Thomas Roszkowski Email and Phone Number

I have been a designer for 35+ years, mostly as an in-house designer for, in my early career, print shops - screen printing and offset. After high school, being a scatterbrained illustrator, who was kicked out of parochial school, following 6th grade for "drawing all the time," I started working for a large screen print company and developed my chops, learning everything from the bottom up and eventually working my way into the art department. During that time, a coworker and good friend talked me into going to school. I attended Colorado Institute of Art in my mid 20's, where after graduation, I was the art department at a small family-owned offset print shop, where I gained a lot of knowledge of paper and ink, perforations and embossing, packaging and bindery. Returning to MD from CO at the turn of the century, I was hired by Goodwill Industries International, Goodwill's main headquarters, as a Graphic Designer, a 1 person in-house design machine. I was there for 15 years, creating everything from business card templates, web banners, logos, event collateral, trade-show exhibits, to out of home advertising for Hollywood movie partnerships shown in Times Square. When I left, my job title was Senior Creative, Design Lead. I was their Creative Director, but within their corporate hierarchy, I was not allowed to have a director title. It's a convoluted story. I was laid off from Goodwill at the beginning of COVID, due to 95% of the stores being shuttered, which is the revenue stream for the organization. I think that they were trying to trim some fat as well, and it was a perfect excuse for it. I finally had a chance to breathe a little, with a severance package and made sure that my three children were in their virtual online classes. I realized that I was totally burnt out on design, imposter syndrome and the constant self doubt of a creative. I relished the time that I was able to spend w/ my children. Returning to work I wanted something different, so I took a job at a friends plumbing company for 3 years, where I learned a lot about small business operations. My friend sold the company, I was let go by the new management. Alas, I can't not be creative, and now, being a grown up (kid at heart), I realize that I prefer my dreams to be filled with design work, rather than open plumbing permits, or a plumber running behind schedule starting with their 1st call, and having to let their next customers know that they are running behind. I have continued to take on small design jobs over the in-between years, for locals and friends. NOW I'M BACK.