We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ronda Thompson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Ronda, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.
I remember it like it was yesterday… I was in the 8th grade, flipping through an issue of Glamour magazine, and wanted to know who decided which image went where and how each page looked.
Soon after, my school just so happened to give my class some sort of a career aptitude test and that’s when I discovered that the this thing I had become interested in was called (at the time) commercial art. I’ve pursed it ever since.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
How did you got into your industry? I am not currently in the same industry where I began. Initially, my interest was in designing page layouts for magazines. During my senior year of college, while searching for an internship, I would go through the masthead of magazines I dreamed of working for and make cold calls to Art Directors.
On one fortunate day, a receptionist at Conde Nast Publications answered my call. I informed her about my search, and she suggested a couple of organizations for me to reach out to, one of which was the Magazine Publishers Association (MPA). Through MPA (by pure coincidence), I secured an internship with Conde Nast. This opportunity led me to my first staff position at Details Magazine, and my journey continued from there.
What type of creative work do you provide?
Currently, I serve as a Freelance Art Director in e-commerce. In my most recent role with Peloton, I conceptualized seasonal campaign photoshoots. I presented concept briefs to stakeholders and provided on-set direction for photographers and production teams. Additionally, I oversaw the art direction for digital assets and managed post-production tasks such as color correction and retouching.
What are you most proud of?
There are two points in my career that come to mind.
1. Moving abroad to work as a designer at German GQ. Living and working in a country where I didn’t know anyone or speak the language was a significant for me at the time.
2. The work I accomplished while at Essence Magazine. Taking on the position of Creative Director (something I had long feared) and being a significant contributing factor to an iconic publication and brand that meant so much to a culture and to me personally having grown up with the magazine.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
I find it incredibly rewarding to see my work out in the world. Whether it’s spotting someone on the train holding a magazine cover I ideated and designed or seeing someone walking down the street with a Victoria’s Secret bag that I designed, it’s a surreal experience. Knowing that someone paid for and uses something I created is a cool feeling.
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
While they weren’t available when I began my journey, YouTube and IG University are real! The ability to instantly access tutorials or techniques is a game-changer.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.rondathompsoncreative.com
- Instagram: @thompsonproject
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronda-thompson/
Image Credits
All images are by me.