Amanda Waltz

Art Director, AIM Media Indiana

How long have you been in creative/visual journalism, and how did you get your start?

I have worked in local media since March of 2005 when I was pretty much right out of college.

I was heavily involved in student publications in both high school and college. I started professionally at one of our papers as a graphic designer within a year of graduating. I gained design experience for a few years and then moved into magazine layout with our special publications team. From there, I was promoted to my current position, managing not only our talented, award-winning team of advertising graphic artists but the amazing editors and designers in our publications division.

What gets (and keeps) your creative juices flowing?

I think the deadlines that come with working in the newspaper industry can be both a point of stress and inspiration. I’ve always felt that I do my best work when I don’t overthink the creative process and trust my first instinct. We are often moving quickly to meet press times, which lends to my process. If I have the time to overthink my work, I will, which might mean talking myself out of something that’s excellent creative work. I also thrive off of my co-workers. Seeing and helping them with the work they produce inspires me to keep the unit strong and take our whole team to new heights.

What advice do you have for young professionals starting out in the creative field?

Have fun and be versatile. I believe that loving what you do relies on your raw enjoyment of it, but you’ve got to also be willing and able to take on challenges, even if you’re not comfortable with the idea of it.

I remember several projects over my career so far that terrified me on the surface. “Can I really do that? What if it looks terrible? What if I’m not good enough?” Wash those thoughts down the drain and give it a try. You will surprise yourself with what you can actually do when properly motivated. A great moment as a mentor/manager is seeing the pride someone has when they see the final project and can hold it in their hands.

What do you see as the most important trend or facet of visual journalism/media creative today?

I feel that adaptation is essential. As an industry, we’ve got to be able to create new ways to connect with the audience, both readers and advertisers. Coming up with creative new ways to relay information keeps us interesting in a world where everyone is being bombarded with other ways to view their media. Even if I think my ideas might be silly or far-fetched, I try to at least bring them to the table so that it might be possible to adapt the idea into something tangible. 