Many different, compelling double concentrations exist in the liberal arts world: environmental studies and philosophy, history and music, anthropology and computer science, etc. The options seem almost endless, stretching across different disciplines. Jared Lampal, a senior, has found one of those engaging combinations in art and psychology. 

“I knew that I didn’t want to go to art school… but I also knew I wanted to study art. I took AP [Psychology] in high school and thought it was pretty cool and that I could study that in college, too. I guess I was also thinking that art and psych covered a fair amount of bases in getting a job,” Lampal said with a laugh. “And I feel like they’re actually more connected than a lot of people think.”

Lampal has always been deeply interested in art, drawing and doodling as a kid, taking art classes in middle and high school and eventually doing mostly digital art in freelance and logo-making, both for fun and for work. 

“I thought for a while that I’d want to be a designer as a job, but I kinda realized when I got [to Colgate] that I didn’t want to be an artist per se. So I thought about creative jobs in more traditional fields, and that’s when I started getting interested in marketing and branding and design,” Lampal explained. 

Lampal enjoys the process of creating in general, whether it’s for himself, for friends or for a job.

“I just like to create. I like looking at art and going to art museums and things like that, too. I’m not a musician but maybe I wish I was, because I really like listening to music as well, but I think art is also a way for me to connect with that. Something I’ll do is design album covers for all my Spotify playlists. I just see what I can put together and it’s a way to keep creative and make something that I’m happy about when I scroll and look at them. I just enjoy making stuff, to be honest.”

Lampal will be working at a marketing firm in the DC area after graduation. He is excited by this position because it allows him to be creative in his career-path exploration. 

One project Lampal is particularly proud of is recently having created an entire identity for a client’s brand new energy bar company. He created all the logos and branding and constructed the brand’s image. He says that his personal style is very clean and flat, and he loves symmetry. 

Lampal describes his style and passion for the link between art and psychology on his website:

“I am interested in how the ways people think influence design, as well as how design influences the way people think. Symmetry always makes me nerd out, and I enjoy taking on projects that allow me to challenge myself and push my creative boundaries.”

This job and lots of other work can be found at his personal website, https://jaredlampal.myportfolio.com/.