Shillumni Talk With Kevin Finn
A few nights ago, I went to listen to a talk by the man who runs the agency ‘The Sum Of’ and also editor and designer of ‘Open Manifesto’.
I was actually close to doing a no show but I am so glad that I didn’t, it was the most inspirational talks I’ve been to. I felt as if everything he talked about was just what I wanted to hear. The friend I went with on the night kept smiling at me because she knew I needed it too.
I think everyone can agree, starting out as a freelancer or starting your own business can be a daunting time of life. Especially when you have no idea what you are doing. You are constantly doubting yourself, lacking self confidence and not sure if you are heading in the right direction. That night, Kevin reassured that this is okay, set yourself a time or deadline and as long as you know what you have done your best within this time frame that is all you need.
To keep things short because I tend to ramble, three things I got out of this talk:
Imposter syndrome is common in this industry, everyone gets it even Stephan Meister and MIchael Bierut get it. Accept that you will feel this way but don’t beat yourself up for feeling this way. Figuring out the solution is part of the creative process. Which leads to the next point,
Us as designers don’t come with solutions, we are here to work with you and find a solution that best suits the clients and their business needs.
Knowing business is a big plus in design, most of the clients that come to you speak business rather than design so being able to talk in their language and relate can help you and will give you that competitive advantage.
Hope you learnt a little something today and stay motivated!