I was born and raised in South Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I graduated from South Milwaukee High School in 2008. Since then I have lived in a few locations across the Midwest; some of which include Marquette Michigan, Escanaba Michigan, and now in Stevens Point Wisconsin where I currently reside.
I am a hands-on person. Early on I realized my adoration for tinkering by pulling things apart and figuring out how to put them back together. I always found myself asking, “how does this work?”, and “why do these things work the way they do?”. I have carried these habits into other aspects of my life. I enjoy watching other artist, programmers, and web developers create their work to observe how their work grows and develops. I do my best to learn how and why it works. I carry this same attitude towards my own original work as well, and I am always looking for ways I can improve myself and my work.
I tend to be more of a detail's person. I do understand and appreciate the big picture for what it is and how it works, but where I really excel is sorting out and improving the intricate details within a project. I thrive on the idea of making small tweaks to improve on something that is not quite up to par. I can carefully conduct large scale changes, but sometimes subtle alterations are much more efficient. As much as I prefer the details, I do like to take a break from it every now and then. I take delight in stepping back and see the whole picture or goal for what it is. If everything is going according to plan, proceed as intended. If not, dissemble the pieces and find another way to reassemble. If all else fails, scrap and start again.
I cherish the idea of producing order from chaos. At an early age, I found myself organizing and categorizing. From little beads in containers I sorted by color or size as a child, to my adult workspace and the subject matter I choose to work with. It generally leads me back to that same satisfactory feeling of coherence and consistency. There are always exceptions to this as well, I have definitely created chaos before finding order. I am not the type of person where “everything has its place”, but I do thoroughly enjoy the idea of finding my own version of direction among disorder.
I am a natural problem solver. I am thrilled by the idea of a good challenge. When presented with an initial idea or concept that turns into an obstacle; I will try figure out why this occurred, find the best way to approach it, learn from it, and solve it to the best of my abilities. Over time I have also learned when to admit defeat, as well, because not all problems can be solved. Some problems are better suited as lessons or guidance for what not to do and how to avoid this issue in the future. However, I will say that some of my best work has resulted from conquering unexpected challenges.
I am a fast learner. This is something I picked up from a combination of tinkering, examining, and organizing. I believe after years of observation and absorption; I have pinpointed exactly what I need to efficiently learn new things. When I approach something new, I lean towards starting with the big picture and working my way up to the details. So, when I start to work with it, I have a better understanding of how it works and how to approach any problems I may encounter. When it comes to learning new things, I feel I will be in it for the long haul. I have always been investigative and analytical; I do not see this changing anytime soon.
I have carried a deep passion for art and technology from my childhood into adulthood. I have sought out a many different ways to convey my passions and abilities. I continue to search for new and exciting ways to do so. I have explored and pursued a variety of artistic and technological medium throughout my life, with experience in formal education and personal interest. Below, are lists of each type.
I received my Associates in Liberal Arts from Bay de Noc College in 2014, my Bachelors in Art and Bachelors in Computer Information Systems from University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point in 2019.