This week I will be writing introspectively about the last 6 months of my design career. Though I had been welcomed into possibly one of the best gigs ever (thanks to the SP team), with almost total freedom and control, the mentality of my home life still managed to erupt its stains on my designs.
This is not an apology to my clients, because in what world should we apologise for feeling low? There is nothing pitiful or remorseful about sadness, it is merely a chapter we’re all forced to read and reflect on, to get onto the next. This blog is just that. A reflection on my career as I try to find new space and bounce back a little better.
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It isn’t until feeling greener grass under my fingers that I now realise the weight of my personal turmoils and their impact on my ability to create great design. Despite putting all my efforts into crafting logos deemed professional, beautiful and in perfect harmony with my clients’ goals, I had to work twice as hard for a result that was often half as good.
Unfortunately, creative professionals simply don’t have the luxury of shutting off their emotions while we work. Because creativity and design are directly inspired by our emotions – feelings of good and bad – they innately direct each brushstroke of our pens.
As designers we home in on and collect moods to refashion into all-cohesive emblems… but what happens when you can’t click out of gloominess and into a mindset of corporate excellence and adventure? A dud work I suppose. It is equally as hard putting on a smile and selling something, but maybe a little easier to plod away doing data entry or grouting tiles.
When it felt as though everything else in the world was bothering me it was all too common that I felt dissatisfied by my designs, and unfortunately, my clients did too. The bounce back even harder on top of that…
But now, with summer here and the sun quite literally shining (and melting me too), I have been able to feel confident in my creations, and it appears my voice shares that positivity too. Ultimately, I think the biggest impact is on my clients. Hearing a designer who is assured by their creation makes a client feel more confident in having made the right decision.
Deep down I know I’m capable of making something great for every person who comes through our office doors. Sometimes it just takes a little bit longer to find it.