creative design MY PASSION IS CREATIVE DESIGN. Born and raised in the central valley of northern California, I was always drawn toward the arts, but had not considered at an early age that I might later make a career out of my passion. After graduating with degrees in philosophy and sociology from the University of California at Santa Barbara, I entered the work force as an account executive assistant for an advertising agency in San Diego, California. Finally, after about a year of spending every second I could spare back in the agency’s creative department, I realized that my passion lay in the creation and design of advertising, not in the marketing of it. I eagerly enrolled at the Advertising Arts College in San Diego (now known as the Art Institute of California in San Diego) and began working in the field for ad agencies and design studios as a graphic designer shortly thereafter. I have had the great fortune to be doing what I love ever since.