When I grow up I want to be . . .

I think I’ve finally decided what I want to be when I grow up. This is a good thing seeing that being “grown up” or at least having to pay for myself is coming up in about 4 months when I (Lord willing) graduate from college.

Last semester in my drawing II class the professor told us that to be an expert at anything, one must invest 10,000 hours into doing that thing. I figured that whatever it is that I eventually decide to be I should choose to become and expert at that so I can be one of the best. Over the summer I did a lot of graphic design work at my internship and loved every minute of it. I’ve loved designing things since I was a kid playing on my first computer in PrintMaster. I’d spend hours on the program designing cards for friends and posters for my room.

Graduating with my Associate's degree in Graphic
Design from Southern Adventist University
on May 6, 2012.
Copyright: GradImages

And despite doing graphic design in college, I was never settled on what I would finally seek a career in once I graduated. It came to the point where I was actually looking into physical therapy schools in Israel (yes, you read correctly—Israel!) over the summer.

It’s been no secret to anyone that I’ve had trouble deciding on a major and a career. I went from fashion design to theology (not even kidding!) to toying with history then settling in with journalism only to forgo that for an AS in graphic design before returning only to drop journalism to try religious studies and finally realize that I better graduate and a degree in art was the fastest way down the first major aisle—the graduation aisle!

One of my bosses at my internship would ask me periodically if I’d decided what I wanted to be yet. I’d try to come up with something but I was really not sure. My default answer was always something where I can do both design and writing.

Well, I finally decided. It’s graphic design. I want to be the best graphic designer that I can be. And that means investing into achieving 10,000 practice hours in that field. So far, counting my past work and studies in graphic design, I’ve already logged approximately 2,600 hours. That’s the equivalent of working ‘round the clock for 16 weeks straight! I’m looking forward to seeing how my skills improve over the next 7,400 hours!