rachelamesdesign

When you ask kids what they want to be when they grow up, most dream of being a rockstar or actress. I'm not sure I can remember a time when my answer wasn't 'designer'. After high school I decided to make my dream a reality, and in 2011 I graduated from Champlain College with a bachelor's degree in Multimedia and Graphic Design. My senior year internship turned into a full-time graphic design position and immediately I entered the working world of design. While working at the agency OKAY!! OKAY!! Creative in Burlington, Vermont, I worked with a broad range of clients - from small local businesses to major companies such as Oakley, New Era and musicians including Shwayze, Cisco Adler and G-Eazy.

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When the agency closed in 2012, I decided I was ready for a major change and some beach living - so I packed my car and drove the 3,000 miles from Vermont to Venice, California with no job or any idea what I was doing. It was the best decision I've ever made.

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After waitressing for a few months, I got a graphic design internship at an agency on the 11th story of an old building in Downtown LA's fashion district. If you had asked me as a kid where I would want to work, I would've described this job. After three months, I was offered the junior designer position and a few months later became the senior designer. I worked with major clients such as the clothing company Velvet by Graham & Spencer, Bruno Mars owned Selvarey Rum, vintage engagement site Trumpet & Horn, Extreme Makeover Home Edition's Tanya McQueen, major cosmetics manufacturer Spatz, eye-shadow queens company Colourpop, Alexandra von Furstenberg, famous lifestyle blogger Rachel Hollis and many more. 

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After two years of designing by day and waitressing by night, I ran myself into the ground. In May 2014 I got meningitis and encephalitis and was forced to move back home to Vermont. This has been a devastating blow, but overtime I have learned to make lemonade from these very rotten lemons that rolled my way. I'm now a freelance graphic designer with a large and truly amazing client base. I also took this unfortunate situation as an opportunity to follow my other dream, owning a greeting card company. Don't let anyone tell you things don't happen for a reason!