Career Area: Design

  • Aldrena Hicks

    Aldrena Hicks

    Interview

    Transcript 

    00:00 Victoria Bartolotto

    Hello everyone. My name is Victoria, and today we are talking with Aldrena Hicks. She’s a professional creative working from and within South Carolina.

    As we get started, can you tell us your current career and where you’re from?

    00:13 Aldrena Hicks

    Yes. So, my name is Aldrena Hicks, as she said. I am a maker, artist, creative director, and founder of Only Lovely Creative. So, I’ve spent the last 20 years working across higher education, nonprofits and cultural organizations, leading design work that blends strategy, storytelling, brand, and design thinking.

    My work ranges from large-scale public projects like the Briggs v. Elliott case. That’s a case that led to the big paved the way for the Brown v. Board of Education. Then to editorial work, like the stitch cover I did for Louisville Magazine, honoring Breanna Taylor.

    At the core of it, I’m always making, and it’s through Only Lovely. I do design weddings and experiences that feel personal and lasting. It’s things that people actually want to keep.

    So one of the things that is near and dear to my heart is also making sure I care deeply. I care deeply about who gets to be in these rooms. So, making sure the next generation of creatives, especially those that look like me, see a path forward and know that this space is a viable career.

    01:32 Victoria Bartolotto

    Wow, that’s awesome. That’s amazing work.

    Before we go into the nitty gritty details, we have a brief section of our interview called “One Career, Sixty Seconds,” where you kind of describe your job in an elevator pitch style.

    01:47 Aldrena Hicks

    Oh, that’s what I just did.

    01:49 Victoria Bartolotto

    Oh! Oh! It’s okay. If that was your script, that’s totally fine. We can continue, but that was great. I didn’t know if you had anything else.

    02:00 Aldrena Hicks

    No.

    02:01 Victoria Bartolotto

    No, okay. That’s perfect. Thank you so much. So as a graphic designer, as a maker, is there anything about South Carolina or your region in particular that brings some uniqueness to your work?

    Does it have any kind of influence on you?

    02:18 Aldrena Hicks

    Yeah, that’s a great question. So of course, I grew up in South Carolina, Somerville, Charleston area. Everybody knows Charleston, right?

    I come from a long line of makers. So, my grandfather was a brick mason. He’s actually paved some of the walkways with brick work in some of the plantations when they’ve needed somebody to redesign some or fix it up. Then also some of the walkways in the downtown Charleston area, I remember going. My dad would take us to visit him while he was laying bricks on those special pave ways and stuff. So that was nice. My grandmother was a seamstress, very well-known and well respected. Then of course, a family of musicians. All of that I bring into the things that I do.

    I’ve always been around creatives growing up. So just having that flair. What I try to do is then incorporate that identity into little nuggets here and there in the work that I do. But that’s why I’m hyper focused on when I’m doing stories, especially when I’m working with brides or organizations. I want to hear the story because that’s important, incorporating that into whatever we’re going to create for them.

    03:43 Victoria Bartolotto

    Definitely. I feel it really depends on who the person is in order to continue the project.

    03:48 Aldrena Hicks

    Yeah.

    03:50 Victoria Bartolotto

    Was there a defining moment in your life that had an impact on your creative journey, whether in education or just personal life? Was there anything that kind of marked that?

    04:00 Aldrena Hicks

    Oh, there’s so many. Which one do I choose?

    04:06 Victoria Bartolotto

    Any one! Any one!

    04:08 Aldrena Hicks

    I will probably say my experience with my graduate work. I am a graduate of Vermont College of Fine Arts, and I majored in graphic design. That was my concentration, of course, the MFA in graphic design. When I started there, I applied sight unseen.

    I was already in some other graduate programs. I bounced around a little bit, but nothing felt personal. Nothing felt like this is what I want to do. There was nothing wrong with those other programs, but I didn’t want to lean into the corporate world like that. I’ve already felt I was losing a sense of self because, as you know, when you’re designing and you’re doing work, it is about who you’re designing for. So, you kind of lose that, and I didn’t want that to happen.

    When I got to VCFA, I immediately fell in love because the school focuses on the work, the creative, who you are, and then that comes through. That typically doesn’t happen in this case, in cases of grad school work.

    So, the probably the pivotal moment is when, I was in a two-year track. Probably after my year and a half review, they’re like, “Aldrena, listen, girl, we love you, but we don’t see you. We don’t see, you’re giving us all the polish and that’s cute, but we’re here to discover the messy and you know, who are you?”

    After that little talk, I had my little cry and all that stuff. I realized, “Okay. This is the time where I need to shine and show and dig deep into who I am, my roots, my culture, and be proud of that.”

    From that came my thesis work, which has paved the way for other things that I’ve done since then. I will say that was probably the most transformative experience. I’m very proud to be a part of that legacy.

    06:08 Victoria Bartolotto

    That’s amazing. So, speaking of your thesis project, was that something particular that you produced that maybe showcased your creativity in a way that it never had before? What about it was different compared to previous work?

    06:28 Aldrena Hicks

    Yeah. So, I took the approach. I did weave in some research because that’s part of the requirements. I took the approach of creating a storytelling experience, because I told you storytelling is part of my thing. What I did was I explored how the media portrays black women and how we’ve influenced the media and culture. I wove certain pieces of history and then turned it back on to how it affected me personally, how it did as a creative.

    I studied and talked about hair, respectability, politics, and then skin, colorism and all that stuff. I then found ways to remember how those things affected me growing up and how I now advocate for, especially young black women and my daughter, to be proud of who they are.

    So yeah, the approach was different because I did a personal narrative, but I wove in some history and some research in that. It has won a few awards. I’ve written a children, a self-published children’s book out of that. So yeah.

    07:56 Victoria Bartolotto

    That’s really awesome. Especially just seeing that I’m a writer too. A lot of the times that I’m working on projects, it’s like seeing something grow from a tiny little seed into this huge thing. You have to step back and be like, “Wow. I did that. You know?”

    08:14 Aldrena Hicks

    Yeah.

    08:16 Victoria Bartolotto

    So before entering your field, maybe in your education process, did you have any fears about becoming a creative professional? If there were some fears, what inspired you to keep going beyond them?

    08:30 Aldrena Hicks

    I knew I wanted to do creative work. Like I said, grew up with musicians, makers and all that stuff. I never knew graphic design was an actual thing. I’ve been doing that, just didn’t know that’s what it was.

    So, I was at my undergrad, working at Columbia College, SC, not Chicago. When I discovered graphic design, I was like, “People make money doing this?” They’re like, “yeah.”

    So, I don’t think I was ever afraid of being a creative in this space. It was more of finding the right place to let that talent grow. Of course, through trial and error and all the careers and stuff, I quickly found out that advertising work is not my scene. I met some wonderful people and did a lot of things. But again, going back to the why behind things, the history behind things. So, then I veered into the nonprofit world. Now what’s scary now is that I’m doing this full time. So, it’s more like, “who’s going to get these invitations? Who wants to have brand work done?”

    09:53 Victoria Bartolotto

    Oh, wow. Do you have any advice for young adults or students who may have an interest in pursuing becoming a graphic designer? Are there any particular skills that you think someone should practice or at least have before entering the industry?

    10:08 Aldrena Hicks

    Yeah. One of the things I want to say is that, and I know people have different networks and all of that, all of that is great.

    I read a book along, I think I might have mentioned in my pre-interview, one of the books I recommend is reading is Talent is Not Enough, because a lot of people think talent will get you all the places, but it really is the soft skills, building these connections and learning how to relate with folks. It will show up in your work. So, make as many connections as you can.

    I know it’s hard because a lot of times you feel like people aren’t going to respond to you. But there are a lot of us out here who really love and want to reach back and help. I mentor. I’m still in touch with many of the students that I taught during my time as a professor.

    Do not discount your people skills. I know it’s hard when folks like love the internet, love being on Chat and all that stuff. That’s great. Still learning how to write with and without AI. Learning how to write, learning how to speak, learning how to read the room, that will get you further than just having a talent because you can be the most talented person in the

    world. If you don’t know how to relate to folks, you don’t know how to talk with them, get with them on a personal level or at least be professional about things; you won’t last long.

    11:45 Victoria Bartolotto

    Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me today. This has been an amazing interview. Have a great day.

    11:51 Aldrena Hicks

    Thank you so much. You too.

    11:53 Victoria Bartolotto

    Bye.

    11:53 Aldrena Hicks

    Bye.

  • Rachel White

    Rachel White

    “Don’t be afraid to pursue your dreams!” 

    Quick Facts

    Education: Coastal Carolina University Undergraduate degree 

    Years of Experience: 16 Years

    About

    Rachel White is a designer, writer, publisher, and storyteller who provides affordable marketing and administrative solutions to businesses through social media, graphic design, and copywriting. She is also a visual artist and photographer, managing her business at her local farmer’s market. For Rachel, “finding work in a creative field where you enjoy what you do is the ultimate fulfillment!” 

    Throughout her life, Rachel had always been an artist and a writer, from creating paintings as a toddler to writing stories in second grade. Within her career, she has turned her love of art and creative writing into a skill she has utilized in her professional life. Rachel recognizes the importance of everyone’s differences and emphasizes the importance of finding what makes you unique. 

  • Lindsay Swinford

    Lindsay Swinford

    “Don’t jump the gun! Knowledge is power!” 

    Quick Facts

    Level of Education: 2-year Technical College

    Years of Experience: 20 Years

    About

    Originally from Alabama, Lindsay Swinford has loved flowers since she was a child. In her 20s, she started out by doing small events and proms, eventually landing herself a professional job. From there, she gained knowledge, experience, and mentorship. Today, she strives to create unique and beautiful floral designs, insisting by doing so, “you are creating a memory!” 

    Lindsay believes flowers are special because they are ephemeral, and she prides herself on keeping healthy flowers to enhance customer experience. She tends to favor lines, asymmetry, and movement, saying “the crazier the idea, the better!” 

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  • Aldrena Hicks

    Aldrena Hicks

    “Build your connections and your network. No one works in isolation especially creatives.” 

    Quick Facts

    Education Level: Graduate School

    Years of Experience: 20+ Years

    About

    Aldrena Hicks is an artist and designer whose work spans cultural storytelling, visual design, and event stationery. As the founder of Only Lovely Creative, she creates meaningful visual experiences that connect people to their stories, whether through design projects, cultural initiatives, or personalized celebrations. 

    Her journey into the field was shaped by a lifelong connection to creativity. Growing up within a family of artists such as makers, musicians, and fiber artists, creating was always a part of her world. She shares that, “An art class in high school first sparked my interest, and I went on to study Studio Art at Columbia College SC. During my second year, I took my first graphic design course and realized that design was the lane where my love of art, storytelling, and problem-solving all came together.” 

    Aldrena prioritizes time and research on the story behind her current projects, whether it is an organization, cultural initiative, or a couple planning a wedding. This allows her to understand the depth of the client’s story and helps her unique creative process. She explains that “Understanding the people and context helps guide the creative direction. I also still build paper prototypes and explore ideas by hand before moving fully into digital design. That mix of research, storytelling, and hands-on experimentation shapes the way I approach every project.” 

    Storytelling and cultural identity are central to her work. As a South Carolina creative, she explores how design can help people celebrate who they are and the moments that matter in their lives. Her graduate thesis, “Little Brown Girl,” focused on identity and representation in design and later evolved into her self-published book, “You Are a Queen,” which speaks to young Black girls and the young girl within about identity, worth, and self-definition. 

    Aldrena emphasizes the importance of collaboration, connection, and understanding the business side of creative work. She encourages emerging creatives to build strong networks, seek feedback, and recognize that sustainable creative practice requires both artistic and professional awareness.  

  • Nina J Ita

    Nina J Ita

    “Don’t wait for someone to give you a manual. Be the person who solves the problem.”

    Quick Facts

    Education: College of Charleston and Trident Technical College

    Years of Experience: 13+ Years

    About

    Nina J. Ita is a Senior Graphic Designer at A+E Printing in Charleston as well as a freelancer based in the Low Country of South Carolina, specializing in print design with over thirteen years of professional experience. By her own admission, she was never the kid who was constantly sketching in a notebook. Design found her through direct purpose and a willingness to raise her hand when no one else would. That combination became the foundation for a career built on solving problems. She describes her discovery as “the thrill of creating something from nothing was addictive.” 

    Her first real taste of design came in at the College of Charleston, where she and a group of friends founded the Asian American Student Union. With only MS Paint and Word at their disposal, they created poster campaigns and event programs for fashion shows featuring local Asian businesses and student work. With a formal background in Business and Marketing, Nina’s path into design is a classic case of the right place, at the right time, and a willingness to say yes. After college, she landed an internship that grew into an entry-level marketing role with a local restaurant group.

    Despite having a comfortable but routine corporate job where “the most fun I had all day was making my Excel spreadsheets look pretty. That’s when I knew I had to commit.” she took a leap of faith. She began taking night classes at Trident Technical College, saved every penny, quit her job, and completed a degree in Graphic Design. Two months after graduating, she landed a position at her present company, the printing press she had been a client of during her restaurant days.  

    As the sole graphic designer at A+E Printing, Nina’s days are defined by variety and velocity. She might open the morning with a menu update for a long-standing restaurant client, shift to a corporate business card order, then pivot entirely to a brand-new client with a detailed, multi-part design project and a tight deadline. She has developed what she calls “rapid context switching”, which is the ability to move fluidly between different brand voices and industries without losing the creative thread.  

    Most recently, she led a full brand refresh just in time for A+E’s 30th anniversary in 2026. She balances her own client relationships with her day-to-day internal marketing and design responsibilities, a skill which has kept her versatile and sharp. For emerging creatives, her advice is direct: lose the fear of doing it wrong. You just need the drive to solve problems and the courage to say, “I can help with that.” 

  • Bonnie Harris-Lowe 

    Bonnie Harris-Lowe 

    “Learn as much as you can online” 

    Quick Facts

    Education: University of South Carolina

    Years of Experience: 6 Years

    About

    Bonnie Harris-Lowe is the creative director of Basking Bee, a gaming company dedicated to collaboration and self-determination, as well as a full-time instructor at the University of South Carolina. Her studio works to produce independent games while taking on freelance work for interactive projects. Bonnie has a passion for making the gaming industry a space for girls and people of color, and she is determined to change games for the better. 

    Bonnie has been playing video games since the age of six, but she felt a sense of hostility toward her race and gender. After experiencing the “Gamer Gate harassment scandal” in high school, she took classes in multiple forms of media production and decided she wanted to change the world of gaming, starting with creating her own company. She highlights the importance of “learn[ing] as much as you can,” especially to be able to “meet likeminded creatives.” 

    There is more than what meets the eye at Basking Bee Games. While most gaming studios choose between creating content or doing contract work, Bonnie’s does both.  Bonnie proudly states, “Basking Bee was designed as a hybrid studio with the goal to build a collective portfolio for industry newcomers through independent games,” while working as a full-time instructor. 

  • Tonya Gore

    Tonya Gore

    In this episode, we’re exploring resilience in home with Tonya Gore, who’s found a thriving career, make that several careers revitalizing her hometown of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. She currently works as the Director of Enhancement and Design with the Myrtle Beach Downtown Alliance, Tonya has leaned on her creative thinking to develop our local community.

    Transcript

    CreativePaths_TonyaGore_TranscriptDownload

  • Gil Shuler 

    Gil Shuler 

    “I’ve always been an artist; I drew all the time.”

    Gil Shuler is a graphic designer and business owner in Charleston, South Carolina. He holds a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts with a concentration in Graphic Design from Western Carolina University. He has owned his design studio and company, Gil Shuler Graphic Design Inc., for over forty years and is known for his artwork of the “Palmetto Doves.”  

    About

    Gil Shuler was born and raised in Sumpter, South Carolina, where he started his art journey at an early age. From spontaneous art drawings to private art lessons and his early mastery of oil paintings, Shuler’s creative side was a driving force in his life. However, as he approached his junior year of high school, Shuler began to lose interest. Despite his deep-rooted passion for art, he focused on academic education. With two older siblings already in college and after an intensive search, Shuler attended Anderson Junior College, but he was still unsure exactly what his career path would be.  

    “I was there for two years, and after the second year of basically partying, I was like, I need to do something,” said Shuler.  Shuler found his “something” when speaking with one of his art professors at Anderson, who introduced him to the field of graphic design. From there, Shuler attended Western Carolina University, where he received his degree in Graphic Design. Later, Shuler created his design studio and company, Gil Shuler Graphic Design Inc., In the early days of his career, Shuler took on jobs with individuals and small businesses, such as posters for a theater company where he first met his wife. Since then, Shuler began to grow his business and was able to recruit larger clients. 

    Shuler’s typical workday is anything but typical. He sets his own pace with multiple jobs, working from a punchlist throughout the day. This flexibility allows him to engage in other activities such as reading and fishing, but also to create work for himself and the Charleston community. One of his notable projects is the “Palmetto Doves,” a project he crafted to honor the nine victims of the 2015 Emmanuel Baptist Church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina. 

    From Shuler’s experience in running his own business and establishing his career as a graphic designer, he offers advice to up-and-coming creatives who are interested in entering the graphic designer career path and working within companies.  “Be flexible, listen. Don’t talk, listen, then execute,” said Shuler. 

  • Luis Sanchez

    Luis Sanchez

    “Be wise where you put your time, money, and effort.”

    Luis Sanchez is a freelance web designer based in South Carolina. 

    Interview

    Transcript

    Emma Plutnicki  00:02 

    Okay, so to start, what do you do for work and where are you currently working from? 

    Luis Sanchez  00:09 

    So, so I, I started a web design business last June. So most of my time is, you know, setting that up, working from home, but you know, my main job is- I work at a church as a Youth Director. So those are the two things I do. 

    Emma Plutnicki  00:29 

    All right, amazing. And what would you say your official job titles for each of those will be? 

    Luis Sanchez  00:36 

    So, that’s a good question for, you know, small businesses like, am I a CEO? But you know, the main passion is just web designer, brand design, web and brand design. And then for the church, is just the youth director. 

    Emma Plutnicki  00:52 

    Yeah, great. And how long have you been doing those four?  

    Luis Sanchez  00:55 

    Yeah, so I’ve been working here since at the church, since 2021. August 2021, and the design since June last year. 

    Emma Plutnicki  01:08 

    Okay, nice. And so what does a typical day to day look like for you nowadays? What’s expected of you on a daily basis? What do you get into? What are your responsibilities? 

    Luis Sanchez  01:17 

    Yeah so it actually works out pretty, pretty well for me, I- so we’re going to church. Most of my stuff is done on the weekends, so I have a chance of putting time on the web design part during the week, you know. So a week when I have, you know, when I’m working with a client, it’s just meeting with them and then spending, you know, you know, four to five hours a day working on, just design, research, designing, testing different things, and then just, depending on the website, it’ll just take a couple weeks or not. So it was either meeting, doing a lot of research and just designing. And then during the weekends, you know, I pivot back to the church. So I was just preparing for Sunday youth group. We have youth group on Sunday, so the main job just preparing, just everything for for that to happen on Sunday. But yeah, during the week is- I’m working from home, just on my computer and then meeting with clients when needed. 

    Emma Plutnicki  02:25 

    Yeah, nice. And so having some work on the weekends, I’m sure it could be hard at times to have a healthy work life balance. So how are you able to navigate that with two jobs and making sure you still have time for your own personal creativity? 

    Luis Sanchez  02:41 

    Yeah well, I have a six month old baby, so you should have a clock hits me and my wife are just just spending time together with family. But one thing about it is my wife is usually pretty- she wants to take some time off, and so we have dinner together, spend time together, but usually she goes to bed a little bit earlier. So I’ll hit a lot of different things, you know, from like nine to 11pm I like to read books. YouTube’s pretty cool just seeing what other people are looking at and, you know, and every now and then, I mean, I’ll pick a day in the week where I’m just not going to do anything, but just sit there and think about day and relax and do something aside from it. But yeah, I would just just have intentional time of consuming other- from other people who do design. It’s just helpful for me, but it’s always tempting when you hear something, it’s like, “oh, I want to try that”. You grab your computer. I just kind of have some liberty where it’s okay to do that sometimes, it’s okay to just read, It’s okay to just take some time off. But I think my job allows me to be creative too, with the church. You know doing things like running social media, creating graphics, videos, whatever it is. So I still get to do that. So it’s a good way for me to try out things that I maybe not try out with clients. So I don’t know, I just look at opportunities for- to do different things and try different things. 

    Emma Plutnicki  04:22 

    Yeah, no, makes sense. And so with both of your careers, sometimes within creative fields it can be hard to measure success, so how do you- is there a difference between what success looks like in both of your roles? And how do you personally define either professional success and then also just personal success? 

    Luis Sanchez  04:42 

    There’s definitely, very different, I think, you know, with a business there’s, there’s just numbers, whether you like it or not, whether it’s financial numbers or number of clients. But you know, in working out of church. Which, you know, we’re talking about real people. So you don’t want to treat it just as a number. So that’s not really what I’ve- I have had to learn not to focus on that, which I think helps me with my business, because I mostly care about just interactions, and how I’m interacting with the people around me, you know. So I want to, I want my clients with web design to love their website and love, you know, I want to help their businesses. Ultimately, that’s the goal for me. To make a website for them. Is to help their businesses, their brands and everything. So when I get to just interact with them or interact with their website, see that they’re growing, that people are, you know, visiting whatever, then that, for me, is fulfilling. And same thing in my church job is, you know, if I’m having good interactions with with the students, with the volunteers, then that’s just fulfilling. That’s always going to be, you know, how are people responding to the work that I’m doing? I think it’s just a healthier way to look at things, instead of just a number. And of course, I have goals, but, you know, I keep an eye on those, but those are not ultimately, they’re just determined if I’m going the right way or I need to change something, but not- defines failure or success for me. So. 

    Emma Plutnicki  06:19 

    Yeah, no, amazing, yeah. And did you have any fears when you were coming into either of these careers? 

    Luis Sanchez  06:26 

    Yeah, the biggest fear is for especially for the web design, is just investing. That imposter syndrome kicks in. Is this really something I can do, or does anyone even want to work with me? Can I- Can I even make a website like this? Weird how these thoughts take over. So it’s just investing. You know, putting that time aside every every day to work is a big deal financially. You know, you want to get the best tools, the best stuff, or whatever. You know, is it worth it if they’re gonna- so I think that’s the biggest fear. I mean, right now, just starting, you know, is finding confidence in what I can do and being wise about where to put my time and money and effort. Well, ideally, I just don’t want to look back, you know, and I messed it all up with making or whatever, so I think. But again, trying to act with the fears, it’s just hard to navigate. Yeah. 

    Emma Plutnicki  07:34 

    Yeah and has there been anybody that has helped you navigate those fears or struggles? Any advice that you’ve been given, whether good advice or bad advice? 

    Luis Sanchez  07:44 

    Yeah, I would say my professors, when I studied Digital Arts at Horry Tech and graduated last May from that- that’s so, you know, I always had. I always like creative and arts and all that but I needed some, I needed, you know, someone to teach me how to do it right. It’s all self taught and so I think just having people that you know, I graduated in May, but I still talk to them, I send every time I make a website, like, “Hey, can you give it a look? Let me know” and just, you know, just having people that I respect who would look at myself and tell me, you know, whether it’s good or bad, but just letting me have confidence that, hey, like I’m not an imposter, like I did the work, I studied, I graduated, the stuff, whatever looks good. And so I don’t know it’s like a specific advice, but just- having- being able to show stuff to other people, for critique, for ideas, for that’s probably the hardest part of me when I first started the design program, because I always kept my art to myself.  

    Emma Plutnicki  08:58 

    Yeah. 

    Luis Sanchez  08:58 

    And then once I through my professors, they pushed me to start showcasing that, you know, different ideas and different things, and I started to gain confidence in my creativity and my art. And so the- best, my best advice would be that just be willing to show, show it to other people, and you’ll get rid of the imposter syndrome for sure, because you’ll find out if you’re really a designer or not, you know. 

    Emma Plutnicki  09:26 

    Yeah. And throughout your career, you’ve mentioned, you know, struggling with imposter syndrome. Has there been one specific project that has had a significant impact on you, or has kind of been the pinnacle of your career that you can really draw on when you are feeling doubts? And you could say, Yes, I worked on this project and I can do it. Is there anything like that that stands out? 

    Luis Sanchez  09:49 

    Yeah, definitely. I think there’s a lot of them. Not that I like- 

    Emma Plutnicki  09:54 

    That’s a good problem! 

    Luis Sanchez  09:56 

    Every project that, especially in school, every project I did. I taught me something about myself. I think we have a senior showcase where you just have to show off everything you created in the past two years, which is just nerve wracking and very scary. But there’s something about looking back at those nights where you were there 2am freaking out because your design looked horrible, like it’s not going to work, and and then you see the finished product, and you know that you pushed through. It’s just really helpful, just to know that you can do it. But I mean, ultimately, for my business, my- the first website I designed, and the client likes it, and you get paid for it. It’s a little surreal, like I created something for someone. So I would say that would be probably the most meaningful, just the first website, just the full, first whole client process, website design, delivering, and it’s out on the web. So I would say that was just probably the most meaningful for me. 

    Emma Plutnicki  11:00 

    Yeah, for sure, that must be incredible to see things come to light and actually being used in a real setting. 

    Luis Sanchez  11:07 

    It’s worth it. It’s like, yes, what I want to do. 

    Emma Plutnicki  11:10 

    Amazing and how do you like working in South Carolina specifically? Have you lived in other places? Or what kind of, you know, contribution does South Carolina specifically have to your work? Is there any influence? 

    Luis Sanchez  11:21 

    Yeah. So I’ve actually, I was born in Honduras,  

    Emma Plutnicki  11:25 

    Okay.  

    Luis Sanchez  11:26 

    Yeah and then I originally went to school in Spain, so I lived there for five years, studied computer science, but then moving to South Carolina, it’s been a huge impact, because first of all, I went to Horry tech in 2022 and they had free tuition. So I did the whole program for free. So that’s just the best thing ever. Very grateful for Horry county or South Carolina, whoever made that happen, a huge opportunity, just for everyone that you know can take that. And so that was very, very big. And then I think the one thing that I love about working here in web design and church and everything just very relational. Every time- every client I work with that’s like, the goal is to be relational. I think we all have, I just feel the sense of our small businesses or it’s just a community. So, you know, I’m just, like I said, I’m not just making a website so you can pay me. I want to grow your business. I want to grow your brand, because we’re all a community, and so I think South Carolina is just, the southern charm is just very alive, and I want to be part of that. And so, you know, the heart behind what I’m doing is helping out people who want to showcase their business and their brand and grow and- but I want to do it in a relational way, not in a transactional way. And so I lived here for seven years, and everyone’s just been so, so welcoming, so helpful, so everything. So I just want to return that same to, you know, through people, through my art. So. 

    Emma Plutnicki  13:16 

    That’s great. I’m glad you found South Carolina. 

    Luis Sanchez  13:18 

    I know. Oh this is the best place, I lived a lot of places in the world, but-  

    Emma Plutnicki  13:22 

    Yeah.  

    Luis Sanchez  13:23 

    -home. 

    Emma Plutnicki  13:24 

    Good, amazing. So just as we wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to add about your career? Any advice or anything else? 

    Luis Sanchez  13:31 

    I would just add, I just, you know, looking back, you know, I’m 33 and I graduated last year, and I just know high school was a hard time because I just couldn’t figure out what I wanted to do, what I was good at, what I was not. And I studied computer science in school, but I realized that’s not what I- where my passion was. And then, you know, even though it took me a long time to go back to school, I spent that time just trying to find what is it that I was passionate about, and thankfully I had the opportunity to do digital arts. And now I know it’s very fulfilling. I’m just very I just know that was the right place where I needed to be, and this is probably where I need to be doing. So, you know, just just, just trust your passions, your- your skills, your, you know, I think everyone’s creative, and we just need to be able to have opportunities to showcase to the world how we are creative. So just, yeah, just looking back, I know that I feel like there’s a lot of people in that same boat of, like, trying to figure out what they’re called to do. And I just, you know, just go for it and ask people for help and show people what you can do and what you help you figure out and give you confidence. So you don’t feel like, you know. An impostor or anything like that. 

    Emma Plutnicki  15:02 

    No amazing. Thank you so much. That’s great advice. I should take that advice myself. So thank you so much.