essays on life...by me

Just a little bit about me

I’m a nice Jewish girl who grew up in northern New Jersey. My grandparents on my mom’s side were Polish Jews who immigrated to the US in the early 1900s and both my parents were raised in the NY Metropolitan area. When I was 18, I moved to Brooklyn, NY, to go to Pratt Institute. While some families have Ivy League Schools in their pedigree, my family has Pratt. Both my Uncle and Aunt went there – that was where they met. Then I went and later my cousin, their daughter. I started off at Pratt by studying Fashion Design but after 2 years realized that I didn’t want to make clothes for anyone other than myself and switched to Commercial Art instead. I graduated from Pratt with a BFA in 1974. Two years later I moved into Manhattan, to the Upper West Side, on West 90th street, right next to Central Park West.

I had a number of different jobs in the 70’s starting off with working as a cashier in the Admissions Department of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I worked per diem when I was still at Pratt and that was the first full-time job I had after graduating. Then I got my first real Commercial Art job at a magazine publishing company, Ziff Davis, and worked there for almost 2 years. I learned to make mechanicals there. Then I was hired to work for a small ad agency by the creative director who was my teacher in an Advertising Concepts class I was taking at Parsons. Again, after almost 2 years, I talked my boss into letting me go so I could collect unemployment while trying to build up my Illustration career.

This brings me to 1981, when I came to Stockholm as a freelance graphic designer to work for a company which produced large industrial slide shows for conferences. It was there I met the tall Swedish man who would eventually become my husband. I returned to Stockholm 4 times before moving there in 1987. We got married in 1989, in a friend’s NY apartment on West 90th Street. In 1991 our son was born and we live in a 3 bedroom apartment on a small island right in the middle of Stockholm.

That expensive Art School education paid off. I’ve never had to rely on my typing skills to get a job but have always managed to find work doing some sort of visual imagery. From magazine publishing to advertising to illustration to conference graphics to web site design and now back again to printed material for the most part. In the ensuing years the Graphics business has changed a lot but making pictures is what I do. And that hasn’t changed. Only my tools.

5 Comments

  1. Debbie Gerber

    Hi Hilarie- Enjoyed reading your blog and delving a little deeper into your background than I’d ever done before… Very enjoyable! I especially liked the article on being perfect and the Good Wife. made me think and that’s always a good thing – as you said!
    It’s always nice to visit with you for a while too,
    All the best, Debbie

  2. Hilarie

    Hi Debbie, nice to hear from you. I’m glad you like the blog and think its interesting. One never knows what people will think about the stuff one blabbers on about. I hope things are going well for you over there in NJ.

  3. Adriana

    I am glad to hear that the expensive Art Pratt school education payed off.To rely on typing skills was something all nice Jewish girls had to learn in the 80’s .It was a must, having a grandma who was a secretary for Colgate!

    PS:My fashion expertise in the 90s,(B:A hons) with specific knowledge in accessories and shoes did give me joy. during twenty long years.

    Time goes on and we keep evolving.

  4. Hi Hilarie! Only today did I found out you had a blog! It looks amazing! The first article I always read on any blog is the ‘About Me’ section – even though I’ve met you several times by now in one of our writing meet ups, it’s so interesting reading more about you for the first time, where you’ve come from, and simply how your life has been so far (in very condensed form I’m aware). So, in this sense, it’s very nice to meet you (again)! Looking forward to dive in into one or the other essay from time to time that might lead to future topics/discussions next time we meet 🙂 All the best, /Jasmin.

    • Hilarie

      Hi Jasmin,
      Looks can be deceiving… 😉
      I hope you enjoy my sometimes mindless and often overly wordy ponderings.

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