Ok. This is going to be a long one ladies and gents. This is going to be the story about how I came to working in the profession that I am in and love to this day.
Whenever I tell people what I do for a living I always get very surprised looks. What!? You’re a graphic designer? I wasn't expecting that! I have been working as a graphic designer for a little over a year now but throughout the year I have been receiving this reaction from both men and women, but honesty mostly by men. Hey fellas! Why is it so strange to meet a woman graphic designer? While I was going to school I had a class of fellow graphic design students that consists of probably about 70% girls that all graduated along with me, and I know that they have now each moved on and are working in the field. But still why the surprise reaction? Is graphic design a predominantly male profession? Or is it not some much the fact that I am a woman but more that it is me as a person working as a graphic designer that perplexes people. I suppose I can understand a little. If I were to go back to my high school self and try to imagine what I would be when I grew up. I’m not sure if I would have truly believed that would be a graphic designer. Not because I didn't want to be, because I really truly did, but I think that my younger self did not believe that I would be able to pull that off. Like many young people in their last years in high school, now trying to decide what profession they might want to start pursuing. I felt that the road to becoming a professional in my career was going to be a very long one, and I didn’t know where to start. I have a always loved art. Drawing, painting, sculpture, anything hands on. Ever since I can remember. Maybe as early as 5 or 6 years old. I was always involved in art classes both at school and my parents, now having recognised my interest/ talent? Enrolled me in art classes outside of school. Painting classes on the weekend, ceramic classes after school...ect. I would always receive little crafty kits for my birthdays and Christmas. Little bracelet making kits or soap making kits and things like that, so that I was pretty much creating as my recreation .That passion for creating carried on with me all the way into high school, where I of course took art classes. Most of my peers in the art classes took these classes as a “Bird course” as what they call it a.k.a a course that you just fly through (don’t really do any work, talk with your friends and just received a passing grade regardless) but I took my art classes seriously. not because I felt like I had to for any reason but simply because I wanted to. That course felt like it was the only important thing I needed to know in school, of course this is obviously not true, you need science, math, french ,English to be able to graduate from high school. save for English class. I pretty much struggled to pass all of these courses. all the while I had been in the process of applying to CEGEP a college to those of you who did not grow up in Montreal. I decided to apply to fine arts (obviously haha!) and I somehow managed to pass all of my high school classes and was able to graduate. Yay! Once starting my fine arts program in college ( I know its cheesy but...) I finally felt like I found my place. I loved going into school every day. I found that I was going into school because I wanted to and not because I had to. I would wake up early and be in school by 8:00 am while class was only supposed to start at 9:30 am, and then often stay until 10- 11 at night or basically until the security guard would come and kick me out (lol I’m so crazy ) simply because I truly loved it so much. this program went on for 3 years, and all the while I honestly did not really think much about what I would do once I had graduated. The fine arts program was great and helped me explore and push my skills and creativity but it was not very good when it came to helping you figure out what to do next after the program was completed, but I pretty much paid it no mind, I was having to much fun, I couldn’t really be bothered. And inevitably, graduation day came and went I had no idea what to do next. My friends were going on to university, and I decided to take a year off and just work a part time job while I figured out my next step. After a few months of just working part time in retail, and not really doing art anymore ( it was difficult to while not being in school) I started to become anxious, nervous and lost. I had always heard the title graphic designer being passed around in art school, I wasn’t really sure as to what a graphic designer did, but I figured that might be a great next step for me. So I applied into the graphic design program at both Concordia university and Dawson college…. and got rejected from both (now what?). I turned out that I had not enough experience or something to get into these programs. So I was back to my idle time again. I was starting to think that maybe being a graphic designer just wasn’t in the cards for me. But within a few months, and through some connections. I ended up meeting a team of people why wanted to start a film crew in downtown Montreal. Film was always something I loved. I didn't know anything about film making but I loved films and this group of people had mentioned that they wanted a graphic designer. At this time I still barely knew what graphic design was at all. but I guess I had a fake it till you make it attitude at that time and I joined them in there expeditions on making films and me being the "graphic designer and basically grabbing every book I could find on graphic design and watching videos and doing tutorials online. Being a part of the film company required for me to travel to down town Montreal almost every day. I was living in the West Island and truly never really went downtown at all, so this was a really interesting experience for me, finally seeing the city and becoming accustomed to it and the people (Montreal is truly an amazing city, very diverse and open and frankly pretty artsy if I do say so myself lol). It was tiresome travelling into the city almost every day but it felt good at he same time. Becoming part of the film industry is very interesting! Late nights (sometimes endless nights for a few days in a row), call times, props, costumes, finding actors, scouting locations, travelling, dealing with directors , extras , equipment malfunctions and a million other things. It was truly one of the most difficult jobs of my life. I seriously don’t know how I managed to get through it, and did I mention I was not getting paid for any of this (haha no no friends and neighbours) this was solely for experience. And so on top of these things I had to work part time so as to have at least a little bit of money. But all in all, looking back now, I wouldn’t change a thing, I feel like it was something I need to experience for myself and I came out stronger because of it with great ambition and work ethic. I worked with the film company for a little over a year and we completed 2 films. Because of this I was now listed on the IMDB website as a graphic designer for this films. I feel like that title was absolutely worth my time and efforts spent. But after about a year, the film crew slowly broke up and each went our separate ways, at this time I had new graphic design work (amateur, but at least it was something) to add to my portfolio. And also, a tittle as a graphic designer on IMDB to boot. I felt that this might give me another chance at applying to graphic design school again. So I did, both to Concordia and Dawson again. And this time I got in to both ( thank goodness). I was torn between the 2 but after enquiring from people and research I chose Dawson college rather than Concordia University. Most people advised me against this. Why would I get a college degree when I could get university degree which is worth more. I knew this, but in my research I found that Dawson just simply seemed like a better program than Concordia. And so in fall 2012 I started at Dawson in the graphic design program. Now at this time, since already having gone to college before I was a few years older than most of the students in my classes, a lot of them were straight out of high school. And here I come in, all smug like I’ve been here, I’ve done this, I know more than all of you because I’ve done this before (bad mistake). my overly cockiness caused me to neglect my classes. I thought oh, I don’t need to go to class I know this stuff, I’ll just go home and do it later, or I’ll figure it out later and I don’t really need to practise or pay attention. I carried on like this for most of the semester, until there was maybe about 1 moth left in the semester and a saw that I was basically failing all of my classes. When I saw this I woke up and finally buckled down and started doing my work properly and actually applying myself. But unfortunately it wasn’t enough, I managed to turn most of my grades around accept for 1 class I failed by the skin of my teeth. I had spoken to my teacher about the possibility of bumping my grade up so that I could pass and move forward but he told me he didn’t think I was ready and if I had this much trouble in the being, there’s no way I would survive the next 3 years of it. And so his final answer was no, and because if this a had failed out of the program. This meant I would have to wait a full year before I could apply again and go through the whole portfolio evaluation proses again to get into the same program again and do the class over in order to move on (a full year!!). As you can imagine I was very upset, but I was upset with myself. I let it happen, I though I could just breeze by without having to work, and I felt mad at myself for thinking that. It never works out that way for anyone. I became pretty depressed during that year. All of my friends were in school, and I was alone for a lot of the time. I worked in retail during this time but it wasn’t very satisfying. I started to think that the universe was telling me See Leah, you're not going to be a graphic designer. It’s just not going to happen for you so you may as well forget about it. I was felling really depressed and lonely and lost. I was spending a lot of my days at home just watching TV and going on the computer all day everyday ( it was terrible). After a while I had started watching YouTube videos. I found that I really liked to watch fashion and beauty gurus, do make up tutorials. I started watching them very regularly and slowly investing in makeup and make up tools and just practising different techniques and getting better at it, all the while still working in clothing retail. I found that from watching these videos my fashion sense sort of changed and I started putting looks together easily and trying different things. People started noticing and complimenting and pretty much from there on out I have been keeping up with fashion and beauty just in my spare time as a hobby. It gave me more confidence and inspired me to apply to school again and this time really give it my all because I decided that even if the universe didn’t want me to be a graphic designer, I still wanted to be one anyways. It wasn’t the universe that was holding me back, it was me not giving it my all so I decided to give it another go. I changed my attitude. Reapplied, got in again. And humbly started over remembering to keep myself in line and go in with an open mind. I’m not going to lie, it was hard. Even while applying myself fully I stills struggled a lot to keep up. I became that not only did I show up for every class but I would show up early before class and stay late nearly every night again until round 11:00 at night or until security kicked me out.( If I had it my way, I would have spent full nights). Did I mention I lived in the West Island and would take public transport to and from school everyday, which made it 2 hour ride there and 2 hour ride back home everyday. I would get home very late and get up very early. Most of the time having about 3-4 hour sleep every night in the week (I don’t recommend this, it’s not good for you but that was just the way I worked I guess). Even started coming into school on the weekends to try to keep up and stay ahead). Also, working part time in retail on some weeknights and some weekends. I hardly saw my friends at all, but you gotta do what you gotta do. I really felt like I needed to make this work for myself because even though it was hard I truly loved what I did. This went on for the 3 years of the program. Many, many sleepless nights and long days. But I manage to get stay on the Honor roll through the 3 years. Towards then end my teachers began asking us what field would we specifically like to work in as graphic designers. I never really thought about it much before but I decided I wanted to work in fashion. It just seemed that it was always in me deep down that that is where my interests lay and so I focused my craft into fashion. After 3 years had a pretty respectable portfolio. My class held a very successful vernissage to presented each of our work from the past 3 years, I received a lot of praise. It was so fulfilling, it was honestly one of the best days of my life so far. I was very proud of myself. At this time I started looking for jobs in my field (to be a graphic designer in the field of fashion) in my search I found that most places positions requires at least 3 years of experience in the field for an entry level employment and I had taken an unpaid position as a graphic designer in a small company in the fur industry. I am not vegan and I am not necessarily against wearing fur, but for some reason working in the fur industry made me a little uncomfortable, I did not enjoy it very much but I stayed because it felt that it was good experience to have and it was only for about 2 months. I was still looking for a full time paid position in a company that I would like. One day after applying, applying, apply everyday for months I got a phone call asking for an interview for a graphic designers position at Buffalo David Bitton head office. I knew I really wanted the job and it was between me and a few other candidates. So I put my game face on and I went over and in my opinion rocked the interview. It required a take home design test (a lot of companies requires this). I took my test home and it asked of me to create 1 design idea to fit the company. I took it home and spent a few hours on my design. I was happy with it...but I really, really wanted this job and I figured that I this is my one chance to show them what I got, I’m going to give it my all. And so I stayed up all night and came up with not 1 but 12 designs. (omg I’m so crazy haha) And emailed the head office as soon as it became an appropriate hour to do so. After that all you can pretty much do is try to forget about it and wait. It was hard to forget about it, I really wanted it. But sure enough about one week later I received the call offering the position to me. I was ecstatic. Started work a week later. A few months in my boss mentioned to me that he was totally impressed with my initiative and how I went above and beyond and it was that that gave him the confidence to hire me for the position, it just showed how passionate I was and how serious I took my work (this may not always work for everyone, it is hard to say in every field and with every employer, sometimes it is really unnecessary to go too overboard. In my case I felt like I did what I had to do and it worked for me). I love my job from the very beginning and I still love it now. It has now been over a year and I am very happy here. It took a long time and a lot of effort and failure and self evaluation to get me to where I am. All I have to say is that for me the secret to success is truly giving it your all and working hard. If you truly want something, it is not going to fall into your lap. You need to be the one to make it work for yourself. Pursue your dreams, and stay focused Ladies!
Ⓛ
