·the story of mqgraphics·
MQGraphics is an independently run business owned by Morgan Quinlan.
It began in 2015, when Morgan discovered her love for graphic design.
I remember being as young as three years old when my fascination with art in the world began. I initially was led to explore the craft when I had been inspired by my sister and her paintings. In my eyes at the time, I considered her to be the most skilled artist in the world. I did not know, however, that on that fateful day, the world of art would consume me, and it would begin a hunger for exploration which became a part of my very being... it would be throughout these years subsequent to high school when I would dabble in various fields of digital and traditional art from ages 5 to 13.
A young me is ready to take on the world! My first digital creation made in Microsoft paint at the age of 7.
My first attempt at animation, created in Movie Maker Live at 12 years old. Unfortunately, I no longer have access to this YouTube account.
My enamor for digital design and illustration began in 2015, when I discovered that my school, San Antonio Christian, offered Cinematography and Graphic Design courses for high school students as an elective.
The ins-and-outs of Adobe Photoshop, which I studied within my first year of graphic design, I also integrated into learning the layout of Premiere Pro. During this time, I competed against the students in my class to develop the poster and t-shirt designs for the two school plays the SACS Theater Department would develop that school year. To my surprise, my design was chosen for not only the first theater production of the year, Our Town, but also the second (and last) of the year, Godspell. With help from the head of the SACS Theater Department, Rhonda Roscoe, I was tasked in developing my designs into workable playbills/ show bills, as well as theater posters. This was my first initial experience conducting business with a client.
My poster on display in the Student Center!
The posters I created for my graphic design class which were selected as the official posters for the plays.
Following the production of my designs for the theater department, I also received my first paid commission from a fellow classmate… and it was shortly thereafter that I conceptualized the rudimentary foundation of MQGraphics. However, before I was decisive on this name, I went by a few other aliases on my small social platform that I was determined to grow exponentially… and in an effort to reach various audiences, my style went through various transformations as well
Despite this, I was reluctant to commit, as I was blindsided by the construct that there was no future of value to be made in artistic endeavors. It was always believed that “to be an artist” the likelihood of “succeeding” would be exceptionally low. For years I followed in pursuit of dreams that were not mine. I sought out subjects in college that were comparatively insignificant to me, and in order to satisfy my fear of disappointing the societal definition of prosperity. This dance I had with myself extended for years on end. Even so, I shouldered my affection for Graphic Design as an occasional pass-time, and I kept my nose in a textbook as an attempt to mold myself into a conventionally recognized career path. Years of frustration and bouts of severe depression left me debilitated. I had evolved from the prudent student who had consistently retained a 4.0, to barely just a 1.4.
Throughout my early illustration career I have gone by various aliases on social platforms. One of which was a profile named "Healingwoozworld" which I used to take character commissions. The other would be my main art profile, named "Minimoomo." I still have access to both accounts.
It was not until 2021, six years subsequent to my introduction to digital design, and dropping out of a University that I attempted a last-ditch effort at redeeming myself. Due to my poor grades, I was not accepted into any one of the colleges or universities I initially applied for. However, despite the hindrances, I enrolled into a community college that didn’t require academic merit, and I was once again given an opportunity to pursue my craft.
The card that started it all!
I had no definite confidence that I would establish prominence at San Antonio College, as I still was unsure of my capabilities as an artist. The prospect of receiving recognition in an institution of 30,000 individuals seemed slim to none, so I focused rather on continuing my studies. It was not until late fall, nearing the end of my first semester, when my professor announced our final project was to create and submit a Holiday Card with the possibility of being chosen for the Annual President’s Holiday Card Scholarship. Even so, I developed a card to the best of my ability, endeavoring to encompass all that I imagined. Remarkably, following the end of my first semester I received a momentous phone call early in the morning that winter day. To my utmost disbelief, I had won the scholarship… and all-of-a-sudden the odds of 1 in 30,000 somehow related to me.
The weeks that followed astonished me to my core. Not only had I officially been awarded the scholarship … but I had also received an invitation to be inducted as a member of the NSLS, as well as a certification of placement on the President’s List.
The final animated Holiday Card which was released on all San Antonio College platforms in December of 2022.
The day I received my scholarship from Dr. Robert Vela, the President of San Antonio College, I also was greeted by one of the members of the Office of Marketing and Strategic Communications with an offer to be hired as a student employee… and one after another the puzzle pieces fell into place, as I realized how greatly I had underestimated my own potential.
Dr. Robert Vela and myself at my award ceremony, where I was congratulated for being the recipient of the President's Holiday Card Scholarship.
Receiving my scholarship was very exciting!
I have since been inducted officially into the NSLS and I am still currently working as a student employee for the Office of Marketing and Strategic Communications at San Antonio College. The formula of MQGraphics is something as simple as this: to make the world a better place, even if it’s one pixel at a time.
- Morgan Quinlan, MQGraphics
Morgan Quinlan is a graphic designer based in San Antonio, Texas, United States. Her main areas of expertise lie within the realms of graphic design, illustration, and cinematography.