Personal Narrative 

      Being on The Muse has reminded me that there is always more to learn in anything that I do. During the summer before this school year, I was assigned a variety of projects to complete as training before my official work on the publication. I got to read books on leadership and teamwork; design elements and principles; and I got to take an InDesign course. All those assignments aimed to prepare me for what I was to face during the year's many web and print cycles. So- did they work? I would say yes, I learned so much from doing the assignments; however, I think I have been able to build off of those lessons and learn so much more during the school year. Although I read and reflected on a book about healthy team dynamics, there was no way for me to truly understand what I was being taught until I had to get used to working with different individual teams every cycle AND the same design team the whole year. I had to adapt and learn to collaborate in ways that went beyond the teachings of a book.

   I went into my junior year of high school as the Graphics and Design editor for the year- and although that technically puts me in a position of leadership over my staffers, that hasn't stopped my team from teaching me countless things with every content cycle we complete. I've been reminded of the value of patience- of meeting people where they are. Some of my staffers have been doing visual arts work their whole life, others had an interest in the idea of design and simply wanted to learn the art. As I have taken the time to get to know my teammates, I have had to take many different approaches to editing and guiding my staffers per their learning styles and how they feel most valued.  It's such a great feeling when I get to see my staffers create work they're truly proud of. 

     A key part of the design team I created is the understanding that everyone has a voice at the table, regardless of how much experience they have with graphic design. To reinforce this, I make a point of showing my drafts to my staff members from time to time, and they've each given me invaluable feedback and ideas. Different people interpret stories and photos with unique perspectives, and by combining a multitude of visions, I have been able to develop spreads that encompass the whole of the elements on the pages. 

      Over the months that I have been a member of The Muse, I have created designs and graphics to highlight the voices of our very talented writers and the stories of our diverse student body at Dreyfoos. Every print cycle comes with its highlights and proud moments, but none of those come without stressful hours of work or going through what feels like millions of design drafts over the span of a few days. Yet, seeing the work of my whole team printed in the official magazine- just like the pieces I had admired in my freshman year- and getting to work with such incredible staffers has made It all worth it. I have quite a long way to go for my time on the publication, but even in such a short period of time, I know that I have become a better teammate and better graphic designer; I cannot wait to see what lies ahead and what other lessons I will have the honor of learning from such an amazing team. :]