Lunch Lecture #1 (Experience)

Today Mrs. Molly O'Neil, Maggie Walker alumnus, came and lectured about her career as a graphic designer. She gave us some key pieces of advice, including: "always tell your employer what you're good at", "don't be afraid of criticism", "be a perpetual student", "always move forward", and finally "love your art, but not too much." The first and last statements were more geared to the profession of graphic design, meaning that your employer will most likely put you on a project that you like rather than someone else because they know you will give a better result, but since they are your employer after all they can reject or change anything you create. The overall lecture was pretty interesting as we learned about how she got to where she is today: one month working for the Richmond Times-Dispatch. While in school, she did not really know what she wanted to do, but there were several jobs she worked that she felt were not right for her, so she continued to search for her passion and seems to have finally found it here. Learning that she was able to keep searching for a job that she liked past her first left an impression on me, since I too don't know what I want to do when I'm older. Although I don't think that I will take the path of a graphic designer, it was still a valuable lecture over another possible career involving art. Whenever I see an illustration in the commentary section of the Times-Dispatch, I will be sure to remember Mrs. Molly O'Neil and the lessons she taught us today.