In addition to my business as an independent consultant with Arbonne International, I am a graphic designer. I have had my own business since the early 70's.
I don't know if I would be a graphic designer if it had not been for Career Day at my high school. I liked to draw as a very small child. I took art classes throughout school. I was told I had talent. But I was a good student and had lots of other talents too.
On Career Day, I was introduced to Lant Elrod. He was a "commercial artist." He showed his portfolio. I liked what I saw and decided I should do what he did.
So when the Urbandale Chamber of Commerce sent out a request for volunteers to talk at the high school for Career Day, I volunteered. The next day, I started to have regrets. What would I talk about for 40 minutes? I heard kids these days are pretty rude, would they even want to listen to me?
The students were allowed to sign up for what ever sessions they wanted. The first group of students was mostly girls. The next group was about half girls and half boys. The last group was mostly boys. It seemed to me that they self-segregated. But then, when given a choice, I guess we gravitate to people who are similar to us.
In one group, two girls who sat in the back row and whispered to each other. There was one boy who was just plain obnoxious. He sat in the back and the other students just ignored him. I suppose they learn how to deal with distractions. Other than that, I was impressed with the young people. They participated in discussions about design preferences. They asked good questions. With the mostly boys group, I led a pretty good discussion about what sports team has the best logo.
I told them they need to be good at drawing, creative thinkers, honest, and meet deadlines. I hope I got them thinking about the design that is all around them. I wonder if I made any impact?
I gave away some posters from the Art Directors Association of Iowa 50th Anniversary. I remember getting an original illustration from Frank Miller when I was in high school. It was a big moment for me. I still have it. I wonder if any of the posters I gave out will be saved for over 30 years?
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