Norwood pursued his passion at The W
Since his time at Sale Elementary School in Columbus, Aven Norwood has known about Mississippi University for Women.
“We would have these events called enrichment camps,” he said. “That was where, for a week, if you scored high enough on your state test, you could come over to The W’s education building, and the education students would pretend as if we had gone to another country.”
W students would prepare food from that country and use the appropriate décor to further sell or create the immersion.
All of this left an impact on the young Norwood, one that was still strong when it came time to decide on a college. Having a passion for illustration, Norwood knew he wanted to pursue an art program. However, with illustration programs not readily available, he decided on the next closest thing, graphic design.
“There aren’t many illustration programs in the area, so people usually go into graphic design,” he said. “You get the best of both worlds, because you’re still doing illustration alongside graphic design.”
Drawing has been a passion of Norwood’s for as long as he can remember. In fact, he remembers illustration being the first job he ever wanted.
“The first job that I ever wanted to do was to be a children’s book illustrator,” Norwood said. “As I got older, I realized I don’t like writing and especially not writing children’s stories.”
After four years at The W, Norwood looks back fondly on his time at the University.
“I really enjoyed how small the classes are,” he said. “I like that you get to really know your professors, and your professors get to know you. I don’t feel like I’m just a number in a room. They know what my goals and my interests are when it comes to my career.”
Among those professors, one stands out to Norwood: Alex Stelioes-Wills, associate professor and department chair of art and design.
“He’s been my drawing professor, my design professor and my painting professor,” said Norwood. “He has definitely given me a lot of insight what is available to me when it comes to the art world. I also had him for a professional practices class where he told me about how to manage life after graduation.”
During his time at The W, Norwood found a new outlet for his creative energy, one that allows him to make a little money while doing something he loves.
“I enjoy the illustrative side of graphic design, but for the most part, I don’t feel like there’s much of an outlet in terms of self-expression,” he said. “I wanted something that felt more expressive and tangible to do on the side. So, I started making little ceramic pieces of jewelry. I would glaze them to make them look like I carved them and making them look like stones and crystals and gems. I really liked taking a break from the computer and from Adobe. It was refreshing, and it was nice to use my brain in a different way.”
He began selling his jewelry at local festivals such as Under the Oaks on The W’s campus and the Market Street Festival in downtown Columbus. This helped him start building a brand.
“It did really well, and people really liked how different it was,” said Norwood. “So, I thought, ‘Okay, I’m going to try to build on this.”
Norwood plans to continue trying to grow that brand post-graduation. However, he also plans to do freelance graphic design work as well. He is leaving the door open for any and all opportunities though.
“As of right now, I’m doing freelance graphic design, and I’m selling my jewelry,” he said. “If I want to experiment with anything else, then I’ll do that down the down the line.”