Some careers take a winding path before they feel sustainable. For one graphic designer, the journey began in high school with an early love of fine arts and a growing realization that creativity could also become a livelihood.
Working on her school’s literary magazine opened a door: design wasn’t just about making things look pretty—it was storytelling with visuals. That interest led her to study graphic design in college, a discipline often described as the “practical” branch of art. Many young designers enter the field envisioning a pivot later, but for her, the commercial side of design has been unexpectedly fulfilling.
A Career Built in Editorial Design
The path after graduation was both traditional and serendipitous. An internship at Man Repeller grew into her first real industry experience. A stint at Domino followed, but the real turning point came with an editorial design fellowship at The New York Times. There, she rotated through sections like Food, Style, and Science, eventually rising to art director of the daily business section.
Just as that role was wrapping up, Bloomberg Businessweek came calling. The publication, famously reimagined by designer Richard Turley, had become a hub for bold visual journalism. She was invited to fill in during a colleague’s paternity leave—what was supposed to be temporary stretched into two and a half years, and eventually, a full-time position.
Building Something of Her Own
Like many creatives, she dreamed of having a project that wasn’t filtered through clients or editors. That dream found shape in Byline, an independent publishing platform co-founded by Megan O’Sullivan and Michelle Guterman. She developed the branding and site design, and after launch, was asked to stay on as creative director.
Byline’s mission is rooted in nostalgia for a different era of digital publishing. Once, spaces like Man Repeller offered emerging writers a chance to share personal, experimental work without needing traditional bylines. Today, those spaces feel fewer and farther between. Byline aims to revive that spirit: a place where passion and perspective matter as much as polish.
Beauty as Hobby and Experiment
Outside of design, beauty has become her chosen playground. She admits it’s a complicated industry—overrun with packaging and consumerism—but also a joyful way to connect with friends and explore self-expression. For her, skincare is as much an experiment as knitting: both require patience, trial and error, and a willingness to invest in something that may or may not “work.”
Recently, her skin has gone through changes after coming off birth control, leading her dermatologist to prescribe spironolactone alongside retinoids. The routine proved too harsh, leaving her skin dry and sensitive, so she’s taken a step back—humidifiers and gentler products are now part of the mix.
Her current essentials include CeraVe’s SA Cleanser, Sofie Pavitt’s micellar pads, and a pared-back serum routine. The standout? A mandelic serum from Pavitt that has become her twice-daily staple. For moisture, CeraVe’s classic cream remains unbeatable, while sunscreens like Supergoop!’s Unseen and Abib’s sticks help her balance protection with her naturally oily skin.
Makeup That Feels Like Skin
When it comes to makeup, her approach leans minimal during the day and more playful at night. She’s traded heavy concealers for lighter, blendable formulas like Glossier’s Stretch, and she prefers skin tints over foundations.
Blush is a favorite accent, with subtle shades like Rhode’s Toasted Teddy for daytime and bolder picks like Patrick Ta’s duo for evenings. Bronzer from Fenty adds warmth, and a sweep of eyeliner—often brown for softness—keeps the focus on her eyes. She skips eyebrow pencils altogether these days, letting her natural brows take the lead.
Lips are usually left bare save for balms, though a red statement lip—Prada’s Lava—makes rare but memorable appearances.
Hair, Nails, and the Small Rituals
Her hair, fine and thin, has gone through phases—at one point neon pink, now maintained with lightweight products and scalp treatments. Supplements like Nutrafol and serums from brands like Champo and Act+Acre play a role, though results remain uncertain.
Nails, however, have become a full-blown obsession. From custom sets on Etsy to Chillhouse’s press-ons, they serve both as a creative outlet and a way to keep anxious picking at bay. Color choices range from classic reds to adventurous limited editions like Chanel’s chartreuse Rêveuse.
Fragrance as Inheritance
Perfume has been part of her identity since high school, thanks to her mother’s influence. Growing up in Dallas, she remembers her mom collecting sample vials from Neiman Marcus and sending them as care packages. That tradition instilled both curiosity and sentimentality: she still treasures nostalgic scents like Marc Jacobs’ Daisy but gravitates now toward woody, musky fragrances.
Favorites include Aēsop’s Eidesis, Chanel’s Sycomore in winter, and Ceremonia’s Perfume de la Tierra in summer. Byredo’s Mojave Ghost—technically a hair perfume—often ends up on her sweaters, leaving a lasting trace.
A Life Interwoven with Design and Beauty
Whether she’s laying out pages for a global business magazine, designing a platform for emerging writers, or testing yet another serum, her creative life thrives on curiosity and experimentation. Beauty, for her, is not about chasing perfection but about the joy of discovery—much like design itself.
Both fields demand balance: between client work and personal projects, between what works and what doesn’t, between practicality and play. And in that balance, she has found not just a career, but a way of living creatively, every day.
