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It was the summer of 1986. The previous three years had been a whirlwind of ups, downs, triumphs, failures, rewards and many challenges. My life was now back on track after a life-changing spinal cord injury during a high school hockey game and I was ready to move on to the next chapter... college. I parked the flashy sports coupe, got a haircut and enrolled at Moorhead State University as a freshman Mass Communications major.

Although most of my youth was consumed with athletics, I was always a creative kid. I grew up enjoying music and found the art of creating a central part of me. Whether it was drawing pictures, painting, writing, playing the drums, learning electric guitar or singing, I loved creating things. When it came time to decide a life's path, an area of study, I knew it had to be Mass Communications.

I spent three years learning advertising, public relations, mass media and creative writing. I enjoyed all of it. Then I enrolled in Desktop Publishing, a senior elective course, and it changed my life. Professor Mark Strand was passionate about graphic design and recognized my potential. He introduced me to this new digital technology that was an amazing tool for typesetting, page layout and illustration: the Macintosh SE desktop computer with a nine-inch, monochromatic screen, floppy drive, 1MB of RAM…. and a mouse. It was a pivotal moment. I soon found out I could operate that mouse well with my limited-dexterity. My creative world door opened and I happily rolled through.

I'm Stephen Dorsey.

My creative journey started with a mullet and a Chevy Camaro.

After graduation, I spent 10 years honing my craft as a professional graphic designer. Advertising agency work taught me how to build client relationships and the importance of understanding core advertising principles and how they relate to good design. While working a short stint with David Wallace of the Publications Department at MSU, I not only gained a close friend but also a mentor who helped sharpen my typography skills and taught me that pride of authorship never outshines the client's needs. I then worked for seven years as a production graphic artist for a large directory publisher where I learned the important balance of quality design and meeting a deadline. Throw in graduate study and adjunct teaching at North Dakota State University and Minnesota State Community and Technical College in Moorhead, and it was a decade of great design experience.

The next 15 years saw a relocation out of state and the beginning of my freelance design career as Dorsey Design Services. Today, I continue to provide print-based services to clients, and have expanded my portfolio to include website design, social media marketing and video editing and post-production..

In the winter of 2017, I was blessed with the opportunity to get involved with a local auto repair Ministry. A rather profound spiritual experience had opened my eyes to the power of giving back and I was seeking ways to use my talents to serve others in God's kingdom.

I currently sit on the Board of Directors at Fix It Forward Ministry, a Fargo-Moorhead based non profit organization that helps solve the transportation issues of those most in-need in the community through free vehicle repairs and vehicle donations, also serving as their Marketing Director overseeing their entire marketing and communications efforts.

In 2018, I was contract hired to lead the Marketing Department for their for profit division, Fix It Forward Auto Care. My scope of responsibilities include brand development, print design, website design, writing, media buying, social media management and content creation, event coordination and video production. I am also a member of their leadership team.

Although my responsibilities are vast with Fix It Forward, I am committed to providing design services to other clients through my business.

Many changes since that hot summer in the mid-1980s. God's grace, good health, great friends and an amazing family have continued to fuel my creative flame.

Gone is the red car and hockey hair, but what's not gone is my never-ending desire to create.

Your dream design starts here.