Daily Inspiration: Meet Mariah Howard

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mariah Howard.

Hi Mariah, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I remember being intrigued by graphic design as early as middle school.

I would say my interest in graphic design was initially sparked by all the teen magazines I would read when I was younger and my favorite album covers.

I learned about Photoshop and Illustrator when I started high school and that’s when I began toying around with the programs along with my friends for fun!

It wasn’t until my junior year that I was able to take formal graphic design classes which grew my love for graphic design even more so. During my senior year of high school in 2015, my high school selected me to further my studies in graphic design and media at a local college.

After high school, I went to another college briefly before deciding to take a break to find myself. I did a lot of maturing during that time and then 2020 came. I was actually working in healthcare when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and that was a huge wake-up call for me.

It was a reminder that life is too short to not chase your dreams. So, I enrolled back in school during the summer of 2020 and I have been continuing to study and dedicate my time to graphic design ever since. I even worked as the graphic designer for Park University’s Esports team.

Today, I continue to work on my graphic design skills a lot in my free time and share my work and progress online!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has definitely not always been a smooth road. I grew up in a very small conservative city in southern Missouri so that was a very big obstacle in itself as a queer woman of color.

I felt as though I had a very different outlook on life compared to those around me. I am very thankful to have had friends and teachers who voiced their belief in me and my ideas. Somewhere along the way during my teen years, I lost a lot of my confidence and I started caring more about what others thought of me.

It’s taken a long time for me to build that confidence back and focus on my own happiness and progress but, I am once again back in good, strong head space.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am currently studying and working in graphic design!

I would say that I specialize in poster design, social media design, and branding. A lot of my peers and followers know me for my manipulation of typography and my inclusion of traditional art in my digital designs as well as my use of unconventional color palettes.

I think what sets me apart from others is the colors I use within my work as well as being a quick learner who is open to learning anything. I will take any opportunity I get to learn a new skill set, a new idea, a new process, etc.

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
100% yes. The pandemic was a huge wake-up call for me as a creative.

As I said before, I was working in healthcare as a medical assistant when the pandemic hit. The situation I was in reminded me that I was not pursuing what I was truly passionate about.

Seeing families lose loved ones unexpectedly every day, was a reminder that life is short and we’re not promised tomorrow. There is no time like the present to start a project, pick up a hobby you’ve been pondering, or tell someone you love them.

You’ll regret it later if you don’t start now!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: instagram.com/mariahwhatsgood
• Other: behance.net/mariahwhatsgood