Chelsea Green: mom, wife, designer and mentor to RHS girls
This post is part of an ongoing series “How it’s done” by guest blogger Lyn Pollard, talking with neighborhood working moms about how they juggle demanding careers while raising a family.
As creative and motivated as she is, freelance graphic designer Chelsea Green prefers to leave the spotlight for others in her family, her volunteer work and her new photography business.
“I really identify with a supporting role,” said Green, a Highlands North mother of a soon-to-be 10-year-old and wife who splits her time between working from home, taking care of her family and mentoring a group of senior girls from Richardson High School.
“Sixteen (freshmen girls) showed up at my house that first week … And now they’re seniors,” said Green. She’s a volunteer leader with Young Life Richardson, a spirit-based organization that mentors local high school kids.
Green is devoted, so devoted that she spent a week on a rustic hiking trip through the Rocky Mountains with 10 of “her girls,” as she calls them, teaching them about endurance, focusing on the positive, and above all, being there for them when it really counts.
But devoted as she is to her work and her girls, Green is even more devoted to her family. Here’s how she keeps it all in check:
When people ask you what you “do” how do you respond?
I usually respond, “A lot.” First and foremost I’m a graphic designer, and I work from home which allows me to be a better mom. It allows me to be more involved in school … and to be home when (my son) Cameron gets home. I do corporate identity, logos and websites, and I have a background in marketing as well. And now, I am kind of testing the waters on photography, which is just something I really love to do. It gets me away from the desk and out of the house, and more people-oriented.
What is the biggest challenge of working from home?
The one thing I miss about being in corporate America vs. working at home is being around people. I love being at home, but that’s definitely one of the things I miss. With graphic design there’s always something new, new trends … it’s always evolving. So it’s fun to be able to say, “What did you figure out today?” or “Hey, look what I did!” It’s fun to be able to bounce that creativity off of other people.
Why did you decide to take up photography?
It’s an interest I’ve had for a really long time. And I do baby announcements a lot … and Christmas cards where (clients are) bringing their pictures to me. So, this is just an opportunity to couple those together. And, the more I get into photography, the more I would really love to transition into doing that more and doing graphic design less. I love designing, but I think my love of people is really pulling me away from my desk and more into photography.
What are your top goals for your family and marriage?
I love being able to support my husband and make his career easier for him. I love being able to support Cameron, by making his day to day, school and life easier and more organized. And I also see my job and my career as a way to support them with extra money or extra activities. So, it will never be in a number one spot. It will always take that secondary position.
What is the greatest obstacle or challenge you have in reaching your goals?
Not getting too busy. I love what I do. And so I don’t say no very often. Taking a step back is tough or me, because I’m a ‘Yes’ person. Like with the girls, I feel a certain responsibility in the commitment I made to them to just be around. Young Life uses the term, ‘We earn the right to be heard.’ You don’t earn that with high schoolers unless you’re there with them in the good times and the hard times and the in-between times.
How do your view your role mentoring high school girls?
Just to help them get through high school a little easier, and give them somebody who’s not a parent or a teacher to talk to and learn from, and live life with. Not even in a sisterly sense. I’m just there to give them good, tough advice when they need it. But I’m also there to just love them exactly where they’re at.
What was your biggest takeaway from your “Wilderness” trip with Young Life this summer?
My favorite part was being away from everything cultural. We didn’t have phones, we didn’t have makeup, we didn’t have showers. You were just knee-deep, literally, in God’s creation, which was just awesome. But, it is not easy. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. Just keeping that positive attitude is tough. Because complaining runs rampant in high school girls. And I have to encourage them as much as possible to stay positive … and to get as much out of that trip as they can.
What is one thing you consistently do to keep your life in “balance”?
I surround myself with just really encouraging women. I make sure to grab coffee with someone who will feed me in a positive and encouraging way, but someone who will also call me out when I’m not being accountable.
You can check out Chelsea’s photography and see her designs on her blog,chelseadesigndfw.blogspot.com.
