Meet Debbie O’Connor | Designer & Lifestyle Infuencer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Debbie O’Connor and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Debbie, why did you pursue a creative career?
I pursued a career based on my interests and what I learned I was good at and enjoyed doing.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
What professional category do I fall into?!- That’s always been a hard one for me to answer. While I thought my Interior Design degree would be my main focus, many economic and life challenges have made that difficult. I have developed a good portfolio of work considering, but I’ve also visited other artistic and design realms, all relating to the visual arts, maintaining a strong hold around art, design, architecture, technology, lifestyle, and fashion. Nature, travel, and experiencing the world around me serve as inspiration, while music is the fuel that keeps me going. I think I am still coming-forth, my most recent endeavor being an Influencer for other companies. It’s a great artistic outlet and it helps others. There have been so many lessons along the way, but the biggest has been developing a contract that respects and protects the Designer perspective rather than just the bottom line, business objective. I’m excited about all of it, especially about giving more time to these areas of interest moving forward! I think what really sets me apart is my ability to think for myself and understand where the world is at to come up with somewhat (we all get inspired from something that already exists) original ideas and carry them through to execution, while paying equal attention to the importance of beauty and functionality. Furthermore, bringing my respect for the value of design into the business arena to develop a business model different from the ones I was subjected to sets me apart. And finally, my tenacity, stemming from a sense of hope for the future, has helped get me where I’m at today. My chosen educational background in design, ongoing reassessment and further development of this skill set, and continual effort to put myself out into the world in search of opportunity always lends a helping hand.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I love to try new things! So, depending on my friend’s interests, I’d probably research new places that interested us both, and also suggest some favorites… Or just suggest we visit a whole new country, state, or city altogether!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Unfortunately I never met the Grand Mentor I was hoping for starting out. However, credit must be given to the people who helped a little along the way, either by offering me a job, letting me tag along for a duration of their journey, showing me how they do things, or anything else along that line that isn’t coming to mind at the exact moment…

Website: https://www.behance.net/debbiemarieoconnor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/debbiemarieoconnor/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbiemarieoconnor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/debbiemoconnor

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AllThingsDebbieMarieOConnor/?show_switched_toast=1&show_switched_tooltip=0&show_podcast_settings=0