We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Shannon Wright a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Shannon thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What were some of the most unexpected problems you’ve faced in your career and how did you resolve those issues?
It’s interesting working as a creative in the current market. There is art and design everywhere you look but landing a job doing what you love is very challenging, but not impossible! And there are going to be parts of certain gigs you really enjoy, and some that you don’t! At some point you might have a very creative job and at others you might be struggling to find the creative parts of the job you have. The best thing you can do is always keep pushing and being creative when you can make the time and have the energy, whether it be at your job or afterwards.
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?
Any time I get to create from sketch to final design is a treat and I really enjoy working in a ton of different mediums. I have done motion graphics, social media, presentation design, packaging, childrens book illustration, UX and UI design, you name it, I definitely have dabbled in it and would love the opportunity to do more!
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
My decision to go into art and design as a career was not an easy one. I grew up very focused on academics and getting a good job as we did not have a lot and my family struggled with financial and medical hardships over the years. I knew the only way I could go to college would be if I worked very hard to get scholarships. My senior year I was at a dilemma – go to medical school to have a very secure future and help people (both things I was very interested in) or take a risk and go for the career I had been curious about since I was 12 and got to visit CCAD’s campus in Columbus: being an artist/designer. Despite all my worries about financial and career stability and wanting to keep art as just a hobby, I knew in my heart I would regret it for the rest of my life if I didn’t take the chance to do what I really loved as my career. And despite a lot of obstacles in my way, I managed to get into art college, became a resident advisor to help students and be involved on campus, stay throughout the COVID pandemic and graduate with my BFA. There were many times I doubted myself and the world seemed to be pushing and pulling me to go in a different direction but I am glad I stood firm and went after what I really wanted to do.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
I think one of the most rewarding aspects of being an artist is the ability to express yourself and share that with others in a tangible way that they can also either relate to or learn something from. The ability to sit down and even for a brief moment just create whatever you want, whether it be fantastical and abstract or something from life is so freeing. I am very pro everyone should try to find at least one form of art they enjoy because there is nothing like the exhilarating feeling of making something where there once was nothing. There is also something so special about getting to share your work with others, whether it be through a gallery or social media, and getting to see how other people take in and interpret what you create. It is an absolute gift to get to create in this life and it is something I don’t want to take for granted.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.behance.net/shannonwright2
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shanpoozi?igsh=MTRnc3NsbG9laG1lOA==
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonwrightdesignpp
- Other: I am trying to update and revamp my portfolio as we speak, and the best way to reach me for business and art inquiries is through my email [email protected]