“Colour is Trinidad. Colour is Carnival. I am deeply influenced by colour, from the many shades of colour of our people, to the complexion of our wet and dry seasons, to the flavours of our personalities.”– These are the words of Julie Gouveia Ferguson describing Trinidad and Tobago as a delicious twin-island republic that penetrates her approach to design/creativity.
Goddess Julie Gouveia Ferguson! Everyone who meets Julie would know that she is a Goddess. If for any reason you didn’t know this much about her, well you just haven’t received an email from her, and you probably have not had any true encounter with the divine. For example, Julie often does not refer to herself as human, but playfully as having been “assigned earth”. She is considered the goddess of Graphic Design at the College of Science Technology and Applied Arts of Trinidad and Tobago (COSTAATT). She is a strong advocate for Apple Products, and a proud member of the Cult of Mac. All of her students would testify to her commitment to Apple. You’d think she considers herself to be the wife of the late Steve Jobs. She holds the firm belief that there is no other brand that can be compared to Apple. Period. Her sarcasm of the “other” brands of technology, enlighten, and have even convinced many of her students to switch to Apple products, and we were never disappointed with the switch.
For this vivacious woman, being a mother is the most important priority in her life, followed by being an artist and then being an educator (lecturer, teacher, mentor, etc.)
In an interview, this straight-forward designer expressed her commitment to being a mother. Her two beautiful daughters are the joy of her life, and her greatest achievement, and in her opinion, they will always come first before anything else in her life. She is always happy to speak of her love of being a parent. I observed her expression as it changed when she spoke about her two girls. The expression on her face was calm, and it instantly reminded me of the love of a mother; that is the love of Julie for her children. Those mothers who go beyond for their children, that is Julie. She added that becoming a parent was the most rewarding, and happiest moments in her life. The moment they were born, the moment she felt their tiny bodies in her hands and watching them grow each day continues to thrill her. She considers her children, her life. She refers to them as “my own humans”.
The Goddess and one of her daughters!
Julie Gouveia Ferguson has been an artist/graphic designer for many years. She has worked in the field of graphic design locally, and internationally – Advertising Agency (McCann Erickson), Television Station (WHMM Channel 32, Washington, D.C.), an Alternative Newspaper (Washington City Paper), and now, an Academic Institution (COSTAATT, as an Educator!). These are some of the many organizations, and companies this talented and vivacious woman has worked for, while pursuing her passion for design.
At a very young age, Julie’s ability to express herself through creativity was discovered. Though her parents, and those around her could have discouraged her pursuit of art, they embraced it. As she grew older, with encouragement from her parents, friends and loved ones, art and design, and exploring ideas she became more open minded to the varied options before her with regards to design solutions. As Mrs. Gouveia Ferguson continued to talk about her growth in the field, she explained that learning to express herself visually (via art and design) became more prominent, more addictive, and more passionate.
Some work done by Mrs. Julie Gouveia Ferguson
Over the years Julie has created what she calls “her masterpieces”. One design she is most proud of to date is a CD cover done for David Rudder, which he gave to President Barrack Obama during the 2009 Caribbean Summit held in Trinidad. “Just knowing my work would be seen, and touched by President Barrack Obama was enough to keep me on a cloud for a very long time”. Another piece of work done by this youthful artist was a design done for the fashion designer, Everett Hall in Washington D.C.. She had complete control over the entire art production of this piece. She did art direction of the photo shoot, the wardrobe selection, the location for photography, the design, and the layout. The billboard-size ad was done for the Metropolitan buses in Washington D.C. which operate between D.C., Maryland and Virginia. “Seeing my work on buses driving in and around the nation’s capital was such a thrill. What was even more exciting (and scary) was following these buses through the streets, hoping that homeland security would not pick me up as some threat, should any of the drivers report a strange woman following their bus on a motor cycle.”
Sample work from the Washington D.C. paper
Some of the Work of Julie Gouveia Ferguson
News paper full color Ad
Another set of sample work done by Julie Gouveia Ferguson
Julie often explains that being an artist is not a 9-5 job, the hours are long and often arduous. Usually as an artist, your thoughts, even when you have left the office, are still swirling around the design or a particular job you are working on. As an artist, we sometimes sacrifice our sanity and family for our work as a creative. Many designers, like Julie, consider the design profession a 24-hour commitment. This often forces them to sacrifice their family time as they are tired or either too exhausted to do much else. Julie tells me that while she has been in the field of graphic design for many years, people would expect and believe that she has learned how to manage her time. As a creative, ideas and inspirations come at any time, it can come when you are sleeping and sometimes it can wake you from your sleep at un-godly hours of the night. Julie, along with so many of her design colleagues, usually sleep with a sketch book beside her bed.
Julie believes that as creatives, we speak to ourselves, laugh at our own jokes, scream, and shout when no one is around, this is our norm. So many times we sacrifice our sanity. For her, there is no such thing as “normal”. For many, when they’ve met her for the first time, they think she is crazy, but she is very sane.
Ever so often our brains take the back seat mode and we are left in mental blocks. Some of us need different inspirations and motivations to get our brain back into its driving seat. For Julie, music is her therapeutic inspiration for creating. “Two Steps From Hell” is her favourite music group. She says Two Steps From Hell is her default music. She often listens to them to reboot, refocus, and direct her creative energy to the task ahead. Listening to music calms her down and allows her to mentally travel. Everyone has his/her own interest, some believe in movies, or books, but for her music is central. Music embraces her, frees her mind and it is a part of her as a creative. If you should ever travel with this creative woman physically, be sure to know that she will be more focused on the music on her iPhone, iPad, or iPod.
Travelling with Music.
“You must embrace confidence. When you design, give it your best. Understand that there will be those who will like, and those who will dislike. Above all, be confident. Do not mistake confidence for arrogance. The moment you stop believing in your work, your spirit is broken and your passion is lost. Be confident.”- As a mentor, Julie advises her students and other young artists to always be confident. While most people see her as an out-going person, she describes herself as socially challenged. With her work, however, she is fierce, and fearless. She is very straightforward and serious about her work as an artist. She teaches her students the fundamentals, and foundations of design in all areas – principles of design, visual thinking, conceptualization skills, critical thinking skills and analysis. This is just one aspect of knowledge she imparts to her students. To Julie, her students are another reason, besides her family and friends that allow her to persevere in the field as an artist. In her own words, “My classroom is my sanctum sanctorium (my holy place)”, this shows the kind of commitment this educator has for her job as a teacher/ lecturer and to her students. She is a person who encourages others to strive for excellence, while she understands that we all are humans and may fall short sometimes.
Attending COSTAATT graduation ceremony with another graphic designs lecturer and supporting the graphic designs students that were graduating.
Early in the year 2014, Julie organized a student art exhibition, entitled In The Artist’s Shoes. The work displayed was done by her students from the Colour Theory course during semester 201420.
Work done by some of the educator students from her colour theory class!
Taking a course with Mrs Gouveia Ferguson guarantees a holistic approach to graphic design. Students must incorporate what has been taught in class into their design and show an understanding of the principles and fundamentals of designs. While learning is essential and needed, there are different methods of imparting knowledge, for this lecturer being conservative is definitely not her method of teaching. The process of learning can be fun. Therefore expect in her class to never have a dull moment. She is a true inspiration to many young artists and a great role model to her students.
Thank you very much for reading! Please feel free to leave a comment.
Look out for my next blog that will be posted soon. The life, the work and the journey of another great artist of sweet Trinidad and Tobago.
Kindest Regards Leston Paul
creativediversitytt 