When I was a kid, I'd walk home from school composing movie scenes in my head. It wasn't about being rich or famous. Instead, I wanted to create things that resulted in emotional experiences for others. Later, I studied architecture, industrial design, photography, graphic design, writing, and, ultimately, fine art.
After grad school, I was driving home from a great meeting with a gallery owner (he wanted to show my work), when a kind of revelation hit me: I didn't want to be a painter. I spent the weekend trying to figure it out. Self-sabotage? Fear? By Sunday evening I had a kind of revelation: painting allowed me to put things into the world people might enjoy, but I wanted to put things into the world that people could use as well.
I pivoted hard back into design. The transition wasn't too bumpy, however, as I'd studied a good deal of design already, and I loved tech in general. It was also a great time for career experimentation, as the web was nascent and sort of a hotbed for trial and error. I learned as I went.
One of the things I learned was that I loved collaborating with designers and engineers. Not only collaborating, but helping. I was able to go into design leadership fairly early in my career because of this interest and ability.
No matter where I've worked or what I've done, I've always been drawn by the desire to create things people would find useful, usable, and engaging. I've always gotten a thrill out of seeing what a motivated team of talented individuals can do together.
We're at another crossroads in our digital evolution. Some parts are wondrous, others are terrifying, but I'm as enthusiastic as ever to see what's next, and how I might participate in it.