Thinking Outside MY Box
I was recently told that as a graphic designer, I must feel good knowing I’m better than others at design. I wasn't sure how to react and I was left with this uncomfortable mix of emotions. On one hand, I felt proud because I take pride in doing good work, but also felt a sense of guilt and frustration that at the time I couldn't pinpoint. So I answered in the only eloquent professional way I could muster at the moment by saying, "umm ok yea I guess so."
Reflecting on it later, I organized my mixed emotions and decided my colleague's comment really just missed the point. I’m proud that I feel confident in my craft. Yet, although I’ve been told, especially by my mom growing up (cue eye roll here), that I always had a knack for drawing, I firmly believe that design is a honed craft that many so-called 'not creative people' could learn. If you have the patience to keep re-working something until it looks right, again and again; you will train your eye to see what looks right faster. But it’s important to note, you also should have a strong eye for what looks right, which is subjective (and definitely a topic for another day).
Strong designers also stay open to inspiration. I watched a TED talk by Tim Harford called How frustration can make us more creative, which said that creatives tend to have a harder time ignoring what’s going on around them. And he wasn’t saying that creatives have a higher propensity for ADD, but instead he was explaining that we see more, hear more, and even take in more of the world around us. We are open to visual and auditory stimuli, taking in the world around us and often having a hard time tuning it out. He explained that all people have a theoretical box which holds our thoughts and ideas. And that “creatives think outside the box because their box is full of holes.” I connect with that sentiment and believe that to be true for myself.
I want to address my feeling of guilt in relation to the aforementioned comment. I don’t feel guilty that I feel confident in design… actually not at all. It's that others don't seem to. I have taught (and continue to teach) classes to children and adults (thanks to Gallery in the Square, Hunakai, New Arts and Treat Cupcake Bar) and found that confidence in design doesn’t correlate with skills. Its a trait that is either nurtured in you or squashed when you are a kid. I enjoyed creating when I was a kid and my parents nurtured that interest. And if I drew something, they hung it up and encouraged more. My guilt comes from the understanding that many people don’t have the privilege of having parents that nurture their creativity. My brother and I are very different; he’s has a PhD in Physics and he’ll be the first to tell you he’s not artist, but I know he is creative.
The frustration, I believe stemmed from the way it implied a better than mentality. I am aware that I have honed some skills more than others. And I’m keenly aware that my clients and colleagues have other skills, many of which I don’t have. Connecting our skills is what creates good work and solves challenges. I love my work. And, working with others across disciplines and in various industries also teaches me things I hadn’t considered before and strengthens my work. I’ve worked with clients in medical fields, restaurant owners, yoga instructors, realtors and many more.
My clients all contribute to a wealth of knowledge, ideas, and and information which allows me to make even more connections. And my strength in design elevates their strength for business savvy, analytics, etc... Diminishing their value based on a strength of mine misses the point entirely. Not only do their skills contribute to my knowledge base and experience; but without them, my role wouldn't be half as interesting or maybe even exist. I need my clients strengths as they need mine... to help one another think outside the other's box.