We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Nicole Suchin a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Nicole thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So, let’s start with a hypothetical – what would you change about the educational system?

For me the most important thing I’ve always needed throughout my life is a driving sense of purpose, and the freedom to explore within my own creative mind. I was very fortunate with my education that it allowed for both of these things to thrive. I think where our education system struggles is trying to perfectly structure everything. Everyone is taught the same thing, in the same length of time, and given very limited room to think creatively or think for themselves at all. In order for students to live a fulfilling life and career, I think they need the right level of freedom and the right level of discipline. The only difficulty is that it is different for every child what these levels might be – which is why relying on just one institutional structure isn’t going to be the best solution for everyone. In my case, my parents chose to step outside of the standard and look for alternative solutions to education that could give me what I needed.

I had somewhat untraditional schooling. I went to public school for 1 year as a senior in high school, but prior to that, from 3rd-11th grade, I went to a co-op school which merged schooling at home with tutoring lessons twice a week. Essentially, I went to school Mondays and Wednesdays and then would complete any assignments at home. Because of this, on the days I wasn’t doing school, I did a lot of extracurricular activities surrounding sports, art, and music. I also didn’t need to have a strict sleep schedule. So, I was often up late at night, or spending entire days, letting my imagination and creative mind run free. Funny enough I actually fondly think of the times I would stay up til 2am just because I wanted to finish the book I was reading, or finish learning something that fascinated me.

Though my schooling was rather different and it involved less time in the classroom, it definitely was not one where you could slack off. I myself might claim my education was “untraditional” by today’s standard, but actually it was extremely traditional. We had classes like Logic and Rhetoric as part of the main curriculum to start. When I went to public school as a senior, all the books we read I had already seen and completed in 4th and 5th grade. To add to the pressures, academic excellence wasn’t just the expectation but the standard. Many of the kids in my classes were incredibly intelligent and have gone on to achieve really impressive feats. For me, my schooling had the right level of difficulty and the right level of freedom. While I had the freedom to explore outside the classroom, I was greatly challenged within it.

I feel that if I had been in our current educational system, I wouldn’t be the type of entreprenuer I am today. In fact, I don’t think I would have jumped into the career path I’m on now at all. It wasn’t until I realized that I still craved the right level of challenge and freedom as an adult that I decided to jump ship from working a 9-5 into building my own freelancing business. Owning my own time has been the most fulfilling thing for me. I can still stay up til 2am exploring ideas if I want to (though as an adult I don’t quite have that childhood drive like before haha).

All that said, when I went to public school it was not at all a negative experience. I loved that there were so many clubs and activities you could be part of, and I still found my loopholes to free up time (thanks to the many offered college-in-high-school courses). I don’t think the education system needs a total uhaul. I think it needs a little more flexibility, and I certainly don’t think kids need to be tortured with sitting in a classroom every single day. Ultimately, based on what I’ve experienced, I believe if we offer more freedom to think and explore in our school system, we will have an increase in smart, free-thinking individuals who are living a life without restriction in their pursuits.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Nicole Suchin and I am a Graphic & Branding Designer. I work with a wide array of clientele who are looking to improve their branding and visual presentation. Whether they need a new logo, a new homepage, or a total re-haul of their overall look, I utilize my creative eye and strategic mind to develop a branding strategy that fits their target audience, fits their own vision for the business, and achieve what I believe makes a strong brand. I also assist with messaging, and how to attract the right audience while standing out amongst the competition. My optimal goal is to provide high-quality, well thought out, and beautiful work that boosts a client’s confidence in their business presentation.

I got into graphic design and branding because it merges my love for creating things with logical problem solving. A strong design to me isn’t just something that looks good but that makes sense. That’s why with everything I create, I seek to understand the client and audience it’s being cultivated for.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I think what drives me most of all these days is an immoveable belief that I can and will achieve the things I have always dreamed of. I have always had a rather active imagination and big dreams for myself. But as I got older, I think a part of me started to accept that maybe my life would just be simple with little to show at the end. Then I realized that type of thinking was actually just my way of not taking responsibility for my future and the pursuits that have always been in my heart. To achieve big things required risk after all, and it wasn’t until I hit the point where I could finally see a better vision for myself that that risk was impossible to not take.

All that said, I think I really have two missions behind my journey. One is to prove to myself that I really can achieve whatever I set my sights on, the other is to show others that they have that same power. I want to excel in my field then turn around and show the next generation what all is possible when you work hard, take the right risks, trust in what’s in God’s hand, and take what you have and use it to the fullest of your capabilities.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Everytime I complete a project, hearing the client’s excitement to use what I’ve created for them has been one of the most fulfilling aspects. I want every client to walk away with a smile, and feeling like what they’ve gotten is more than what they asked for. I’ve heard from a lot of individuals in their working with designers say that sometimes the designer lets the “Creative Vision” overtake the client’s own vision. While I understand sometimes we as creatives have an eye for things the client might not quite understand, I think it poor practice to give them something they really don’t want. That’s why I make it a goal of mine to ensure my client’s get beautiful work that fits their vision, not my own. Ultimately, I believe what they want for their branding is more important than what I may want for it. And, when they finally have that “That’s it!” moment after I hand them back an idea that connects with their vision, I get to be the one celebrating with them! There’s nothing more rewarding than that.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nicolesuchin.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicolesuchindesign/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolesuchin/

Image Credits

Portraits done by Sam Terry Photography