“I burned the midnight oil, I remembered going through the plates, from sunset to sunrise, spending a lot hours doing them only to find myself lost and seemed to not having any progress, but I kept moving forward,” said IDr. Camille Verzo.
To say that she is a woman of exemplary sedulity and patience, is but an understatement.
IDr. Camille Verzo is currently a college professor in PUP Sta. Mesa. She has a diverse experience on branding and design, exposure in the construction, real estate and leasing, furniture, and textile industry, and most significant is her work experience in Commercial and Hospitality Design firms, both here in the Philippines and abroad. Prior to the pandemic, IDr. Camille was also a volunteer project manager for the construction of a church and a school for children with special needs, as well as a health advocate while teaching in PUP, “as a way to give back,” according to her. Her admirable feats do not end here, however.
Going way back to her time even before college, she already had her passion set aflame for interior design, as she had her aunt who used to work in different interiors and architectural suppliers, as an inspiration. IDr. Camille happened to get a glimpse of what it is like to work in the field: houses, mansions, and rich people, even – all of these and more. Seeing her aunt work in this field had opened her eyes to the delicate, scrupulous, and refined beauty of putting things together.
However, inspiration aside, IDr. Camille in her younger years lacked experience in the arts. This proved to be a great obstacle in her early college years, as IDr. Camille admittedly stated that she was surrounded by “the humblest, yet great artists” in her batch. The burden brought by the endless college requirements pushed her to a corner, where she questioned herself and her professors, had her in deep discouragement, but not for long. This corner she was pushed back at, the adversities of the college student, is absolutely demolished – by no means is it a match to the strength of her willpower to carry on. She quotes, “I am blessed to be surrounded with college best friends who were generous of their ideas and even sharing techniques, I may lack in one aspect, but God gave me other abilities to surpass and thrive. Little did I know, I started to get better, I enjoyed the process and I have proven that things can be learned if you are willing and will not give up.”
And so, on her very first take of the Interior Design Licensure Exam – she passed. All the blood, sweat, and tears depleted just for plates, all the mind-numbing memorization of terms necessary for reviewing, and all the creative slumps she may have had to go through – all worth it. She was officially an interior designer, finally, and what a joy it was that the long road filled with rock, mud, and spikes had been overcome. What took place next, you may ask, is the unfolding of a new journey.
Was college all but a tip of the iceberg? What awaits IDr. Camille in the field of actual interior designing, she had beautifully described in full detail: “I remembered my humble beginnings when I went abroad for the first time, it seemed to be an accident as I was just a tourist visiting my brother in Bangkok, Thailand.” By this time, she had submitted online applications to companies, however, was not hopeful. But then, after a week of anticipation, like a penny waiting for change, “An employer of a textile company with distribution in almost all continents of the world called me and scheduled me for an interview, I went and the day I was interviewed was the day I was hired and started, from “tourist”, my visa was converted to a working visa and I have seen the world of textile as a trillion-dollar industry in relation to me being an interior designer and so much more. Why did I choose to share that? Because I wanted to prove the point that during
that time, I seemed to have nothing financially, I was starting, I just passed the board exam and I am trying to find my way.” Back then, she stated that the only thing she had in her hands was her credentials. It was as if embedded in her own being, and the only things she was clutching, on the hopes of having it take her to a future – someplace bright and prosperous. At this moment, as if a light bulb cartoonishly flashed above her head at full electric capacity until it explodes - was she was hit by the hard-hitting realization: that education is such an important aspect of our very existence, in such a way that it is singlehandedly able to steer the direction of our lives from here on out. She also pinpoints the significance of trusting the process, as “We are all being refined in some ways, so allow the process to mold you to how it should be, how the potter designed it to be. It’s the process that leads to the promises God has for you and me.”
And yet, life remains to deem itself not just be composed of ups, but downs, as it is how it is. IDr. Camille had described that her greatest struggle is when she is “...put into a situation wherein my values are being crossed and when my integrity is at stake.” To have a voice to speak out, and feet to stand your ground, is of utmost significance not only in general but also in the field of interior design. Because no one wants the work they do to be led to compromise, do we not? Nor do we want to “suffer in silence and get to betray myself in the process of pleasing others and/or getting a profit knowing that I crossed lines and put others into a difficult situation,” as she puts it. And so, she emphasizes that, “Communication is very important, not just in the business of interior design, everything has to be coordinated and be presented, communicated properly, the ability to put things together, to be able to blend into different disciplines and not losing yourself in the process.”
Currently, IDr. Camille considers herself as a “Biomimicry Designer”, meaning her designs are inspired generally by nature and its processes. She describes this style as “inspired by God’s creation and how we can take these boundless processes as a design solution combining aesthetic and function.”
To conclude, “My advice would be to enjoy the process of learning, explore every opportunity to learn, then along that process, find yourself as a designer, establish that and nourish that, you are unique in your own ways, never compare yourself to anyone, you and your uniqueness will bring out amazing design concepts and solutions that only you can provide. Clarity comes from engagement, so immerse yourself and let your creativity flow, know the standards then from there execute your freedom to explore, be brave! and again enjoy the process,” said IDr. Camille.
IDr. Camille Verzo is the living proof that skillfulness is developed, honed, and practiced; she is an exemplar, a role model, an icon, a legend, and one might even say – she is the moment. Her current abilities should not and never just be attributed to talent or anything out of her locust of control.
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