Today we’d like to introduce you to Darlene Kamperveen.
Hi Darlene, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve been a creative since I was young. I would draw on the back of tests in elementary school, “tattoo” my classmates (draw on them with Sharpies) for candy money in middle school, and carry a disposable camera on every field trip as a teenager. I was a kid who always got those RoseArt art sets for Christmas (if you know, you know). In high school, I designed my senior class’s shirts. I say all this to say, I was always an art girl. I pursued a degree in studio art at Florida State University, which allowed me to explore different areas of film photography, drawing, and graphic design. My first two jobs after graduation laid the foundation for my career. One was at a UPS print shop right off campus (shout out to store #6133), where I gained hands-on knowledge of the print industry. The other was at the Florida Department of Health, where I first experienced working on a creative team with real feedback loops and deadlines (shout out to my WSS team!).
After a few years in Tallahassee, I moved to Boston at the behest of my best friend. I was doing a lot of contract work, and had the opportunity to work with some great companies in different industries like tech and retail. One of my most memorable experiences was working on Dunkin’ Donuts campaigns through a large ad agency—it was so cool seeing my work in “in the wild” as I like to call it. Starting In 2017 was when I started to see a significant shift in the industry towards digital design and social media marketing. I also took up jiu jitsu while living in Boston, which became a huge part of my story today.
After moving back to South Florida in 2018, I struck a deal with a local jiu jitsu gym owner to create content for and manage the gym’s social media accounts in exchange for training. At that time I was working corporate-side for a retail company where I was designing graphics and doing product photography for social media, so this opportunity allowed me to expand on those social media skills. I began recording clips in class on my phone, taking photos of my teammates at competitions, and editing videos in my spare time. Fast forward to 2025, I started working for the City of Fort Lauderdale, doing design and event photography. Soon after, I embarked on a similar path with a new jiu jitsu gym, but this time I arrived equipped with better camera equipment and years of experience. My work gained traction within the South Florida jiu jitsu community, which lead to some exciting projects. Nowadays, you can find me with my camera in hand almost anywhere in Fort Lauderdale.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Ha! Definitely not. First off, being a child to immigrant parents meant there was always the pressure to make sure that I’m making my parents’ sacrifices worth it. I’m sure my mom would have preferred me being in STEM. I’ve been laid off twice in my 13-year career, the most recent time being in 2024. A lot of my work experience has been agency contract work, where I basically get thrown into the deep end of a company’s creative team to help get them back on track. I’ve also learned that being a creative in this economy means always learning a new skill to make myself more valuable. People like the idea of an “expert” in one discipline, but the world of marketing is so fast-paced (thanks to social media) that in my experience, it’s usually better to know how to “wear a bunch of hats”. Because of that, I’m always learning something new. Most recently, I earned a certificate in responsive web design. With all the different skills I’ve accumulated over the years, I’m a graphic designer, motion designer, social media manager, photographer, videographer, and web designer rolled into one.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I consider myself a multidisciplinary creative. I started out as a graphic designer specializing in marketing design. Nowadays depending on who you ask, I’m either a graphic designer, photographer, videographer, or any combination of the three. Right now, I’m most proud of the event photography that I get to do for the City of Fort Lauderdale and the content I capture for the jiu jitsu community. Being involved in both of those areas has made me feel more connected to each respective community, and renewed my longtime love of being behind the camera.
What I believe sets me apart from others is commitment, or “love of the game” as I like to call it. I do what it takes not only to get the job done, but to get it done well. Whether that’s putting myself in an awkward physical position to get the perfect shot angle or researching tutorials for a design technique that will put a project over the edge, I’m doing it. I’m also very good at putting ego aside and listening to feedback from anyone I’m working with. If I’m creating something for you, at the end of the day I want you to be happy with it. I will happily explain why I made certain creative or design decisions, but I will never be offended at or unwilling to listen to anyone’s opinions. This creates a great working foundation that I believe puts people at ease when working with me.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I’m blessed to look younger than I am, which I believe leads people to think that I have less experience or knowledge than I actually do. I also don’t think a lot of people realize how much of a jack-of-all-trades I am in terms of my creativity, whether it’s something I do professionally or just for fun. Outside of what I do for work, I enjoy singing, crocheting, drawing, painting, and even home DIY projects. I’m very handy (thanks to my dad)—one of my favorite DIY projects that I’ve done was completely restyling a set of 15-year old dressers from my parents’ house.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.darlenemadethat.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darlenemadethat
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darlenemadethat
