Texas Advertising Welcomes Maria Rivera

The most recent addition to the Texas Advertising faculty is Maria Rivera. Although this is her first teaching position, Rivera is an astute individual teeming with innovative ideas and principles. Rivera's wisdom and creative brilliance is a product of her upbringing, her surroundings, and her prior work experience. Rivera stated that "being Puerto Rican and growing up in Alabama definitely made me more culturally aware, and more open to so many different experiences, possibilities and types of people. That exposure provided me with sensitivity to things others might not notice or appreciate. The cultural nuances we collect, no matter where we're from, always inform our perspective, which in turn, in some way, informs our work."

Rivera graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication from the University of Alabama and received her Master of Arts degree in Advertising from the University of Texas at Austin. After graduation, Rivera worked in marketing capacities for several arts organizations and then as a copywriter for creative agencies Grace & Rothschild and Della Femina Rothschild Jeary & Partners in New York.

Rivera is currently a freelance copywriter and teaches in the Texas Creative program. "I'm a better teacher and a better freelancer when I know that I'm not restricted to just one or the other. Teaching makes me excited to freelance, and vice versa," stated Rivera. Her Austin-based freelance copywriting business, The Little Red Writing Shop, allows Rivera to be her own boss, an attribute that Rivera savors. "I thrive in organized chaos and the idea of never knowing where my next project would come from was both stimulating and nerve-wracking. If there's one thing I've learned about myself it's that I relish a challenge and wither a bit when things become too staid", claimed Rivera.

Maria teaches three creative classes: Introduction to Advertising Creativity, Creative Strategies, and a Copywriting seminar. Rivera's reasoning for returning to her former graduate university was that "as funny as it sounds, I'm here because I love to hate advertising. There's so much loud, insulting, obvious and irrelevant work out there. But every once in a while, I see something that I wish I'd thought of myself. Something I'd kill to have come up with. And that's when I relish the power of what great, relevant advertising can do. At its best, it empowers and inspires. At its worst, it obscures reality."

As a teacher and individual, Maria Rivera truly connects with students and her poignant insights have the ability to make one feel a little less anxious about their creative future. "Here's what I know. Your life informs your work, and your work informs your life. If you're happy, if you feel good about what you're doing, if you feel satisfied that what you're doing means something, you're empowered. And your empowerment empowers others."

9/30/2005