Top Advertising School, #CircusAlumni Impart Their Wisdom

Top advertising school, Creative Circus has #CircusAlumni speak out on their experiences every Tuesday.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 25TH

Year you graduated & what program: 2011 Design/Art Direction
Current title & agency/company name: freelance Art Director with Anomaly
What’s one piece of advice you’d like to give current or recent grads of Circus? Establish good relationships with fellow students (both ahead of and behind you) as well as teachers. they’re good people that you should want to be friends with anyway, but they will also be solid connections later on.
Describe what Circus means to you in three words or less: Lots of work.
Who pushed you the most while you were in school and why? Sylvia and Colleen, obvious reasons…
Describe a monumental, light bulb moment for yourself while you were at Circus: When I realized that I could do this well.

Year you graduated & what program: 2012, Design
Current title & agency/company name: Art Director, Leo Burnett
What’s one piece of advice you’d like to give current or recent grads of Circus? It’s 100% on you to get better. There are great instructors at the Circus who will give you a foundation, but if you don’t have the drive to step outside your comfort zone and learn new things on your own, this might not be the business for you!
Describe what Circus means to you in three words or less: Ow, my brain.
Who pushed you the most while you were in school and why? Ron Moore. He was constantly pushing me to break away from my usual tendencies and “get messy.” It really helped the diversity of my book in the end.
Describe a monumental, light bulb moment for yourself while you were at Circus: When I realized you can, in fact, drink too many energy drinks in one night.

Year you graduated & what program: 2014, Art Direction
Current title & agency/company name: Jr. Content Art Director, 22Squared
What’s one piece of advice you’d like to give current or recent grads of Circus? To all of those recent grads out there, ask for informational interviews, they get you in the door and keep you on their minds. Also, don’t be negative in interviews. Period. Duh.
Describe what Circus means to you in three words or less: Blood, sweat and Sylvia.
Who pushed you the most while you were in school and why? I would have to say that Dan Balsar influenced me the most while in school. I wanted to push myself in his teams class and I responded really well to his criticism. Thanks Dan!
Describe a monumental, light bulb moment for yourself while you were at Circus: My light bulb moment was in New York at Portfolio review when you realize “Oh! I am good at this, people like me!”