Meet Tabitha
MEET
Interview by Sophie Cottrell // Tabitha Babcock - tabitharaedesign.com
Tabitha is another new kid on the block and we want to take the time to introduce her to you! She is quite the addition to the team in Design, Type & Refinement. With a wealth of knowledge and a passion for good type design, we couldn't be more proud to have her a part of our family. We sat down and delved deep in her brain, making her tell us all the good things about her.
Where do you live? I’ve been fortunate enough to be quite mobile, moving here and there - from the U.K. to Denver - but my homebase would be the majestic Seattle, WA.
What fills your day?
Thoughts of my future Newfoundland puppy and singing to myself -- ha but in actuality I have my laptop with me always, I make sure to exercise and have random creative projects!
There are so many emerging magazines in the industry, why Sceenry?
I joined the Sceen’ry team because I really believe in its vision and wanted to champion it further! I have been overjoyed to work with this team and know such beautiful things are to come. This mag. gives you a glance into the ‘real life’ of the featured city; my favorite part of traveling: authentic lifestyle.
How did you get to where you are today? What made you choose graphic design and type?
I’m a very curious person, I love learning and solving problems. I was introduced to design during high school annual and loved that I was creating with purpose. This career is a perfect blend of critical thinking, creativity and a lot of flexibility in function.
What is your role in Design, Type & Refinement?
I get the to work alongside Sophie, the creative director, to set and design the layouts. Once the pages have gone through many other hands, I get the magazine back and set the type, making sure all of it is consistent, check content that may be out of place, fix the fluidity, and other fun stuff.
I love the design process because its creative, exuberant and can be as out of the box as we want. And then there’s the refinement process (which I also adore): to organize, revise, and tighten. It’s a beautiful combination.
What is your favourite season and why?
I have always loved autumn. Fall gives me the option for cozy nights or crisp days. The sun still shows up but the fog comes to greet it. It always seemed to me, in the Northwest, that people were more intentional during fall -- they reflect, it’s peaceful after the summer glow and before the holiday craze.
What is your favourite thing to do in your free time?
What free time? No, actually I love writing letters to people, baking, hiking and climbing!
What does adventure look like to you?
It looks like JOY! In all honesty I think it’s important to be able to find adventure and new thrills in something mundane like walking to the tube station (jump up on a side rail and use it as a balance beam) but also in flying around the globe. It’s about attitude, “enjoy it because it’s happening.”
What is your dream travel destination?
The Amazon rainforest - hands down have wanted to traipse through it since the 4th grade!
Favourite quote?
(as a designer) "I believe doubt is a very fruitful thing" — Karel martens
(as a human) “But I have a new love for that glittering instrument, the human soul. It is a lovely and unique thing in the universe. It is always attacked and never destroyed - because ‘Thou mayest.” - Steinbeck, East of Eden
(as a traveler) "The use of traveling is to regulate imagination by reality, and instead of thinking how things may be, to see them as they are" - Samuel Johnson
Any advice you have to give to the readers?
“There are years that ask questions and years that answer,” - Hurston. There’s a lot of pressure for every age. The times that aren’t as glamorous or fulfilling still matter. Don’t beat yourself up. Find joy and purpose in the little things; even if you're just taking care of someone’s cat. Character building is just as important as the outward successes. You can’t love in a hurry, learn to get to know yourself.
"It is entirely possible to be homesick for a place you've never been to, perhaps more homesick than for familiar ground" -Thurman
For the Dreamer - For the Adventurer