If you’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting the peculiar soul that is sophomore Graphic Design major Alex Wyman, you know that there is more to him than meets the eye. Adopted from Russia at just seven months old, Wyman was raised in Harvard, Mass., attending Broomfield High School before coming to Lasell. The now 20-year-old chose to study Graphic Design because of his passion for creativity.
“Getting used to graphic design is difficult by hand, but you get used to it. It gets confusing because you don’t use traditional art skills,” says Wyman. “My dream job would be to have my own freelance graphic design company, but when I retire I want to teach art and graphic design to elementary school kids.”
Wyman’s long history with creativity bridges outside the classroom. When Wyman was in the eighth grade, he picked up the guitar. He learned to play by ear instead of taking lessons, because a medical complication left him unable to participate in sports. Seeking something to entertain himself in a town where he felt like he didn’t really fit in, Wyman turned to music and it became his lifeline.
“I want to create music that’s emotive but different from anything you’ve heard before. I want my music to be weird but also different and pleasing” Wyman says of his music “I want to incorporate different effects and ambient sounds, but I like to focus on the simplicity and importance of melody and rhythm.”
Some of Wyman’s musical influences include John Mayer, Shiver, Evan Weiss, and even some of his personal friends— The Color and Sound. Wyman met the band at the same studio at, Kennedy Studio in Burlington Massachusetts, where he is currently working on recording his first EP with close friends Tom Casey, a fellow guitarist, and Heath Sousa drummer and also bassist. You can find their music on their bandcamp website where Alex’s new project The Hot Pups, just released their song “Fuck Off With The Guns!!!”
Wyman’s passion for music stems from the overall music community because he feels that he is so able to connect with others on a deeper level. One space that Wyman has found this community is at Out of Blue Art Gallery in Cambridge, a fully operating art gallery that also hosts a unique same level floor stage. The venue welcomes a community of creatives that allow you to connect with one another and yourself creatively, featuring an arts and crafts room in the back and also a room full of guitars and other instruments where visitors can jam and play with each other.
Another creative outlet that Wyman exercises frequently is photography. He uses this skill coupled with his graphic design skills to create quality marketing content for his internship with a small non-profit Social Catalysts, that employ individuals with disabilities, teaching them how to weave on floor looms to make handbags. The non-profit takes their mission for equal opportunity one step further to incorporate an environmentally friendly product, using yarn made of recycled VHS tapes to create a completely unique product.
At his core Wyman, a truly wonderful person, who at his core cares about friendship above all else, saying that it’s one of the most important things in his life. The only thing above that? Saying he would do anything for a dog, especially his two Bernese Mountain dogs, Taco and Peaches. We can’t wait to see what the incredibly talented Alex Wyman does next!