La’Tonia Mertica

A communication optimist. La’Tonia Mertica (luh tone yuh merr treece, she/her pronouns) values curiosity, questioning, and effort to communicate well. Yes, including the less-than ideal parts that make many of us want to run silently screaming in the opposite direction. She navigates the world implementing photo-/videography, graphic design, and code/web dev as tools to exceptional communication – seeking to harness their potential to transcend language barriers. Recently adding animation to her creative toolkit, she strives to earn position of competence among professional animators. 

Her power is faith. Superpower is exposing “what-ifs.” And if there was one thing she could gift to you without hesitation or restraints it would be that one thing you most want that has a higher purpose of letting you know what you most need.

Let’s pause here a moment for a few conventional bio bits. La’Tonia Mertica is a small business owner. Auntie figure. Former bunny mom. And occasional meat eater. She loves fantasizing about living in far off places. Escaping all dark spots of life. Unapologetically just being. She appreciates meeting folks who clearly belong on her lifer list – list of lifelong connections. When forced to conform to titles, they include communications and creatives specialist, lead artist, software engineer, and – now – animator. On her goals list is being insanely compensated through a diverse portfolio of entrepreneurial initiatives. One life goal she has is clarity of purpose.

Her journey as a professional creative started as a journalist. Words and writing were sufficient until they suddenly weren’t. Through interviewing she learned inadequacies with the human condition too often linger on something said or unsaid. Her definition of writing matured to include visuals. Nonverbals. Intangibles undeniably no-less shaping outcomes – intentional and not. Her sense of collective connection, responsibility to community, and self actualization matured alongside. And continue to mature. Identity, voice, individuality – these staples of existence became and remain allies in her legacy toward exceptional communication.