Born and raised in Cape Town, I began my creative studies at school where I enrolled in an art academy in the afternoons.  Here I studied art history, textile and fibre art design for 4 years.  I wanted to become a fashion designer.  Between 1997 and 1998, I studied Textile design at the local technikon for a further 2 years.  I was yearning for work experience and quite honestly, I had had enough of fabric.  I did however pick up photoshop and professional design practice skills while on the diploma course.  I wanted to change my career and decided against another 2 years at college.  As a stepping stone, while deciding on the perfect career direction,  I enrolled at a college where I studied the intricacies of becoming a really good secretary.    I was fortunate enough to find a job at an advertising agency where I learnt valuable skills about the admin behind the creative industry.  During my time at the ad agency, I enrolled in a web design course, evening classes.

I learnt how to design a web site and web-friendly graphics.  Towards the end of 2002, I applied for a junior map editing position at Struik Publishers, Special Projects department.  The department worked on exclusive projects contracted by Struik’s sister company - Lovell Johns UK.

 

When I applied for this job, I had no idea about the passionate and totally obsessive relationship I would develop with maps.  After only two days on the new job I knew that my true career calling was standing right in front of me.  I worked hard, training on the job, staying late to practice what I had learnt about mapping everyday.  I worked at an internet cafe some nights to supplement my income - as we all know, a junior map editor must be penny wise.

 

In 2004, I moved internally to the major map publishing department in the country - Mapstudio.  The position was titled Research Editor, but really it was a Quality Assurance position where I would check both the content and the cartographic styling of the maps.  I enjoyed this, but I missed making maps.

 

At the beginning of 2005, I had the chance to travel to the UK for 6 months.  It’s a long story, but it gave me a kick start into getting ideas together to run my own mapping and design freelance business.  Upon returning in mid-2005, I had to find work quickly and so applied for a position at an investment company.  It was a creative position where I designed brochures, internal communication letters, promotional gifts,  updated the company’s website, letterheads, business cards and even had the chance to design a recipe book for a staff year-end gift.  Nice job but I never lost sight of my goal - making maps.

 

During my time at the investment company I contacted Lovell Johns UK and informed them that I was available for possible freelance work.  I had always had a good working relationship with David McCutcheon, the project manager at Lovell Johns at the time.  He was happy to have me on board.  I created maps every day, when I returned home from my day job.  This taught me fearlessness of an all-nighter.  There were plenty of these.  The same year I won bids on mapping projects advertised at getafreelancer.com.  Locally, I had two more clients added to my list and by mid-2007, my freelancing was too busy to continue with a day job.  I went completely solo and have worked on innovative, exciting and groundbreaking projects ever since.  I use a pc but I am mac literate.