Within the last year, the portfolio that I created from GDCCP was used to land me a: Final round interview for the Google Design Fellowship, Branding Design internship at 2 Berlin-based startup, Secure a limited spot in a portfolio review with the Google Design team, Help facilitate further portfolio reviews & relationships with last summer’s panelists such as Janis Ann and Sarah Oh (Sarah and I have video chatted more than 4 times since the program ended since she was my portfolio reviewer during the program!).

I took the Graphic Design Course first. It completely unstuck me. Like, mentally. Creatively. Existentially. I started letting go of the "right way" and leaned hard into the weird side of my design brain. Then I took the Squarespace Design Course because I was already deep in it and figured, why stop now? It made sense — I’d just built a whole brand in the GDC, and now I needed somewhere to actually put it. The two courses were a match made in heaven.

I used this course to re-launch a previous creative writing newsletter on video and for IG. The tools from this course gave me the skills to launch this project thoughtfully and gave me a portfolio for the job market! From real-like practice and supportive feedback, through Joellen's relatable and motivating teaching style, taking this course was a highlight of the last couple months.

My advice to anyone thinking about taking the course is—Do it! The information is concise, valuable and engaging- and nothing ever comes without adequate examples to further assist. Copywriting contains so many elements that may initially seem intimidating, but this course helps lessen that intimidation by providing genuine community, examples and the workbook that really walks with you through everything. This course was fantastic! Everything was 10/10.

My favorite thing about the course was learning about graphic design in a fun way that ilovecreatives offer. Puno created such a fun way of learning that is digestible and easy to understand since it's all online and self-paced. I never felt overwhelmed or stressed out. Also, Mindy and Sarah really care and give such great feedback, you don't feel alone while taking this online course.

The process of writing a bio has always been the hardest for me. This course offered insightful questions that challenged me to dig deeper and define what I do, my perspective and what I hope to create. I feel more confident now in my abilities and clear on the direction I want to go in.

Without formal education on graphic design and being a perfectionist by nature, I had impostor syndrome. But this course showed me how to manage it. Puno was extremely supportive and encouraging every step of the way and addressed all those creative blocks with great empathy and insight in her videos. Also, I learned how to be disciplined and resilient and not to give up given that the course is self-paced and there were many moments in my journey I succumbed to self doubt and self criticism.

My favorite thing about the course was putting together the images/mood for each assignment and getting feedback from Joellen. She makes the assignments fun and inspiring, making the learning experience enjoyable. I feel much more confident now in applying for social media manager (and other that include knowledge of social as a bonus) positions

The strategy part was a game-changer for me because I think not many clients/brands focus on that part. I love knowing about setting goals and KPIs and managing expectations. Joellen's helped me a lot during office hours and with her feedback, so I'm forever grateful for her help! One good thing that came out of the course is landing a job and several freelance clients!!! I started my career in copywriting and I'm now officially a Social Media Manager in the entertainment industry (which is a dream come true) - I owe it all to the ilovecreatives team honestly.