last tuesday night, at the young ones ceremony in new york city, I received the 2014 patrick kelly scholarship from the one club.
for my application essay, I answered the question, "why did you choose to pursue advertising as a career? give at least three detailed reasons." below was my response.
on my first day of first grade, my mom walked me into school to help me find my classroom and get settled. as I hung up my jacket on a hook in the hallway, a young man named james bearden approached me. he said, “hi, my name is jb, what’s yours?” with a nervous expression I said, “my name is julie … but I'm a ‘jb’, too. those are my initials.” quickly, without asking, jb hugged me. looking over his shoulder at my mom I felt unsure. but she shot me an affirming nod and smile, and I returned his heartfelt embrace.
jb was the first friend I ever made at webster elementary. though we attended the same public schools from 1st through 12th grade, we never had a class together. see, jb has down syndrome and was enrolled in special education courses taught out of the same facilities as general education courses. we were fortunate enough to share high fives in the hallway, chat on a regular basis, and (of course) be called by the same set of initials. what he didn’t know was the profound impact he had on my life over those 12 years.
when I graduated high school, I seriously considered studying special education. however, I didn’t know if I would have the patience or wherewithal to teach special needs students on a daily basis. though I felt passionate about helping men and women with special needs, I didn’t know if that was my true talent.
there is a distinction between our passions and our talents. just because we’re passionate about something, doesn’t mean we’re talented in that arena. rarely do you find someone whose passions and talents align perfectly, forming a career.
for most people, myself included, it’s about honestly recognizing our talent and finding a clever way to hook our passions to it. maybe I don’t have what it takes to be a special education teacher. but what if my design and visual communication talents could one day help that community, in my own unique way?
I chose advertising because I believe art direction is my God-given talent. It’s one of the few things I can sit down and do for hours and never look up at the clock. if I wasn’t “doing art direction”, I would still be doing art direction. because I have to.
I chose advertising because it has the ability to help people. it can change behaviors, and perceptions. It can positively influence how we see each other, and the world.
I chose advertising because it felt like the one place I could plant my feet and still touch the other areas of my life that inspire me. advertising begs for curiosity, and originality, and exploration of things we don’t understand. how beautiful is that?
on my first day of first grade, jb taught me a valuable lesson about uncertainty. in the moments we feel pushed to that uncomfortable place, that sometimes-fearful place, this is where we find future success. this is where we make friends, where we grow, where we become inspired. advertising, above all else, is laced with uncertainty. everything that’s good in advertising starts with a risk. and like a hug from a stranger, it’s simply about opening your arms and embracing it.
