We were lucky to catch up with Marina Porta recently and have shared our conversation below.

Marina, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with education – we’d love to hear your thoughts about how we can better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career.

To prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career, schools and universities should teach students about emotional intelligence. Being able to manage one’s emotions in a healthy way, knowing how to adapt to changing circumstances and expressing emotions effectively is key for having a gratifying life and career. Possessing such abilities will only make you a better leader, coworker, parent, friend and partner.

Job searching after graduation was quite overwhelming. I soon realized I didn’t have all the tools to deal with the rejection that came with looking for a job as a recent graduate and the uncertainty of the future. If I had previously worked on further cultivating my emotional intelligence, that period of time would have probably been less stressful.

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.

Originally from Barcelona, I moved to the Unites States at the age of 18 to pursue an education and career on design. Prior to moving I had always been interested in the arts but wasn’t sure what route to go into. I couldn’t really draw or paint and always had a hard time remembering the different art movements. The one thing I really enjoyed was making collages with old magazines and newspapers I found around the house. Creating new compositions with all kinds of visuals was a challenge I loved taking up. It wasn’t until I took one of those career finding tests at school that I discovered graphic design. After learning more about the discipline I knew that was what I wanted to pursue as my career. The interdisciplinary nature of graphic design and the different forms it can take, is something that fascinated me (and still does to this day).

Now, I specialize in visual identity development and work across digital and editorial design, providing clients with effective solutions to their unique problems. Research is an essential component of my work process. I put a lot of emphasis on gaining insights into the context of a project by understanding the client’s business, industry and specific project requirements. My goal with every project is to ensure that the final designs are beautifully crafted while meeting the goals and expectations of both the client and the intended audience.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Over a year ago I was affected by the tech layoffs, like many people in the industry. However, my situation was slightly different. I was on an H1B visa, a work visa that allows foreigners to live and work in the United States. Since the visa is tied to an employer, if you loose your job you loose those rights. By law, you are allowed a 60 day grace period during which you can try to find another job and “transfer” your visa. Unfortunately, when I was laid off I happened to be outside of the country and immediately lost the visa. In one day, my life completely changed. I packed my bags, said goodbye to my friends and moved back to Spain, where I hadn’t lived in the past 8 years. At first I was very frustrated about the changes and uncertainties I was about to face but then I chose to accept my reality and decided to work with it rather than against it. Freelancing was something I had dipped my toes into but never took seriously, so I made the decision of pursuing it full time and I haven’t looked back! In hindsight, getting laid off turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is the creative process itself. Finding novel solutions to problems, coming up with new ideas and then being able to implement them is incredibly satisfying.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://marinaportaperera.com/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marina-porta-perera/