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My journey to becoming a Graphic Designer

Who am I? My names’ Rhys Alexandra Jade Wylie – I know. What Mother does this? So you can call me Jade for short, or Wylie – Take your pick. I’m 27. Probably a bit of an odd-ball. A small Yorkshire lass with a loud voice. Sarcastic humour. Bit of a Tom boy. Make-up to the nines but i’d rather pick my nose, honestly. I come across pretty confident but inside i’m a sensitive little soul.

I come from a varied sales background – Advertisements, Stationary, IT/Hardware support. I currently work in Banking. From the outside my life probably seems pretty average, I can assure you it is far from that, but i’ll spare you the gorey details.

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What inspires me? I’m inspired by all things visual, nature, photography, GOOD films and fashion. I have a passion for music, although my choice of music probably isn’t to everyone’s taste. My hobbies consist of photography, music production, hiking/climbing, and cooking. I like cats, the outdoors, documentaries, abandoned buildings, mountains, tattoos, and Vietnamese food.

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My dislikes? Well, Donald Trump for a start. Racism, fascism, bullies, anything that goes against equality quite frankly. Although Ugg boots do not fall under that same realm of acceptance unfortunately (Sorry). I’m not a fan of cleaning, sloths are weird, and the smell of malt should be illegal.

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Why Graphic Design? I’ve always been surrounded by creative people. The most influential people are my Mum, my Dad (despite his absence), my Mum’s friends growing up, and friends I have come to know in my teenage / adult life. All with a history of photography, dancing, some form of design, music production, singing/songwriting, fashion. You name it!

Although I had great opportunities as a child, I never had the consistency or structure in my life to succeed. Without any direction, I’ve fallen in to a routine of taking on a job because I can, rather than because it’s my passion and it gives me satisfaction in life.

I developed a more obvious attraction to Graphic Design when I worked for media company ‘Newsquest’ where I sold advertising space in their Glossy lifestyle magazines to companies across Yorkshire. There I formed a better understanding of what graphic design was and realised it was something I could incorporate in to my own hobbies such as photography and music production, and potentially form a career out of it. I didn’t appreciate the scale then. The limits to Graphic Design are truly endless. It excites me!

When you get down to the foundations of graphic design, you realise how challenging the industry is. I know it wont be an easy ride. It’s going to test my weaknesses without a doubt – Taking criticism, the competition, leaving ‘personal preference’ at the door, the rejection….The fear! For me these examples are even more reason to use my experience on this course to address these areas, build confidence, and move forward on a personal level, as well as develop the skills needed to form a successful career in graphic design.

While studying a BA Hons Graphic Design degree with OCA/UCA, I will use this space to document anything and everything I put my energy in to – Research, projects, assignments, feedback and anything else relevant to the course. I hope you enjoy!

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