I’m Melissa, the Gridley in Gridley Creative. I’ve officially worked in the creative industry for more than 20 years (30 if you count the 10 unofficial years I spent doodling fonts in math class). I’ve created branding, print materials, social media content, websites, videos, photography and marketing copy as a freelancer, creative team lead, Air Force photojournalist, and agency multimedia director.
I’m not a fine artist, I’m a designer, and I explain the difference to people in 3 words; design solves problems. Graphic design, in particular, solves communication problems. If I’m not solving a problem for the end user or communicating a message to an audience, I’m not designing—I’m making art. Art is awesome, it’s just not what I do.
So what do I do? I currently freelance and teach graphic design courses at The University of Tampa. Occasionally I’m asked to brand a small business, design a website, produce or edit a video, or write copy for social & traditional media. Sometimes I even draw, animate or record voice-overs. In my spare time I read, design fonts, create stock illustrations, and binge-watch sci-fi on Netflix. I’m never bored.
