Christina Sarrie Snyder

Who Am I?

Simply put, I am Christina Sarrie Snyder, formerly Christina Moore.

This is probably where most people expect to hear my demographics but that’s not who I am.

I am a happy, go-lucky, living life kind of girl.

I’m the mother of three intelligent children that contribute back to their community in various ways, a sister to two successful brothers, and an aunt to four beautiful nieces.

I make sure to take time to enjoy the beauty that surrounds me.  I love being outdoors and adventurous.   And I am typically that annoying ray of sunshine that pokes through the persistent storm clouds traveling by.

I’m a lover of words, a true fan of technology, and find animals completely irresistible.

I believe human beings are meant to evolve:  mentally, emotionally, and physically.

I am detail oriented, passionate, and forever curious.

But, in efforts to fulfill the expectations of traditions, I am selfless 80’s baby, a secure pale-faced woman, and a stubborn Yankee living in the south.

What do I do?

This can be a bit complex but we’ll get through it, together.
Technically, I am Freelance Front End Developer, backed by an Associates of Science in Web Design & Interactive Media. Which means I am an educated self-employed designer specializing in designs for the web environment with a high level of understanding the limitations and capabilities of said environment.

Quite the mouthful, right?  Simply put, I am a passionate designer.  I design a wide variety of things, from this blog to e-commerce websites and all the content that is needed on these pages to make it
interesting, balanced, and interactive.  This includes graphics, video editing, photo color correction, logos, etc.

I’m also familiar with print standards and offer quality custom business cards, signs, and flyers for my clients but I do not print them myself.

Where am I?

I am virtually everywhere.  You can find me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.

But, physically, I am in Horn Lake, Mississippi, about 5 minutes from the Memphis, Tennessee border.  And I would not be true to my heart if I didn’t mention my hometown, Atlas, Pennsylvania.

I moved to Mississippi almost two years ago and have really enjoyed being surrounded by the southern hospitality, the chivalry their gentlemen uphold, and the appreciation they have for their mothers.

When am I designing?

Always.  This is no exaggeration.  There isn’t a minute of the day that I am not mentally redesigning the media I find around me or tossing and turning with new concepts.

Why do I design?

I was once told that even the selfless acts we perform out of kindness are in some way motivated by a selfish desire to feel good about ourselves.

This may not be the best opening line but I feel it’s a true representation of why I am a designer and love my job.  Let me explain.

There is a sense of pride in the fact that every client is working towards a goal and asking for your assistance in doing so.  The owner places their trust in you and you get to experience their exploration and discovery of what will represent their passion with them, all while lending the experience of your own passion to guide them.
I’ve had more clients than not tell me ‘I have no clue what I want’ and there is satisfaction at the end of that project when your client feels you nailed everything they wanted, despite not knowing what they wanted.

I am a web designer because I love art, and I love helping people.  And I think it really is that simple.

How did I get here?

I have always loved art, which is common for most artists, but I didn’t exactly realize how much I loved art until my later years.

I remember spending the summer babysitting with my Aunt and impressing my cousins with my ability to recreate Disney characters from the television screen or coloring books lying around.

And then in high school, I had an art teacher, Mr. Mark Sassani, who fascinated me with his artistic talents and I remember him always encouraging me to pursue an art degree.  I would look at my work, and look at his…  And then I would look at my work again.  I remember crediting the compliment to the notion “He’s such a nice guy.”  I had even thought about the fact he knew my creatively gifted Uncles so maybe, just maybe, he assumed I was also handed their gift.

I graduated high school in 2000.  Art wasn’t exactly in high demand in Pennsylvania.  Nor was I feeling confident with my doodles and sketches despite the enjoyment I got from it.  So, I pursued my nursing degree because nurses were in demand and the pay was nothing to blink an eye at.  After obtaining my degree and working within the field for a few years, the long hours and weekend shifts didn’t feel right for me, as a mother.

I became a stay at home mom for a while and the internet was booming.  My drawings, paintings, and supplies were retired to storage to make room for toddler needs.  I was bouncing from web
page to web page with my AOL dial-up connections and social networking was right on the horizon.  It wasn’t long before I found myself “changing things” to personalize my MySpace page.  I remember how jealous my friends would get with my sparkling gif background and color coordinated fonts.  Soon I was making profile skins for everyone.

Then there were more websites, and they had more features and images.  And there was software you could use to create any image you desired, not just hope to find one on the internet that fit in your ideas.  This was so exciting, I had to learn how to do this.

I did some research and found the Art Institute.  I was still fascinated with everything and had no direction with my desires but boy did I desire something!  After a few hours on the phone with an admissions counselor, we decided that web design sounded like it’d be perfect for me.

Throughout my classes, I learned why I did the things I did.  For example, why I placed colors next to each other (value contrast).  Or why I selected colors from this side of the color wheel (color harmony).  I did all these things naturally, without a thought, because they ‘looked right’.  I never thought about what made them visually appealing, I just did it.  And then I thought back to Mr. Sassani.  Maybe, just maybe, he seen that natural ability too.

I highly doubt Mr. Sassani knew how many times throughout my life I’d reflect on his words of encouragement.  But I’m very thankful to have been one of his students, even if only for a few years.  When my passion became apparent, his words built the confidence I needed to become the designer I am today.