I love hearing stories about how stars align (or Nudges nudge) for the perfect outcome. They remind me to stay positive and patient, to do what I can do, leave the rest up to the Universe, and have faith.
In this instance, a number of factors came together—a passion for history, a random ad, a supportive spouse, and a prompt from an acquaintance—to help one woman identify her dream and experience it in unanticipated ways. Inspired by her story, I asked if I could share her journey and insights with 52Nudges’s readers.
Pilar Dowell is a talented graphic designer. After working 15 years in-house and 10 years as a contractor for the Walt Disney Company, she opened Seattle-based Pilar Dowell Design and spread her wings to work with a broader clientele.
On the side, she fed her curiosity for World War II history, inspired initially by her dad, who was a teacher. “I like learning,” she said, “and I gravitate toward books and movies about history, specifically about WWII.”
One day, on her way out of an airplane-themed diner near her home, she picked up a local newspaper and noticed an ad offering “Free Fly Days” through the Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum. Every summer, they bring out some of their collection’s vintage aircraft and invite the public to come watch them fly. Pilar decided to check it out.
On her way there, she got lost and, by chance, ended up at Historic Flight, a smaller museum, then located at the opposite side of the tarmac. The friendly people inside gave her directions to her intended destination, but she saw enough to be intrigued and thought, “I have to come back here.” She picked up some information and made plans to return for a memorial flight commemorating the 70th Anniversary of D-Day. That afternoon, Pilar picked up her youngest son early from school and headed over. “I figured Alex would learn so much more about history that day than he would in school.”
A few weeks later, she and her husband, Rob, returned to attend a different event. As they looked around, Rob talked to someone on the staff and mentioned “My wife would love to volunteer here if you need graphic design.” Her first project was creating a brochure, and she soon learned incredible opportunities came with the job. “They would reward the volunteers with flight,” Pilar explained, including tours inside the planes and short turns at the controls. “The first time they asked ‘Would you like to take a ride in Grumpy?’ I almost cried,” she said.
Pilar in the cockpit of a B-25. (Photo courtesy of Pilar Dowell.)
Grumpy is a B-25, her favorite airplane. B-25s played a pivotal role in the Doolittle “Tokyo” Raid, which took place right after Pearl Harbor. Of the almost 10,000 models that were made, there are still about 100 B-25s (B stands for “bomber”) still in existence around the world. About 45 are air-worthy, Pilar shared in an enthusiastic burst of statistics, and the rest are on display in museums. With her colleagues from Historic Flight, she got to travel to Ohio to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Doolittle Raid. “I met the man who was the co-pilot to Jimmy Doolittle, the last surviving Doolittle Raider,” she said, adding that meeting pilots and other retired military personnel, and hearing their stories, has been especially moving for her.
In addition to brochures and posters, Pilar created items, such as T-shirts, for Historic Flight’s retail store and marketing pieces for the flight show season, which runs April through September (except for this year, due to COVID). “I had just finished work for an air show,” she said, “and was showing it to the wife of the museum’s owner. She said, ‘You really should market aviation design,’ as a branch of Pilar Dowell Design.” The suggestion sparked Pilar’s imagination, and Fly Girl Graphic Design was born. Within a short period, she got a domain, designed a logo and business card, and built and launched the website.
With targeted clients that include aviation museums, airports, and pilot associations, Fly Girl Graphic Design is more about graphic design services than sales of merchandise. “I find it’s the most fun,” she said. “For example,” she explained, “when I was hired to create a poster and T-shirt design for an air show, I got to learn about the aircraft and the history.”
Fly Girl Graphic Design has brought together Pilar’s skills, experience, and passions. For those of us looking for ways to identify and pursue new personal and/or professional adventures with purpose, she shared some insights. “There are museums where you offer to volunteer, and those people become your community. They are there for the same reasons you are,” she said. “Seek. Find what you’re interested in, then go find your people.”