Member-only story
When should I start my design career?
I wasn’t ready…
🚫 I didn’t think I was ready when I taught my first graphic design class at a local library. My heart was beating so fast as the very first learners walked through the door.
🚫 I didn’t know if my boss would like my work when I received my first (rush) assignment at my first full-time design job
🚫 I didn’t know if my first freelance client would approve of the initial concepts I sent
🚫 I wasn’t confident when I first opened Adobe Illustrator to create my first design (which ended up just being a square)
🚫 I didn’t have time to take a full course or tutorial when a job/client needed me to edit a file in an unfamiliar software
Even though I didn’t always feel ready, I have been able to continuously learn by doing.
I made true progress in every scenario above by increasing my observation-to-doing ratio. The more I did, the more I learned—and the more I learned (insight, correction, growth), the more I did!
I think of learning in two ways:
Learning by observation
Reading, watching tutorials, taking courses, listening to podcasts, listening to mentors/coaches, etc.
