Kristin Portsmouth: Mechanical Engineer who followed her passion for Graphic Design

The other day I got talking with designer extraordinaire Kristin Portsmouth who creates amazing visuals focused on productivity and personal growth. I love how Kristin uses her design skills to convey meaningful messages that help people get through the day, and inspire them to take action.

Here she talks about her career, love for design, and more:

1. Where did you study mechanical engineering?

I graduated from Roger Williams University (RI) in 2018 with a Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering.

a. What led you to choose this branch of engineering in general?

I chose mechanical engineering because I was always interested in how things fit together and how toys worked. I enjoyed taking things apart and thought why not learn how to put them together. I have many engineers in my family who inspired me and encouraged me to pursue this field.

b. What was the toughest subject in college?

I would say the toughest subject for me to grasp was differential equations and machine design. There were a lot of strenuous classes but I was lucky enough to have some really amazing professors.

c. Have you worked as an engineer?

I worked professionally as the sole mechanical design engineer for a small company in New Jersey for a year and a half. It was really interesting to work and I learned so much finally getting more hands-on experience. While I enjoyed the job, the company was not the right fit for me.

2. What led you to shift to graphic and web design? How long have you been in this domain?

I started learning more about graphic and web design in 2019. I have always loved design, drawing, and being creative, but I never knew I could make this my full-time career. I have been working towards creating a successful freelance business for myself for the past three years and have learned so much along the way.

3. What are the top 5 movies and series you watched last year? Do you ever draw inspiration from them?

My top 5 movies/shows of last year would have to be:

• Luca

• Spider-Man: No Way Home

• Don't Look Up

• Squid Game Series

• Locke and Key Series

I absolutely draw inspiration from the various movies and tv shows I watch, especially animated movies and shows where you can really see how much creativity and effort went into making them.

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4. How much time do you invest in each of your visuals on a daily basis? What is your end goal in creating these visuals?

It really depends on how much detail I am putting into a visual. It can take me anywhere from 15 minutes to a couple of hours. I usually dedicate a couple of hours to working on my business, Twitter, and other freelancing projects. My end goal with these visuals right now is to inspire people and motivate others to work towards their dreams.

5. Your Twitter Account has seen phenomenal growth in just a few months. How did you manage that?

It has been a crazy ride so far! I really can't believe how much I have grown in such a short time. I have posted every day consistently for about 3 months and doing that really let my work get viewed by so many people. I had a viral thread that really started all my growth. It was amazing to see how much everyone liked my work and how much everyone connected to it.

6. Have you monetized your passion for inspiring visuals as yet?

I haven't monetized my visuals just yet, but that would absolutely be a great next step. I currently just work on freelance projects as they come along. I would love to work on more projects that I can share with others.

7. If you could use your own pre-created visuals to describe every phase of your life until now - what would those be?

At college studying to be an engineer

There was so much to learn! It felt like I was opening up a whole new world of possibilities.

Graduating college and working as an engineer

It was time to stop learning and start doing. It was scary at first but you find your way.

Making the shift to graphic design

Not everyone understood why I wanted to stop engineering but I knew it was the right decision for me

Current life as a designer

Fighting past my fears and figuring out where I'm truly meant to be.

How I see the future

Just trying to be myself and find my way!

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