The Inspiration
The Jersey Shore is a place that is still home to me even though I moved 1,105 miles away from it in 2021. From going to the boardwalk and getting an ice cream cone with my mom as a kid at the end of our summer beach days together to walking up and down the boardwalk with my friends about 40+ times and making sure to stop at every single arcade on the way, it has grown up with me and will always be what made me whole for so many years. From Manasquan Beach to Long Beach Island, all beaches in New Jersey are beaches that have a piece of my heart and have made memories for me that will last a lifetime. As many people can agree, the beach is a place of relaxation that comes with such beautiful scenery. Many share likewise experiences with their moments near the water, which is why I decided to drive this inspiration forward into CassXoDesign. Although I moved far away to sunny Tampa, Florida, I wanted my designs to be able to resonate with audiences in all spaces between New Jersey and Florida and beyond, which is why all of my designs are beach-inspired.
Creative Cass
It all started with a dry-erase easel that my mom got for me when I was five years old at a neighborhood garage sale. I still remember her buying it for me and then getting me a pack of multi-colored dry-erase markers. It was the peak of summer, so I would go outside with my easel and make drawings for hours on end (and of course show her every single one when I was done). This then flooded into me becoming interested in learning how to draw for real with pencil and paper, getting into watercolors, which then turned into getting into using acrylic paint, and the list goes on. Creativity has followed me everywhere since I could pick up a pencil, and it is still that way at 22 years old. I am not sure why I thought that declaring my major as a health sciences student was a good idea while entering college, but I changed my decision soon after when I realized that the creative route is where I belonged. As soon as I changed over to Advertising and Public Relations, my enthusiasm for growing my skills grew significantly, and that poured into the beginning of my passion for graphic design. I was introduced to Adobe software my sophomore year, and immediately I became so interested in wanting to master everything that it had to offer. I started doing passion projects on weekends, helping my mom with branding for her health and wellness business, and from there I was hooked on wanting to constantly create new pieces I could challenge myself with and be proud of.
CassXO?
CassXoDesign is a combination of my affinity for the beach to my passion for creating unique graphic design pieces. I want to share my love for the beach with people near and far by providing artwork that they can use to express their everlasting love for the beach and appreciation for art all at the same time. I hope that through coming across my business someone can feel inspired and want to share whatever they are passionate about through creative work as well to spread the joy of what makes life beautiful in their eyes as well. I am always open to new design requests and how I can best create what makes beach culture the most special to you. Feel free to contact me at smith.ca.2020@gmail.com and I would be happy to chat!