I will never not be making things.

In first grade I started writing and illustrating books, experimenting with computer graphics, and even designing my own magazines. I haven’t stopped since.

In college I made it official, earning my BFA in graphic design, which led to my first job telling stories with words and pictures in a corporate setting. Starting as a junior graphic designer, I built on my experience in more senior roles, eventually becoming a creative director. My work has included designing corporate logos and brand standards, learning the dark art of Photoshop magic, becoming a vector illustration wizard, designing websites, retail signage, and a variety of print publications, managing content libraries, and more. I learned that the best work happens in collaboration with other amazing creatives, and had the privilege of leading a team that could make just about anything—marketing campaigns, photo and video shoots, trade show displays and sales conferences. First-grade-me was impressed.

All the while, my fictional characters implored me to tell their stories. But writing fiction, like designing and illustrating, is harder than first-grade-me realized. And it takes time—a lot of time. As my life and work responsibilities increased, that novel I’d planned to finish right after high school, then right after college, kept getting relegated to the back burner. And did you know that when you work on a novel sporadically over many years, you tend to keep changing your mind about the characters? And the dialogue. And the setting. And the plot. And how many times it’s OK to use the word “the.” And the reason you started writing it to begin with.

In 2019 I picked up the thread again. It turns out, the solution to writing a novel while working full time is exactly what so many other writers do: shoehorn it in. For me, that meant writing late into the evenings, on weekends, and wherever I could squeeze it in. (Yes, I was the person editing a draft on my phone, ignoring the Hawaiian sunset as, in the background, my family frolicked in the surf.) It also meant establishing a deadline. No, I didn’t have a fabulous three-book deal from a major publisher. Or an agent. Or anyone waiting on the novel except me. But I was racing against two things: the inexorable march of time (I was almost forty) and the fact that I needed to get the story down before I could change my mind about it. Again.

And that’s how (drumroll please) in late 2020 I finished a draft of my first novel. With that milestone finally under my belt, it was time to tackle the rest of the emerging writer to-do list: find some beta readers, learn about the publishing world, do a lot of reading, research and reflection, and—most importantly—redraft. That process has improved my writing, opened my eyes to the incredible community of writers and agents out there—and, most of all, shown me I’m on the right path.

My current adventures include seeking representation for my novel and working on the next one. On the graphic side of things, I’m still working on branding and illustrations, and am open to proposals if you have a project in mind. Follow me on Instagram for news, nerdy design stuff, updates on my emerging author quest, random illustrations and silly travel photos.

When I’m not creating things, I can be found running in the rainy Pacific Northwest weather, recording cover songs with my guitarist husband, buying art I do not have wall space for, and hunting for skeleton collectibles.

EXPERIENCE

Current:
Writer, Illustrator, Designer → T. Wright-Meyer Studio, Portland, OR

Past:
Creative Director → DENNIS Uniform, Portland, OR, 2016–2021
Graphic Design Manager → DENNIS Uniform, Portland, OR, 2013–2016
Graphic Designer → DENNIS Uniform, Portland, OR, 2004–2013
Freelance Graphic Designer → Robot Elephant Creative, Portland, OR, 2007–2021

EDUCATION

BFA, Graphic Design → Pacific Northwest College of Art, Portland, OR, 2004