Lydia Martin

I started my career in 2016 as a freelance graphic designer after dropping out of college my junior year. I began doing free work in graphic design and eventually built my freelance portfolio up enough that I was able to do that full-time. Being able to support myself financially as a freelance designer was very meaningful to me - there's not a lot of people that get to do that independently in Mississippi, in Jackson, and in the South. I previously worked in the music industry before making a big shift to working with a design agency. Now I run social media marketing for Crema Design Studio, an agency out of Ridgeland, Mississippi, where I've been for about 2 years. I run social media accounts for several restaurants in Jackson, Mississippi, and I also weigh in on some design choices. I work with a really talented team of web designers, graphic designers, and communications specialists. I work a lot in PR, responding to comments and developing brand voices for restaurants and other clients online, along with my team. Tripp Douglas is the boss, and he has been leading us really well. Learning to work with a team that's getting more diverse over time and communicating well has been something I've been growing a lot in. In some way, it feels new, but it also feels very comfortable. I'm happy to be working with the team now - I appreciate it more, I think, because I was trying to do it all myself at first.