We recently connected with Kara Ottinger and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Kara thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

“Oh, you’re an Art student… what type of job will you get with that degree? I guess you could always teach.” This is where the “risk-taking” started for me. I’ve never been the one to adhere to the status quo. I did ponder a few times if I was making the right decision for my future by starting out this way, I even second-guessed it while gaining an Associate’s degree. Crazy that we are supposed to have our future figured out by the time we are 18 and decide on a major. This is one bit of advice I always pass on to my student assistants and younger family/friends when deciding what career path to take. Take the risk! Do what you love, be whoever you want right now… the rest will figure itself out.

I’ve taken multiple risks since then that in fact my Art Degree helped launch. Anywhere from working at a Portrait Studio, Costume Shop to now a Senior Web Developer. My desires and goals have changed by the season and I am just along for the ride, but always learning, always growing, and always wanting more is the key!

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?

I am currently the Sr. Web Developer for the Division of Student Affairs at the University of North Texas. I manage around 30+ departmental websites for the division and train students and staff on how to edit their websites. I have the creative freedom to design sites in a way that I can help users find the resources they need on campus in order to enhance the student experience. I have a passion for user experience while making it accessible for all and not compromising design. I am also one of the first of my generation on campus to make sure the web is an important resource for all moving forward. I’m currently serving on the Staff Senate and involved in weekly planning meetings for web decisions with University Branding.

I have a BFA in Studio Art Photography, so I dabble on the side with family and senior sessions from time to time. I also really enjoy fashion photography, which is who I thought I would be in another life. Who knows, I still have a lot of life to live.

I have a love of art and science and when they merge it is magic. I fell in love with photography in the darkroom while developing my own film and photos with tons of chemicals and light. In a way, web development is like that. There is a lot of troubleshooting and puzzles to figure out to get the code to match the exact prototype of the design. Everything must be pleasing to look at, although functional and easy to navigate. I love solving problems and expressing information in an effective yet appealing way. I guess where the web tech side and artistic design side combined was the key to my career path currently.

In the future, I want to continue on the path of web development and incorporate more forward-thinking design. To develop design products that many could use throughout all different digital formats in order to bring us into the future. To utilize research, and have meaning behind the design. I want to continue to learn from others and grow indefinitely.

Work-life-home balance has also become a huge priority for me. Although I love to work, I love my family more, and working remotely for the last few years has had a huge impact on my quality of life with my family. I am forever grateful for working in the virtual world where this has become an available option to me.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I think being a creative is one of the most empowering, although sometimes daunting career paths. It gives you the freedom to express whatever you feel, although the void is sometimes terrifying and heavy. Everything is reliant on you to discover something or for you to say something through your art. But this in itself is beautiful. We as artists were put here for this reason, to make something out of nothing and to communicate to others in a way they didn’t even know was possible.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

How many no’s can you hear before you get a yes? 100 to 1, 1,000,000 to 1? I have already received many “no’s” in my lifetime. I was told “no” early in my career path by a professor that told me I had no artistic ability. What? Me? Art had always been my thing. This threw me, only to discover this professor had challenged me… he ended up being one of my favorites in the end. I also failed to get into the Comm Design program twice. After this particular blow, only then I was encouraged to try out for the exclusive Photography program…and without even knowing I had the eye, I was accepted and ended up falling in love with it.

These “no’s” only propelled me to keep trying and learning that there might just be a different path to get to my goal, and most of the time it is the best way to get there. The unexpected, the “no” only fueled my fire and propelled me in an even better direction than I thought. So how many “no’s” does it take for you to stop trying? Well, my answer is I will never stop. I will always push forward. I will always keep asking why and keep discovering more. I will always keep advocating for what I believe is right and what I believe I deserve. This is the internal drive that keeps me moving and many others before me. I am thankful for this mindset and for the many strong women before me that instilled this in me today.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://karaottinger.weebly.com
• Instagram: @karaottinger
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kara-ottinger/