Welcome Christina, and thank you for agreeing to share some of your story with me, and my readers!
Jumping into it, why don’t you tell us a little about yourself? Who are you, and what is it that makes you … tick? (Yes, pun intended).
Hmm… What makes me tick? Well, I love to learn; sometimes to the point where I’m overwhelmed by how much I want to absorb. I’m a sponge so to speak: full of random trivia and knowledge, while constantly searching to fill any voids with more knowledge, more experiences, and more beauty.
I was recently watching “Rise of the Guardians,” and a question caught my attention. “What is your center?” I think I’ve been searching a long time for my center, but I feel my answer is a bit like the response provided in the movie by Santa: “My eyes are so big because they are full of wonder.”
I find that I am an idealist, and while I don’t look at the world through rose colored glasses (so not fashionable anyway), I do see the potential, beauty, and good in everything, and everyone, around me. I attempt to focus on that in my life; to share that perception of the world with everyone, whether it be through creative mediums, or just in my actions. As with everything, I am a work in progress…
I understand that you have a sincere interest in the incredibly technical world of computer programming, designing, creating, et cetera. What was it about this field that initially piqued your interest? Was it a vision and desire to create? Or did you simply see something mediocre and think to yourself: “I could do that so much better?”
Honestly, I think it was the freedom to do something on my own, while still being bound to the confines of “structure.” Computer programming is a language that I find interesting. It’s dynamic and fluid; it changes, it grows, and it evolves. Just like people.
Plus, I wanted to be able to contribute something that says: “I did that. I’m useful.” I saw designing as my outlet to allow me to show expression, creativity, and uniqueness while also developing me as a person and artist.
However, I’m also grounded in the “structure” and the “matrix” of it all, so to speak. These things give me a sense of stability and security, while allowing me to flow and explore. I find that there is something uniquely beautiful about lines and geometry. To me, even the most “abstract” has structure.
With that said, my love of art, and wanting to create beauty, started at a young age. I would visit museums, see amazing works of art and think: “I wish I could do that.”
Then I discovered math — and the world of fractals. I saw how beautiful, and for the most part unnoticed, art was in nature. I was amazed to find that it could be recreated with the power of mathematical functions. This knowledge gave structure and harmony to the world in which I lived.
So, after you had dabbled in the tech side for a while Christina, what was the defining “aha” moment where you knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this was a field you wanted to immerse yourself in for the long haul?
I think it actually started in college — as a math major. I also worked in the CS (Computer Science) laboratories, teaching Calculus programs to students. Then I got one of my dream jobs: internship at NASA Ames Research Center in the Neuro-Engineering laboratory! It was the most eye opening two years of my life. I was completely embedded (pun intended!) in programming, learning to write analysis scripts, and I found it challenging yet extremely satisfying.
As your skills grow, where do you hope to go? What do you hope to achieve with your creative tech side?
Well, I would like to be working full-time designing websites and graphic logos, as well as pursuing my drawing and photography interests. I aspire to share my creative vision with the world that loves technology and is always looking for the “next big thing.”
On the flip side though, I don’t know that I want to be the “next big thing,” as that involves eventually getting passed by. I want to find myself always on the cutting edge, pushing that envelope, and breaking the mold. 🙂
Here’s my last question… You seem to have an innate sense of how things work in this usually intimidating field. Some might call it a gift…or just good genetics. How do you view it? If it is a gift, do you feel that there’s a higher calling out there somewhere for you?
That’s an interesting question, and I think it’s a little bit of both…
I catch onto things quickly, so in that aspect I would say it’s a “gift.” I would also give it up to “genetics” or “experience,” since I was immersed in a world of technology as a child. My grandfather is a laser physicist, and he always brought home new gadgets to show my brother and me.
In addition, our household had PC, and Apple, systems so that we could learn how each one worked. By the time computers were being brought into my classrooms, I already knew how to navigate one, how to play around, and…how to get myself into trouble. *chuckle*
In college, I expanded my knowledge by building my own computer from the ground up. I felt it was important for me to understand the hardware, software and accessories needed to build a computer that worked properly.
That’s all we have time for today Christina, but thank you so much for sharing! I know I have learned a lot today – and not just about technology!
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