Empathy is Cool
In many ways UX saved my life. I was in a rough place career wise (as in, I didn’t have one) when I first discovered UX. I spent years bouncing around to whatever jobs I could get, internships, working at bars, working for free, trying to find my place in the world. When I found UX a lightbulb went off.
Finally, I found something that made complete sense to me. Something that seemed to perfectly matched the way my brain worked: creative problem solving. And something that appealed to my best qualities as a human being. Particularly, EMPATHY. It was freeing to find a profession where this trait was valued. That there was something I could do to make money that would nurture that impulse.
I was home.
So, I took a bootcamp in 2015 and I’ve been UXing like a maniac ever since. It’s the first thing in my life that I’ve truly, fully bought into with passion and pride.
Well, except maybe for my hobbies. I like to read, write, do improv, play D&D, throw axes (non-violently), and serve my dog as his loyal servant.