We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Harold Foster, Jr. a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Harold, appreciate you joining us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?
In regard to my upbringing, I believe my parents are the driving force behind my success as a business owner and a graphic designer. The values and morals they instilled in me as a child still resonate with me today, and now that I am a father of two; I wholeheartedly understand the sacrifices they made to ensure I was afforded an opportunity to achieve my dreams. I am the last of four children, so I would like to think my parents understood what it took to push me and keep me motivated in achieving my goals. In a perfect world, we could say I’m a lucky child because my parents were there for me through every step of my journey. Whether it was moral support or financial obligations I could always depend on them. In fact, while in college I remember one of my design classes requiring us to have a Macbook, which was definitely not in a starving artist’s budget. Even though my mom needed a new vehicle, her desire to see me achieve my goals was so strong, she borrowed additional funds from her 401k to get me a Macbook. She even held off on buying herself a new vehicle until she was sure I was done with college. My parents are truly a blessing, and if I can give my children half of what they gave me they will be able to conquer the world.
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 Harold Dennis Foster Jr. I am the owner of HFJ Creative, and I currently work as a graphic artist for CNN in Atlanta, Ga. I’ve been working in the field of graphic design for over ten years, and my areas of specialization include logos, illustration art, and motion design. Art and people are two passions at the top of my list, so being able to talk with an individual and bring their artistic vision to life gives me a sense of accomplishment that is profound and indescribable.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
After graduating college I learned very quickly that finding an avenue where my passion is both meaningful and profitable is not an easy task. Between job searches, being a husband, and trying to get my business off the ground I realized what finding success in the “adult world” requires. Being an entrepreneur was a goal of mine; however, I wanted a career that would also let me consistently provide for my family. After filling out over two hundred applications and not receiving one offer, fatigue, and discouragement set in and I felt as if my dream was slipping away. Regardless of the struggle, my wife was and still is my greatest supporter/cheerleader. It was also during this struggle period, I was listening to Napoleon Hill’s “Think & Grow Rich” when I heard the quote “If you think you can or can’t you’re right”. Even though this quote is simple it was powerful enough to shift my perspective and revive my hopes in cementing a legacy in corporate America. Shortly after hearing these words, my life began to change, while my wife and I were moving from Fresno, California to Atlanta, Georgia I got the call I had been waiting on for what seems like an eternity. CNN asked me if I could interview for a graphic design position and the rest is history. My ambition is still on overdrive because I haven’t reached a level of success that will activate cruise control, so until then the marathon continues.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
My most rewarding aspect as a creative is bringing people’s ideas to life. My artistic process begins with me actively listening to my client and ends with their satisfaction with a finished product. Hearing a client’s perceptions and concepts with an overall goal of creating a memorable work of art is a challenge that I enjoy embracing time and time again. I often listen to audiobooks and music during my design process to help stimulate my creative juices and eliminate stress. Taking on projects where customer satisfaction is the only means of measuring success can be a bit overwhelming, so I try to create environments, which are conducive to my thought process. Another thing I like to incorporate into my design process is the current state of the world. The right piece of art is capable of living much longer than the expected 76 years of a human, and being able to tell today’s stories with my art gives me a form of immortality.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://haroldfosterjr.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hfjcreative/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haroldfosterjr/
- Other: https://www.behance.net/haroldfosterjr