Hello future RSTA Design Students,

My name is Henry Dyer, and I have taken this class every year since my sophomore year. Ever since I started in Creative Design, I have been inspired to create. I love all the work I do in the class. My advice to any students in this class is to push yourself, really try your best. In design, amongst many other things, the more iterations you make of a piece, the better the final product will be. When I first started out in this class, I wasn't sure how I was going to like it, but I ended up falling in love with design. I'm now going to college for it, at Savannah College of Art & Design.

Returning to my advice for you in this class, you will create your best work if you show up every day, try your best, and let your creative mind take control. What worked best for me, but may not be the case for you, is to put headphones in AFTER the instructions have been given, and just lock in on your project. One thing I found myself doing when I was a level one was I was VERY stubborn, I thought I already knew everything there was to know about Illustrator and other design software, making it very difficult to learn new skills. Once I realized that I was being too stubborn, that's when my work started to change, I gave advice in-class critiques, and I learned MANY new skills (As a matter of fact, I'm still learning skills in Illustrator today!) I also experimented with many new media. 

One of my favorite parts of the Creative Design class is the ability to work on self-led projects. I have done many, I created clothes, buttons, and stickers, and I worked with the 3D pen. I always found these self-led projects to be very relaxing and that's what made me stick with this class. Another thing I fell in love with is the live work contests because you can make money at school, and it's a great way to build clients for your portfolio. Now since I am a level three student in this class Ms. Max has helped find me clients to work with which is one of the best experiences, to work one on one with a client. 

Finally, I just wanted to say to have fun! Because if you don't want to do a project, and you're focused on how much you don't like it, your work won't be as good as if you are focused on doing your best, and really letting your creativity thrive. 

Henry Dyer - Class of 2025