Blaze
Watson

I began my career as a student graphic designer at Western Michigan University. I knew I wanted to broaden my skill set and become as well-rounded and desirable as possible to teams looking for a creative media specialist. While my primary focus at WMU was graphic design, I became increasingly curious about video, photography, and motion graphics.

I was hired as a graphic design intern at Michigan State University in the summer of 2019. I viewed the position as an opportunity to continue developing my skills across multiple areas of the creative field. I began learning After Effects and Premiere Pro while building a foundation in motion design and videography. I was also tasked with capturing photography during practices and recruiting visits. Although balancing these responsibilities was challenging at the time, I am grateful for the demands it placed on my workflow and creative problem-solving. The experience introduced me to new obstacles, encouraged me to learn continuously, and helped shape me into the creative professional I am today.

In the spring of 2021, an opportunity to become the Creative Director for Michigan State Football became available. I presented my goals and aspirations for the office and was excited to take on the new opportunities ahead. Working in that role provided substantial creative and professional growth while strengthening my skills in problem-solving, communication, organization, leadership, and teaching. I learned how to manage incoming creative requests, lead a team, support multiple production needs, and maintain a consistent visual identity in a high-volume athletics environment.

My journey continued at Clemson Athletics, where I stepped into the role of Director of Creative Solutions. This position has allowed me to expand my leadership responsibilities while remaining actively involved in hands-on design, photography, video, motion graphics, and creative production. I lead creative direction and project workflows, collaborate with teams and department stakeholders, support recruiting and showcase initiatives, develop physical sets and visual environments, and mentor student employees through hands-on creative opportunities. My role at Clemson has further developed my ability to build efficient creative systems, manage complex projects, lead collaborative teams, and translate organizational goals into effective visual solutions.

When I began working in sports, my goal was to become skilled enough to contribute meaningfully to a creative team. Through each stage of my career, I have grown from a student designer into a creative leader capable of guiding teams, developing people, managing systems, and producing work at an elite level.