In our 12 Questions blog series, we feature interviews with someone from the crowdSPRING community. For these interviews, we pick people who add value to our community – in the blog, in the forums, in the projects. Plainly – activities that make crowdSPRING a better community. Be professional, treat others with respect, help us build something very special, and we’ll take notice.
We’re very proud to feature Tammy Collins (crowdSPRING username: moonwelldesigns) today. Tammy lives and works in Jackson Tennessee.
1. Please tell us about yourself.
My name is Tammy Collins (aka moonwelldesigns on crowdSPRING). I’m a 41 year old Mother, Wife and Grandmother. I live with my husband, and our three … interesting and spirited dogs, to say the least. Two are Catahoula Leopard dogs named Skyler and River, and the third is a little Feist named Mo.
I was born in Morganton, North Carolina, a quiet little town nestled in the beautiful Smokey Mountains. All of my relatives lived within 50 miles of the area. I lived in Morganton with my Mom until I was 5, when we moved to Jackson, Tennessee. I’ve been In Jackson ever since, and I return to Morganton every year.
I grew up with Commodore 64′s and Atari’s. Oh the hours spent playing asteroids. For anyone that isn’t familiar with asteroids (and for those who need a little bit of nostalgia), more info here. And while it sounds like I played lots of video games, I actually read books or spent time writing more than I played games. It seemed that I was always getting into trouble, constantly getting caught with a book, or notebook and pencil, with my flashlight under the covers, many hours past my bedtime. This night-owlish behavior and sleep-pattern stuck with me, hence the name Moonwell Designs.
I sometimes forget what time it is, get busy with something, and suddenly realize that the sun is coming up again. During those times when I am forcing a daytime schedule, and manage to get up before 8 am, my family members know to avoid me until the second pot of coffee! And yes…I meant pot of coffee, not cup. 
During my childhood and teen years, I was into anything creative. I tinkered with macramé, whittling, poetry, well, pretty much anything arts and crafts related. I created a lot of things out of whatever I could pick up in the woods. I’d gather twigs, moss, walnut shells, pine cones, etc and after a long and fruitful walk in the woods, would return home and break out the glue. During my teen years, I fell in love with music and poetry. I played the flute and piccolo, and dabbled in piano…until my senior year. I didn’t get to attend more than a few months of college. Instead I married, and spent the next 20 years raising my two beautiful daughters, both of whom are extremely creative and talented.
Over the years I have worked as a medical assistant, then a nurse. After the beloved doctor I worked for over 10 years passed away, I changed professions. I wanted to get back to the great outdoors. I went to work for a local nursery and landscaping center. I started out in the potting shed, planting begonias, getting my hands dirty and loving it. Within a few months, I ended up as the office manager. Great opportunity, more pay, but I was stuck in a little office, with one tiny little window. Then, I went into accounting, working for a national uniform service. Hey, the window was bigger! I wasn’t entirely happy behind all these walls, and so I quit and ventured out onto the open road with my husband and his tractor-trailer. I got to see most of the states and some amazing sights during those few years. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. But it wasn’t home, and that truck was getting smaller by the day! Now I bounce my grandbaby on my lap, sitting at my computer, and create…while the squirrels play around outside of the open window. They know it’s safe, it isn’t squirrel season. 
Of everything I have ever experienced, I can say this – there is absolutely nothing like a grandbaby’s smile! Her smiles brighten my day while her drool dampens my knee, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. She is a major part of my inspiration to keep learning, growing and honing my skills, and trying to carve myself a little niche in this profession.
This is where crowdSPRING comes in. I wasn’t sure how long I could manage to stay at home so I could take care of my granddaughter, so that my daughter could work without the expense of a good daycare. I struggled to find ways to earn income while staying home. Then I found crowdSPRING. Thankfully I have been lucky enough to win a few projects and new clients over the last few months, and have also received some follow up work, making it possible to make ends meet a little longer. Kudos to the crew at crowdSPRING. You have no idea how much you mean to me, and how important this community is to our family.
2. How did you start out as a designer?
Remember that national uniform service I mentioned? We had these nifty 12 color embroidery machines. The salesman that brought in the orders for custom-embroidered shirts for local companies, often promised clients whose company had no logo to speak of, that he would create one for them. He had seen me tinkering with paint, creating images to use while creating the monthly newsletter for our branch in Publisher. He came in one day with a request for a logo design a company had in mind. Luckily for him, I jump at the chance to create something, anything, for someone else! I did what I could with Microsoft Paint, and the company loved it! It was beautiful on their new shirts. Over the next couple of years, I created quite a few images for companies in the area, still using paint. I’ve designed for print and advertising needs at the request several local companies, friends, and family over the years. This past year, I received the most wonderful Christmas present…Adobe Photoshop. Watch out world! I spent very long days, for weeks on end, studying every online piece of information about Photoshop that I could find. I was like a kid in a candy store. Both my daughters can sketch, draw and paint beautifully. I can dream up beautiful images, but I can’t draw a decent stick figure by hand. Give me my mouse and a pen tool and I’ll go to town. After getting a grip on Photoshop, I had hundreds of images, and found myself recalling the days I created logos with paint, and folks actually loving them. The Internet search began. I found a few of the “other” crowdsourcing sites before I found crowdSPRING. The other sites left a lot to be desired, to say the least, for me anyway. Then I stumbled across crowdSPRING in early June. I’ve been here since, don’t think I’ve missed a day. I’ve also started finding local work in graphic design. I still have much to learn, though in my opinion, we never stop learning. There is always more to know, and I have a passion for learning.
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