Interests and Hobbies
Dogs (I have two mini Australian Shepherds)
Sports (I once played basketball, I'm a big fan of the Los Angeles Rams & St. Louis Cardinals) Music (I could listen to anything - Chance The Rapper is my favorite though) Books (Read mostly Bob Goff, Natasha Preston, and the Bible) Film and Television (Action, Romance, and Comedy movie and tv buff) Anything Disney, Marvel, or Star Wars ("Do or Do Not There is No Try") |
Hello and welcome to my website!
My name is Ross Swinford and I am a 20-year-old multimedia artist hailing from Marion, Illinois. My love for multimedia started at an early age, thanks to my upbringing in a household where journalism and the arts collided. My father has a background in the media field, having worked for a news station and owning three local newspapers. My brothers have also had a great influence on my upbringing, with one graduating with a bachelor's degree in journalism and becoming the editor for the newspapers my dad owns, while the other founded a sports management firm that does work on the national stage. As a kid, I was fascinated by the field of multimedia and started creating my own websites and newsletters about local news, sports, and entertainment for fun. I learned both the Adobe Suite and Microsoft Office programs as a teenager and received certification in most of the software. Around that time, I started working for my dad, gaining real-world experience and learning from seasoned professionals. I was held responsible for daily content, including coverage of events in article, post, picture, and/or video form, as well as being the head graphic designer for logos, flyers, advertisements, and more. A couple of years ago, I was able to create an online presence for the company, which has created more profit for the company and opened the doors to new supporters. These social media accounts have now reached close to hundreds of thousands of yearly visitors and still have room to grow. I have headed several projects, including figuring out how to live stream local sporting and community events and fundraisers, producing a weekly webcast, and even making longer-form videos and documentaries to highlight members of our community. I have been blessed with opportunities to work for and be contracted out by other companies and organizations, ranging from local to national level. Some of my clients include Harley Davidson, Ford, Pepsi, Southern Illinois University, Southeastern Illinois College, Marion High School, Marion Cultural and Civic Center, AthElite Sports Management, Colt World Series, Miles of Smiles Dental Group, Artstarts Theatre Company, Banterra Bank, Legence Bank, Lawler Lawler Injury Law, Ahuja Bariatric & Beyond, Urology Institute, Union Street Arts, The Hub Recreation Center, Simplistic Clothing Brand, Thrillville Thrillbillies Professional Baseball Club, and the cities of Marion, Carterville, Herrin, Owensboro, Cape Girardeau, and Belleville. In addition to my contracted work, I have also done freelance work my entire life, working with a variety of companies and individuals on projects such as creating logos, graphics, web design, print and layout design, illustrations, custom t-shirt designs and apparel, video/photo gigs for sporting events, weddings, campaigns, and managing social media accounts, among others. I will graduate with an Associate in General Studies from John A. Logan College in May, where I have further learned about the field of multimedia and become more skilled in it. My ultimate goal is to earn a degree in Mass Communications from a university and continue to grow my skills in multimedia. I have created this website to act as a growing portfolio of my work. I am proud of everything I have accomplished so far in my lifetime, and I look forward to continuing to grow my skills. Please take a minute to view my work, and I always welcome criticism and advice, as well as the opportunity to work with me if you would like. Be sure to check out my social media accounts to stay up with my journey. Thank you for stopping by! |