I believe the title storyteller and creative fits me. I’ve done so for a number of years with different companies in different industries.  I’ve been a part of successful teams including an National Basketball Association team, the largest newspaper in Cleveland Ohio, including both the website and the printed newspaper, law firms, doll makers, hair shop owners, non-profits, I’ve designed for a national opera singer and a few television personalities.  I’ve even been in a commercial. 

Creativity has been a big part of my life at an early age.  Between the kindergarten and third grade years, my teachers used to have me draw pictures for their bulletin boards.  Many times while the other students were taking tests or working, I was at the table drawing Mickey Mouse or Snoopy.  Fast forward to middle and high school, I found that being good at cracking jokes was a must, and that wasn’t always my forte’, but I had a leg up in the game.  I won most bouts by quietly drawing funny pictures of my competition during the first half of class, then I would quietly pass it to the next classmate and encourage them to pass it along.  I often would listen happily as laughter erupted throughout the classroom.  Sometimes I even got laughter from my teachers, inevitably intercepting, opening and fighting to show professionalism, but usually laughing and commenting on it in front of the entire class.  I knew then that drawing and using my creativity was necessary, but I wasn’t taking my artistry as serious as I needed to.  This though would soon change.

By high school, my creativity had hit a crossroads.  My summers were spent in classes my mom encouraged me to attend like mask making at the Cleveland Museum of Art or music classes at The Rainey Institute, and I also ended up with summer jobs, like one that had me installing trees at the Cleveland Museum of Art, or more corporate experiences as I worked with the Desktop Support and Retail Systems teams for B.P. America, as a member of Inroads.  This was a program designed to help young minorities experience and gain positions in business and Corporate America.  Thought it wasn’t as ‘creative’ as my other experiences, it did give me insight into what it was like to work in more corporate settings, and get my hands dirty on the IT side of things

Since then, my official titles has always landed somewhere between Web Designer and Graphic Designer.  Manager and Supervisor has been attached quite often as my ability to lead and steer teams in the right direction have been skills I have developed, along with others (…including animator, illustrator, audio & video editor, author, painter, manager, supervisor, and artist, to name a few…) have made their way to my resume, but I’ve never wanted to limit myself.  I love to create, whether it be web pages, graphite pencil drawings, acrylic paintings or even animated cartoon characters I’ve drawn.  I also love working with other creatives to complete projects together.  I love seeing a complete project that comes together from working with a team of people to create something impactful and amazing.