This is my journey on how I always wanted to become a graphic designer and how i actually got to the point were I’m sitting here noe writing this.
There once was a boy.. Or something like that. Drawing, colors, playstation, fantasy, you name it, when I was I child this was the things that occupied my brain all the time, like many other children I day dreamed about everything. My favorite was that when the sun come out from the clouds, it was dragons raining fire over the sky. I miss those days. And all this continued until I became a youth and started in the 8th grade, I switched school and my focus got attention from other places, but one thing always was clear, I wanted to become someone who could animate or make posters (like the ones that were hanging on my wall), or other things that could help tell a story. I love stories. But I made a mistake that would cost me that dream for many years, a lesson I will pass down to my kids and they hopefully will pass down to there children. I did not pay attention to school, I wanted to do everything else, even daydream when I was supposed to do my homework. When I started in 10th grade, the last year in secondary school, I was told that if I wanted to become a graphic artist I needed to suck it up and get myself together, but it was to late. I got my grades up, but it wasn’t enough. My wish was to be accepted into media and communications after secondary school but even though I got my grades better the grades wasn’t good enough. it ended with me getting into my second wish were I could still pass on my passion for stories and fairytales, I started working with children. I completed my education as a child and youth worker and for many years that was how I used my passion. But there was always something missing, a little voice in the back of my head. I wanted to do something more, and I knew that going back to school was the right answer. The feeling specially came when I looked at posters and commercials around Oslo.
BUT, the adult life came and before I knew it I bought an apartment and got a child, greatest feeling in the world when that little toddler come to this world, and much else fell behind and the everyday life began. then came child number 2 (don’t worry, I don’t call her that ;), and going back school got furter and furter away. Bills had to be paid so life went on. And it was fear, the fear of not being good enough, that I wouldn’t make the studies and would have quit my job and income for nothing. The fear of life getting in your face, and not ending up on the winning side. And for a few more years that fear stayed with me until one day.
I was on my way to work taking the subway. And a poster commercial henging on the wall caught my attention. It was a commercial for CC vest, a shopping center in Oslo. All my warning flashes flashed brighter then the Hiroshima bomb, there was a single line that I couldn’t forget and let be. A simple line and my mind went crazy. And then I remembered something that was long forgotten, I remembered what I wanted to be when I got old. I wanted to make posters and commercials were that single line wouldn’t be! But still, I couldn’t just stop working and I looked for answers in the big world web. I needed a part time study were I could go to school, but still could take care of my family. I searched and it didn’t take long before the word online studies caught my attention, it was brilliant. I found a graphic design course at Noroff, and sent my application. And guess what, I got accepted! This is my first week, and I’m really looking forward to learn and become the graphic designer I always wanted to be. My dream is that when I enter the subway (or other public transportation) I can point to a poster and say, “I made that.”
“I love stories”
Thomas Løken
thombahdesign.com 