Meet Sofia Katsikadi. Hailing from the beautiful city of Edinburgh, United Kingdom, Sofia is probably one of the most decorated Adobe users you will ever meet. She is an Adobe Certified Professional, Educator, Expert, and Instructor. Find out how Sofia started her journey and how her knowledge and passion have influenced thousands of others to create.
bahabeach: Sofia, thank you so much for your time. Can you tell us about yourself and what you do?
Sofia: Thank you for inviting me to speak with you! I am a creative freelancer and educator, originally from Athens and for the past five years Edinburgh has been my new home. These days I do most of my design work and teaching remotely from home, which now resembles an indoor jungle!
Sir Ken Robinson has been my greatest inspiration. His ideas transformed the way I think about creativity, making me an advocate for nurturing critical thinking through creative and innovative education. This helped me discover I can use my knowledge to help and inspire people, giving them the opportunity to see their visions become reality. I believe that if we cannot solve the problems of the world, maybe we can inspire others who will!
Apart from teaching, I am currently working on my Master’s in Design and Digital Media, where I get to work with 3D, motion graphics and game design. I always loved geometry and abstract art and having the opportunity to use those principles in a 3D environment feels incredible.
bahabeach: I love your passion for creativity and education. How did your journey as a creative and an educator start?
Sofia: As a child I enjoyed sketching, drawing and became very curious about digital creative practices. When I learned about Photoshop as a high school student, I was immediately blown away by its capabilities. Subsequently I pursued a degree in Photography and Audiovisual Arts whilst working across photography and graphic design. At the same time, tutoring classmates helped me realize my love for teaching! Soon I learned how to use the rest of the Creative Cloud and by graduation, I was an Adobe Certified Educator, Expert, and Instructor.
Those certifications played a massive role in the development of my career and opened doors for more teaching opportunities. Since then I’ve delivered Adobe creative training courses for creatives all around the world, including organizations like the BBC, SKY, WWF, ILGA, and several universities and colleges.
bahabeach: How have you seen your students benefit through their knowledge and skills in Adobe Creative Cloud?
Sofia: Throughout the years, I have had the pleasure to teach students of all abilities and ages (from 7 to 70!) and witness many inspiring stories. I saw young students discover new ways of expressing creativity and communicating their feelings, professionals like myself that use these skills daily, and enthusiasts achieving life-long dreams such as visualizing music.
To sum up, through practicing and trusting the creative process I’ve seen students flourish and evolve their skills in ways they didn’t think possible. I believe there is a very important shift that occurs when we watch ourselves do something that we thought we couldn’t, and that’s what happens when we keep creating - even if sometimes the process feels uncomfortable.
bahabeach: A shift that takes place in us when we do something that we didn’t know we could do… I think allowing others to experience that shift is the ultimate goal of an educator and mentor! Thank you for sharing that. Finally, what final advice would you give to those who want to enter the creative industry?
Sofia: The creative industry has been evolving at an incredible pace. When I first started learning Adobe software, I couldn’t imagine that I would be doing the things I’m doing today. Our field looked so different ten years ago. Digital tools are getting easier to use, processes are getting faster by the day, and our industry is being re-shaped constantly. For example, more and more people can work remotely because of the evolution of digital collaboration tools. If you’re struggling to find a suitable position, start with remote freelance projects. Don’t give up. Keep creating and never stop learning!
Interested in learning more about Adobe certification? Get all the details at www.bahabeach.com/adobe. You can also connect with Sofia through her Twitter and LinkedIn.