I was born in Sofia, Bulgaria, on October 11th, 1974. I grew up with a passion for drawing, animals and the great mountains surrounding our city, where I used to hike with my father. Soon my drawing passion developed into a real talent and it became clear I was to dedicate my life to art. My parents played a great role in helping me develop my talents by supporting me in every way despite many financial obstacles.
As a teenager, I attended many drawing classes and had the privilege of studying at Bulgaria's elite Art School, where I had the opportunity to explore every fine art technique available. As part of the studies, we traveled to remote ancient cities to capture the past on paper and canvas. I believe the skills I acquired during my years at the school have had a tremendous impact on my development as an artist and designer.
In 1992, I was accepted at Bulgaria's National Academy of Arts, a school with great tradition and resources. As an Interior Design Major, I studied Graphic Design, Architecture, Basic Engineering and Modular Exhibition Systems. I also developed many other interests, such as photography and foreign languages, and I continued painting. Upon my graduation with a Master's Degree in 1997, I had developed great affection for graphic design and wanted to develop my talents further in this direction.
It had been my life-long dream to visit the United States, a country I had always respected and loved. Since there were no adequate graphic design programs available in Bulgaria, I researched many U.S. schools and was accepted to seven accredited colleges, all offering excellent graphic design programs. I chose the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, a small, private college that caught my attention with its elite faculty and excellent facility. After transferring some credits from my Master's, I spent two years at MCAD, graduating in 2000 with a BFA in Graphic Design. MCAD's fast-paced, challenging program taught me great attention to detail and professionalism.
After graduating, I sought employment as a Graphic Designer in the Minneapolis area. Finding work as an entry-level designer was not easy, but I was hired relatively soon. I was lucky to work with a wonderful Art Director who taught me to have confidence in my talents and abilities. Thanks to my confidence, I became an Art Director myself in 2001 when I was employed by a local ad agency, Welsh and Associates, and later by Mirage Advertising.
In 2001, I married my husband Daryl and we lived in Minneapolis until 2002, when I became pregnant with our first child, Jasmine Deana. We moved to his home town of West Seneca, N.Y., to be around his family for this important moment. Jasmine was born on January 16th, 2003. Soon after she was born I received an employment offer from NY State's Board of Cooperative Educational Services, and I started working there as a Senior Graphic Designer, leading a team of other graphic designers and press operators.
In February 2004, we relocated to Seattle, where my husband wanted to pursue a commercial diving career. This gave me the opportunity to do something I had wanted to do for a long-time- work as a self-employed freelance Graphic Designer and be around our daughter, Jasmine. I had worked as a freelancer along with my full-time employment for several years and now I had the opportunity to devote all my time to this work. I find freelancing the be very rewarding and challenging, and I enjoy the professional relationships I have developed with many wonderful clients all over the United States and abroad.
Seattle, 2004
