To me, design is more than just arranging shapes and words; it is the ability to create almost anything. Being a designer gives you the ability to reshape viewers’ entire experiences, maybe even changing their mood or taking their mind to another dimension for just a moment. That’s what makes design is so powerful in our world; from propaganda to product branding, designers can make the viewers see from a whole new perspective. I see graphic design in the same way as fine art; it is another way to tell a story, conjure an emotion, or create an experience. That is why graphic design is my favorite form of communication as well as my passion.

When viewers think of graphic design, I don’t believe they understand all the possibilities. In my show, I decided I wanted to break my work out of the standard poster form and create an experience for viewers to take in. I didn’t want to focus too much on an individual piece, but more so on how they all work together as a whole. I wanted motion to be implied, to make the viewer wonder where the fish came from and where they were going. That’s why I chose fish; their sole purpose is to eat, sleep, breed, and swim to the flow of life. Although this may sound like a sad concept to some people, it brings me peace. To me, watching fish swim is an oddly tranquil experience; it feels completely natural. I have an intense desire to capture that emotion and recreate it for other people to view and enjoy.

My experience as a graphic designer has opened my eyes to how an idea can go from being an abstract idea, to an image on a computer, then finally be produced as a physical object, all representing the same original thought. As a child, I never knew exactly what I wanted to be when I grew up. But I was sure I wanted to be a creative person. I feel like in reflection of my fish I went with the flow and ended up exactly where I was supposed to be. I hope my work helps people feel centered for even a moment.