The process of creation is divided into two parts within myself: my role as a graphic designer, and my freedom and identity as an artist. I constantly find myself in a battle of balancing simplicity and complex detail, straightforward meaning and logic, or depicting a mix of opposing emotions. 

 

The graphic designer is often the one who speaks in terms of logic. User ability, simple use of shape, color, and typography, become the essential tools in creating a design. Whether this is the form of rebranding through a website, logo or icon design, or the production of any promotional piece, I must consider the objective goals of the design: Is it legible? Does the color scheme compliment the design and client's vision? Is the message clear? The designer is task driven, fueled by a structured process of creation, and set with the end goal of satisfying both the client and themself.

 

Then, there is the side who uses art as a means of free emotional exploration. The use of photography, digital graphics, and hand illustration allows more free reign, and often, the meaning of my work is ambiguous. Small details in my work may resonate deeply with viewers, regardless of my original purpose or if it was intentional. My practice in photography, particularly in self-portraiture and exploring nature, becomes more intentional in exploring emotions and the state of mind. This process captures both my personal struggles and the beauty found within them. Unlike the designer who creates based on a clear message, this side allows for varied interpretations through color and lighting. 

 

Yet, there is a line which bleeds between these two parts of myself as an artist and designer. Both sides share a messy, time consuming process, welcoming failure and meaning albeit in different ways. In graphic design, clarity becomes essential, but attention to detail can still enhance the overall impact of its statement. Replacement or removal of a color, addition of a new shape, or attention to the weight of lines affects the movement of the eye and what is seen first. The marketing perspective of a design must have a straightforward meaning unique to the client it represents. However, this meaning, while task-driven, is drawn from a process of trial and error, embracing frustration, anger, exhaustion, joy, and the willingness to let go of ideas.

 

In the end, it is what I feel in the process of creation that I find most important. Whether this process is done through structured goals or through freedom of expression, I welcome all feelings, indulging in the moments of triumph and building from failure. At the end of each process, I only hope for my work to evoke emotion and meaning to be grasped, whether that is through a direct, functional design, or stricken by the complex feelings in my personal explorations. My creative process overall, embodies a struggle yet also an interconnection between playing with simplicity and complexity, and the understanding of logic and welcoming emotion.