I can scarcely believe how lucky I am to introduce myself here. I’ve been reading The Community Edition for years, happily grabbing a copy every time I can afford to go out for coffee. It’s a fantastic local read that keeps me company in the times between drafting comics and wrestling with Adobe design software. Now, I’m elated to say: I’ll be wrestling with that software on behalf of a greater cause.
Until now I’ve been drawing independently, working as a freelancer and making comics. I’ve been drawing and painting since I was little, but I began my university life 10 years ago as a shy nerd tucked inside Laurier’s philosophy department. After a friend referred me to The Cord, I got the opportunity to contribute graphics as a volunteer. This creative outlet, and golden opportunity to learn the “joys” of file sizing, was invaluable to discovering what I wanted to do with my life. After a lot of living and moving, I eventually found my rightful place as a shy nerd nestled away in OCAD’s illustration department. Despite the intrusion of global disruptions, I was afforded the resources and time to finally say I “knew Illustrator” and couldn’t be happier. Now, after even more living and moving, I’ve managed to come full circle back to Waterloo as a vastly more experienced and confident shy nerd.
I couldn’t be happier to have returned. You can’t fully know where living and moving will take you, or which of your early experiences will become formative for your later dreams. But you can, after lots of time, trials and dedication, make the jump from shy nerd to an ambivert with Photoshop skills.
