Who would have thought a math and science kid would end up here? While I found great joy and challenge in the math and science world in high school, that did not end up being the path for me. Riveted by the movie posters on the wall of Blockbuster my senior year, I knew then that whatever “that” was I would do the rest of my life. I discovered Photoshop.
With only some tinkering in Photoshop under my belt and literally no knowledge of f-stops and shutter speeds, somehow I was accepted into the photography program at BYU. Pulled into a whole new world, I found great joy in learning the trade and exploring new techniques. Since then, I’ve explored everything under the sun in that field and worked my way into graphic design and gave much of my attention to commercial work. The exploration process was a bit challenging as it wasn’t clear in my mind what I wanted to do with my accumulating skillsets until I rediscovered what could be done with the power of Photoshop.
While Photoshop has its reputation for warping our view of our world in the worst ways, I discovered with its power I could create new art which if done right can edify, teach, and inspire others. For a time, I did not know what my art form was even called, but that never stopped me from making it; it simply made the uncharted path more difficult to navigate. Given much of the work is tedious and time consuming, my favorite part of the creative process is the beginning and the end. There is no thrill quite like when a connection is made and the idea strikes and no reward quite like the finished piece before you that was first born in the mind. And as with any gift God has given, there is no greater joy than knowing some art piece may help other souls on their way.
