I mentioned in the previous post that I am a graphic design major. Graphic design also happens to be something I really enjoy doing – lucky me! I’ve been doing some sort of graphic design for as long as I can remember, starting with drawing and illustrating. Around the age of 14-ish I was introduced to Photoshop through my friend’s dad who is a photographer in the local newspaper. His dad showed us how to use the clone stamp, and we ended up putting our own premature faces on the bodies of buff Chippendales. Funny.

Ever since that day when I saw myself with a shiny sixpack posing in a purple speedo (looking back at it, it was really gay), I knew that altering the world in pictures was right up my alley. A few years of frequent photoshopping later I got accepted to the media program at my high school of choice. Three years of Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, GoLive and Final Cut Pro followed. It was like a wet dream.

After graduating high school, I realized that the luxury of choice made me unsure of which path to follow. Should I become a photographer? Film maker? Graphic designer? I had no clue, so I went with plan B: one year in the army to think about it.

One year and many miles of walking, endless hours of cleaning and some really cool sessions at the shooting range later, I was still not sure. I’d had enough of green clothes and abusing CO’s so I fled to Sweden. At the University of Karlstad in the city with the same name I studied film science and visual narrative through comic books for one year. Halfway through my year in Sweden I decided to follow my dream to go abroad for school. The choice was obvious, I was going to the US. The country my dad went to when he was 19, and then again years later. This was the county where the stories took place, the stories he’d told me so many times.

Influenced by too many American movies I set my mind on California. Originally looking into photography schools, I ended up applying for a bunch of regular State Universities. Then one sunny day in April 2007, I got a letter welcoming me as a student at the California State University, Fresno. I was going to be a graphic design student.

So far the best decision in my life was buying that plane ticket, and getting on that plane. Even though I thought I wanted to do photography school, some of my best shots I’ve taken due to graphic design assignments.

At the moment, I am lucky enough to work as a graphic designer on campus (creating posters, logos and fliers for a 22,000 student body), I am doing graphics for a newly started fight gear company called Violence Alliance, I am doing graphics for the very talented Norwegian DJ Kr:ystall (his MySpace should be up soon) and I have been working with my friend Marc and his company All American Beerpong. I feel lucky.