset, where we all come in and we’re looking to have a good time and really build each other up and build our design skills. I feel like in a lot of places in the world, people aren’t building each other up as much as they do in this program, where everybody wants everyone to be successful.
What are some of your plans and goals for after you graduate?
I’m hoping to move somewhere with a bigger population, I’m thinking probably Eugene or Portland, and maybe join a design firm. Or just continue with more freelance work.
What are some of your hobbies and interests outside of school?
I love to collect old records, CDs, and tapes, just all types of old music media. I love collecting old design and photography books, like I said. I also play a bit of the guitar.
Is there anything else you’d want people to know that I didn’t ask about?
I would say that anyone who feels like they have a need to create and make art, if you have that itch you need to go for it and just really let yourself create. I feel like so many people just hold themselves back, thinking that whatever they’re going to draw or paint isn’t going to be good enough, and I think the key really is to just try your best to get over that fear and let yourself make something that you might not even be happy with. The more you do that, eventually, you’re going to make something that feels like it’s complete and what you were going for.
