College; Savannah College of Art and Design

Major; Interior design

“Are you even gonna make any money as an interior designer?” This is a question I’m asked a lot. You’d think our society has developed enough to see value in artistic careers, but then again, maybe not. 

I’ve always appreciated art. Whether I’m taking a photo or painting a canvas, I see the importance in every medium. As I child, I honed in on my culinary expertise by creating mud pies and pea pod soup in a plastic wheelbarrow in my backyard.

I spent hours in my kitchen cutting up old magazines and pictures to make collages. I loved filming movies on the family iPad, taking pictures with my Hello Kitty camera, painting, drawing, you name it. I realized early on how to see the beauty in the mundane. 

 When I tell people I plan to study interior design in college, I’m typically met with a confused look, as if I was a waiter giving them the wrong order. Not to mention the response I get when I tell them I’m going to an art school. In my worst cases, I’ve been told I should go into a STEM career instead.

As if my future career has any effect on those people’s lives. In truth they could be right, and it is possible that I’m taking a risk by pursuing an art career. But it’s going to be a much more enjoyable downfall than it would be in any other area. 

Success isn’t guaranteed, regardless of your field. Everyone has a different path, and should have the freedom to pursue it. I do realize I chose a bit of an unorthodox direction, but it doesn’t bother me one bit. And I don’t really mind the doubt, as I’ll probably be designing their houses in 20 years.