I chose to rewrite my intro completely so that it is more authentic to me, and shows the raw growth journey towards why I chose communication design....but it's so long. Argh. How do I shorten this tale? I'm not a writer so this is tough! But here it is...
I am Shamsa Baddai, a first year of Bachelor of Communication Design student at Auckland University of Technology (AUT). Auckand is my home, where I live with my partner and our ginger cat named ‘Loki’.
Originally from Oman, growing up, I endured oppression and domestic violence. I had a passion for art, and despite winning National art competitions during school, I was discouraged from pursuing it. My voice was stifled, and my art dwindled, replaced by fear and following orders. Â
I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology from the University of Auckland in 2018 as it was the closest I could get to an art education at the time. This period marked a turning point in my life as I fought for my rights, ultimately gaining refugee status, and winning my case; which set a precedent for Omani or Arab women seeking refuge from violence. I am now a proud Kiwi citizen.
While working in admin, I was sought out for my creativity to make posters, invites or signs despite my lack of technical skill, which ignited my creative side again. I even taught myself to use tools like Photoshop. I loved utilizing technology to fuse my art with design to create a meaningful artifact. I also really enjoyed interpreting a vision and expanding upon it.Â
My turning point was during a recent overseas trip to Universal. I noticed the ‘Wizarding World of Harry Potter’ had such creative posters. That entire world was designed by ‘MinaLima’. It sounds crazy, but I teared up. I wanted so badly to be part of the team that created such beautiful artefacts, and I realised that I deserved to finally pursue my creative dream, now that I can.Â
I don’t know what kind of designer I am going to be yet, but I do know that my goal is to use my illustration & digital design skills to craft print that is imapactful, beautiful and strong, like my voice, and I want my work to be out on the walls, in films, and in the hands of Aotearoa, and the World.Â
**Reflective Notes; Revisit my writing to shorten, and clean it up, because it’s currently too long…