This past Month, I had the pleasure of speaking to a senior-level graphic design class at Columbia College Chicago. Guy Villa, the School of Design’s Graphic Design Coordinator, thought my book might make an interesting (and hopefully inspiring) conversation starter. Rather than jump straight into the book, I thought it was important to share the winding, occasionally questionable, and rarely predictable path that led me to it—and to a 30+ year career in design. So, before cracking open the book, I walked the students through a pretty diverse collection of work and a few lessons learned along the way. My biggest takeaway? Creative careers rarely follow the plan you had in mind. And that’s a good thing. Every project, detour, happy accident, and questionable decision adds something to your creative toolkit. You learn, adapt, evolve, and eventually realize that some of the best ideas come from experiences you never could have planned. Sometimes, you even find yourself right back where you started—just with better type choices.

I loved the opportunity and had an absolute blast. The Q&A is always my favorite part. I learn just as much from the next generation of creatives as I hope they take away from me. Give me a room full of curious designers and an unscripted conversation over a perfectly rehearsed presentation any day. Huge thanks to Guy and Columbia College for having me. Hopefully, this is one creative "detour" that leads to another!