BLOG #26
What makes you tick? What drives you to get out of bed in the morning? What kind of work motivates you to get better day in and day out? For me, it’s designing. Through design comes storytelling. Design with a purpose and expressing something or leaving someone with a long-lasting impression is the type of work that lights a fire under my belly. The kind of creative work that lets me design new things and send a message is exciting. Having the creative space to infuse my own philosophy and beliefs and have it be authentic and genuine sparks a my fire. In my apparel company, many of my designs are aimed at doing just that.
My design comes from an authentic place representing the small things in life. Being humble, finding your voice, embracing the awkwardness of being different. Hard work and persistence on building your skills and expertise is crucial to gaining and maintaining success. As a self-taught designer, my imperfection and amateurism pushes me. The designers and creatives around me and who are successful push me to get better. There is always room for improvement. Don’t expect to be an expert from day one. There is beauty and reward in the struggle. Everyone who becomes great, started at the stage you are now. Embrace that you are a beginner, an amateur, an impostor, a chicken with it’s head cut-off.
As a beginner, continue to try new things. Write a blog and document your work. Write about your struggles and the challenges you are facing. Challenge yourself to create content daily. Learn from other professionals. Be open to feedback. There are no wrong ideas, the only fallback is never executing them.
In August, I committed to designing a t-shirt logo for 30 days. Now I am the owner of my own apparel company and I am working on how to develop my brand even further. Through marketing campaigns, social media advertising, and learning how to use Mailchimp, there are always new projects and tasks that can keep me accountable. Forget about the end goal. Focus your energy on the day-to-day, week-to week, month-by-month goals. Giving yourself clear and concrete short-term goals will make your long-term aspirations clear. The short-term projects and skills you develop along the way will open many doors and opportunities. The key is to be patient, but persistent.
Find that one thing every month that pushes you, truthfully challenges you, but gives you ultimate gratification once completed. Once you find it, hold it tight, never waver, and practice it every day. Your fire must be cared for. Feed it and help it grow slowly. Eventually people will notice the smoke!
– Jake Beman