Spring is here and soon our landscapes will be saturated with spectacular color. Since color is a manifestation of mood, it is not a coincidence that we feel rejuvenated and invigorated when spring shows it’s colors. Colors go beyond just making things “pretty.” It is widely recognized that the presence of color actually creates an emotional reaction.

The first and most powerful sign of spring is the sunny yellow daffodil. Yellow is symbolic of brightness, joy, optimism, light and warmth. Yellow causes stimulation of the nervous system, activation of memory and encourages communication.

Another sign of spring is the return of the robin. Every since I was young I have always looked for the first robin to show that spring has actually arrived. I witnessed my first robin last week, hopping through the grass collecting straw for her much needed nest. No one can deny the vibrant orange color of the robin’s breast. Orange evokes feelings of vitality, fun and energy. Orange is also said to help balance one’s emotions and encourage socialization.

I love going barefoot in the summer and feeling the grass between my toes, so it always emits a level of excitement from me when the grass begins to grow flourishingly and changes from a drab brown shade to a vivacious green. Another delightful sight is the emerging of buds from tree branches and the unfolding of delicate new leaves. Green signifies growth, renewal, and health and offers a sense of self-control.

And who can forget the emotional healing power of glorious blue skies! Blue generates a peaceful calming effect. It is also associated with stability, truth, confidence and wisdom.

Color is considered one of the most useful design tools an artist has due to the emotional response it creates. Just as the colors of spring influence your mood and disposition so do the colors used in graphic design. Careful consideration of color choice should be a part of your design decisions.

Note from Mountainside Media: Paula will soon be graduating from St. Joseph’s High School in Huntington. We were privileged to have her interning with us for two weeks in March and as part of her assignments, asked her to write a blog about choosing a career in a creative field. We enjoyed our time with Paula and wish her luck in her future endeavors!

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A child growing up will be asked the question “What do you want to be when you grow up?” countless times, but it’s not until that child is much older that they actually seriously consider the weight of that question. Choosing a career path to follow is one of the most difficult choices a person has to make in his or her lifetime. Think about it. In the short period time lived between seventeen and twenty years of age most people are expected to make a series of decisions that will change the outcome of their lives. Which college? What major? Two-year associates, bachelors, masters, or even a Ph.D? What career? After three uneventful years of high school education, you’re suddenly charged with the responsibility to choose what you’re going to do next: and you don’t have a lot of time to make up your mind.

I, like my peers, struggled with these very same questions these last two years. As a high school senior at St. Joseph Central Catholic High I suddenly realized I was running out of time. Thankfully, at St. Joseph we are given the unique opportunity to pursue a two-week internship with a profession of our choice in order to help us make these difficult decisions. Through internships we learn what it’s really like out in the work field and can better decide if an occupation is right for us or not. By this time I had already narrowed down my choices to select a Bachelors in Fine Arts: Film with a traditional animation emphasis at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in the arts because I loved drawing and painting, but decided against the road of a traditional fine artist in favor for a commercial one. This way I could get employment while still doing something I enjoyed. Animation is a fast-growing field that improves in leaps and bounds every year and I am excited to help support that cause. The juxtaposed combination of light, color, sound and time makes 4-D art something exciting and unique in comparison to other artistic fields.

However, this choice made my options for an internship extremely limited. There aren’t exactly any film-based animation studios in Huntington, West Virginia. This lead me to decide on an internship at Mountainside Media. Mountainside Media doesn’t only create spectacular graphic design, but they do video, power point and web-based design as well. This versatility in a wide range of graphic design fields is what drew me to their company. Interning at Mountainside Media has so far been an entertaining and educational experience. I have been able to watch first-hand the production and work that goes into making various graphic design projects. The people here are kind and fun to be around creating a relaxed work atmosphere. I am grateful for the opportunities I have been given by Mountainside Media.