Tara RICE

What was your very first job? 

My first job as a designer was at a small agency in Vancouver Canada called WOW Branding. I began as an intern and was hired as a junior afterwards.

As an intern/junior designer I mostly did the more basic tasks the guys didn’t want to do… prepare client presentations, prep files for press, work on a new brand of feminine hygiene products. They even had me making survey calls at one point.

How did you discover that the creative world was right for you? Was there a time in your life that you credit to this discovery? What was there train of events that brought you to where you are today?

After wow branding I wasn’t sure the design world was right for me—it was a very masculine environment and the work just didn’t speak to me. It wasn’t until I began working for Jocelyn Fortier Creative that I really understood there was more out there. She introduced me to the world of fashion and opened my eyes to a world of imagery that wasn’t just a job but a passion. She was my greatest mentor.

In your constantly growing and expanding industry, how do you find inspiration to keep your work fresh, innovative and relevant?

It’s important to be constantly paying attention to the world. Research, news, museums, travel, all that stimulation that inspires new forms of thought and connects you with the trends of thought happening out there.

If you had to pick one piece of work or project that you are most proud of, more for the creative work and innovation it required, rather than its recognition or industry “success,” what would it be? 

I am most proud of art projects, not the pieces that were client driven.