She is inspiring (Molline Smith)

Happy Monday Fam,

Whenever I get on an airplane and start getting higher and higher, I happen to glance down. After thinking about how small we are as humans (lol) I also notice how beautiful the landscaping is. It’s just absolutely gorgeous! We have amazing landscape architects and city planners to thank for that. Without them the design of our cities would be an unorganized hot mess! Molline Smith is a wonderful, hardworking, and brilliant woman that I have had the pleasure of knowing for many years now.

Thanks for the interview Molline,
xo
Ally

She-blogs: What is your official Job title?
Molline: Senior City Planner

She-blogs: Tell me about how you got the chance to work for the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission?
Molline: First and foremost, everything happens for a perfect reason. I’m not a religious person, but I’m very spiritual so it was not by chance that I got the opportunity to work for Montgomery County Maryland National Park and Planning Commission (MC-MNCPPC). God made it so, and I give all my gratitude and honor to him/her. Second, it’s all about the connections and relationships that you establish with every person you meet. You just never know why people come into your life. After being laid off, it was by no chance that the very first person I shared my experience with was the same person to connect me with my current boss. So it was all about who I knew, my experience level, and my delivery.

She-blogs: What are some of your duties?
Molline: I review site development plans, meet with developers and communities, visit construction sites, take photographs, present the projects to the Chairmen and Commissioners (on television), offer design solutions, coordinate design meetings, etc.

She-blogs: What is your average day like?
Molline: The day always starts and finishes with me answering emails. The rest of the day is never quite the same. It can be anything from meeting with the developers and staff; writing staff reports; reviewing site plans and coming up with more sustainable solutions (drawing); going on site visits; taking training classes.

She-blogs: Did you always want to be in the landscape architecture field and did you go to school for it?
Molline: At a young age I thought I wanted to be a doctor, but that’s just because I LOVED The Cosby show. Then I realized there was blood involved, so that was completely out of the question. In between watching the Cosby Show and A Different World, I switched channels to the Family Ties TV series and the mother happened to be an Architect/ Interior designer. I explored that option right up into my junior year of college in 2003. Upon taking a landscape architectural history and an urban studies class, I was sold for sure. I was intrigued by the scale of the projects and the major effect I would have to change communities from the ground up. And to be real, there were very few African American women in my classes so this was an extra dose of motivation and determination. I am so competitive!

She-blogs: What are your thoughts about landscape architecture? Why do you think it is such an important field?
Molline: When I tell people I’m a city planner and/or that landscape architecture was my major, I always get one out of three reactions. Either they think I am a glorified gardener or they don’t hear “city” and think of event planning. My mother still thinks I’m an Architect (lol). BUT then there are the rare few that I meet that know exactly what I do. Let me set the record straight, I do know a lot about soils and plantings. I use them as tools to shape spaces. I work very closely with the science, math, and art in order to better preserve and sustain the necessity of our relationship with the natural environment. This is sooo important to our communities, to our health, and to the future generations; and the best part is I touch and affect so many lives!

She-blogs: I heard that you do freelance work as well on your own. How do you find your clients?
Molline: By word of mouth, it’s a small world.

She-blogs: Tell me a little about the process from start to finish of what goes into a project for one of your clients?
Molline: Personal clients are referred. We coordinate a meeting time and date, and at no charge I meet with them to go over their problem or focus area. Should they like and agree with the advice, I then show them on paper. I put together a design packet that they can understand and use to accomplish their goals. The packet includes research on their existing planting material, slopes and drainage issues, first meeting notes, the solution, etc.

She-blogs: Do you have tips for someone who may want to break into the landscape architecture field?
Molline: Yes of course, if you are not an “outdoors” person this might not be the job for you. As an intern, I started out by pruning shrubs, cutting grass, and picking weeds. However it gets much better! If you like science, math, art, enjoy working with people, and don’t mind a little critique every now and then…You may definitely want to consider this field! I really love my job, and not many people can say that. I do feel like I’m making a difference in this world.

She-blogs: Is this a hard field to get into and would you suggest that someone do an internship?
Molline: Most definitely! DO an internship, but realize there are so many different avenues and it’s all about WHO you know. You can work for a residential design/build company (private industry), a plant nursery, an urban/community-based planning company, the government (public industry), non-profit agencies, etc… All of which will offer different experiences. Word to the wise, the design studio is rough!! There are many sleepless nights in the beginning and you can never wait until the last minute with your designs. You will run out of time, it will not get done, and it will look like you fell asleep coloring it. It’s important to get good rest before a presentation too because there are difficult questions to answer.

She-blogs: You are also an artist and I have seen some of your artwork before…it’s beautiful. How long have you been an artist and what inspires some of your paintings?
Molline: I have been drawing and painting for as long as I could hold a pencil. My father is an artist too, so we would draw together. Everything inspires me! I like to connect the dots; that’s brilliance to me.

She-blogs: What materials do you use to paint with and is painting therapeutic?
Molline: My media of choice is acrylic, however I do enjoy watercolor, charcoal, and oil-based pastels. The messier the better! My ideas usually start as a sketch, and evolve into either paintings or abstract collages. The entire process centers me, and reminds me of how I got started.

She-blogs: Are there any other job fields you would like to explore in the future?
Molline: I do plan on getting my masters in Urban Planning or Architecture; a slightly different path however a very nice compliment.

She-blogs: Name one place that you have never been that you want to travel to and why?
Molline: Africa, I studied the architecture and it’s a part of my history.

She-blogs: What is your mantra on life?
Molline: Everything happens for a perfect reason, everything in moderation (balance) and always in divine order!

She-blogs: Who inspires you?
Molline: My mothers, my sister, my mentors and me.

She-blogs: When was the last time you laughed so hard you couldn’t breath?
Molline: Last night, I went to a co-workers cookout. Shout out to Mel Jones… we share this moment together! LOL.

She-blogs: What do you like to do for fun?
Molline: DANCE, DANCE, draw, watch movies and read. I also love spending Qtime with my family!

She-blogs: What do you do to stay balanced?
Molline: Exercise, think out loud, and pray (meditation).

She-blogs: What do you like most about the way you look?
Molline: Is this a trick question? Lol, everything because I look just like my mother. She is beautiful!

This entry was posted on Monday, May 18th, 2009 at 12:20 pm and is filed under Interviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.