I never feel more alive than when I’m creating something. Whether I’m designing, coding—or even playing music or writing—I’m always creating, pulling some idea out of the ether and making it tangible. Over the years, I’ve learned that creativity doesn’t have to be confined to the traditional arts, however, and I often use it to translate technical concepts into understandable language, to find more efficient ways to complete routine tasks and to solve problems when they arise.

In 2002, I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from the University of Kansas, majoring in graphic design. Unlike most students, I didn’t change my major once during my time in college, graduating after only three and a half years because I knew what I wanted to do and I was ready to get started. But that was only the beginning of my education. My thirst for knowledge drove me to learn web development, and eventually to share that knowledge with others. I am constantly learning new things and adding new tools to my toolbox. In a field that is constantly evolving, the path to mastery is never complete.

My training as a graphic designer still informs my thinking in many ways, but I now work as the Director of Creative and Web Communications at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, serving as campus webmaster and supervising a steadily growing creative team. While I don’t get to design as much on a daily basis, I still use my creativity to improve processes within the department, manage workflow and provide strategic thinking on projects big and small.