Seven years ago, I began investing in a newfound hobby that would soon transform into a passionate skillset and genuine specialty I admire. Graphic design. Staring at the screen of my old 2013 laptop, I carefully follow all necessary procedures to install my first graphics editing software, “paint.net”. As a seventh grader, my simple desires were to just recreate silly graphics inspired by my favorite video games or attempt to develop flashy, “cool” text effects with the most overabundant amount of grunge textures, special effects, and lens flares I could fit into one screen as possible. I was purely enjoying the creation of my works without concern for the principles of design or for satisfying anyone’s needs. Later on, I “bought” Photoshop to further improve my skills.

However, my passion for graphic design eventually began to gradually die out once entering high school. Graphic design became more of an on-and-off skillset I would occasionally use for particular school projects rather than a genuine passion I’d pursue consistently. The creation process became more of a lengthy, experimental but excruciating period in which I would execute random ideas until something worked. That is if I even have a proper plan in the first place.

Nonetheless, a potential opportunity had arisen. Later throughout high school, I attempted to join the robotics team. Though I originally intended to be a programmer for the team, I quickly found out I was certainly not suitable for it. I eventually landed a role as a graphic designer and videographer for the team instead. From redesigning simple logos for our subteams to detailing fully custom designs for a cargo trailer with our team’s branding, these tasks reignited the proper motivation to fulfill various duties while also enjoying the process of graphic designing again.