I wrote and mimeographed a class newspaper in the 5th grade. In junior high I painted my jeans and Keds with peace signs and wore something called “hair mascara” in neon colors, which I wish they would bring back. As a teen, I was, unfortunately, precisely what you think of when you hear the words “theater kid.” I led a forcible takeover of my high school prom theme and then hand-designed the tickets (though this time, I Xeroxed them). In college I was a creative writing major and got short stories published.

Then I got a PhD in Sociology and was a professor for almost ten years.

What the hell was I thinking.

In 2018, I realized I was careening down a path of dissatisfaction, and decided to heel-turn in a creative direction. So I followed my gut, learned new stuff, and started over.

Now I’m Creative Brand Strategist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where I lead brand and identity projects, build creative strategy, and conduct internal and campuswide workshops on branding. I believe in taking big creative swings, and that the perfect is the enemy of the fun.

I live in Madison, Wisconsin with my absurdly talented husband Bryce Richter, and my just-absurd dog Bert.