I'm an aspiring creative director, armature copy writer, and former hand grenade thrower. I hope to one day work for an ad agency that lets me explore the bounds of my creativity and self expression through the work I do

​I was born on a cold winter day in the greatest city in the world, Chicago. Life as an inner city kid from the Midwest was pretty rough, but I made the best of it. Eventually I would come of age and join the United States Army. My tenure in the military taught me a lot about my self, what I'm capable of, and who I am at my core. The greatest lesson I learned in the Army was about horseshoes and hand grenades...let me explain. After an "egregious" failure of some  physical activity taking place, my instructor looked at me and said, "what happened Lopez". I responded with, "I almost had it Sergeant". He paused, stopped what he was doing, and looked me straight in the eye. He said, "almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, don't ever forget that Lopez". That phrase has stuck with me for years, always rattling around in the back my head. It may seem like harsh sentiment, but I don't think of it that way. I use it as a way to keep myself honest and take accountability for my shortcomings, regardless of my best efforts. Failure has been fairly constant in my in life, but a welcomed one, and with each setback comes an opportunity for growth.