Who? Shari Neal, 26
Where? I am a lifelong Chicagoan, though the entire rest of my family is from Belize.
What do you do? I am a front-end web developer by day at an advertising agency where I create websites, desktop and mobile applications by day. And I'm a freelance graphic designer/web designer/art director with the rest of my time. My portfolio is here. I can now add t-shirt designer to that list also, I started my own line called Bon Bon Vie. But the short answer is, I love making pretty things :).
What inspires you? Other creative people inspire me for sure. But I'm also inspired by those who take great pride in what they do and don't settle for mediocrity, no matter what their field or profession.
Why are you fly? I'm fly because I'm me. I accept myself, flaws and all, but I try to improve the things I can change. I'm fly because I've realized enjoying the journey can be just as rewarding as reaching my destination. And finally, I'm fly because I'm a small business owner (much love to those who have also taken the plunge into entrepreneurship).
Advice: My advice would be to not be afraid to take chances and don't hesitate to do what you love. Don't live your life based on other people's expectations and what they envision for you if they don't align with what you see for yourself. Just do you.
