Category Archives: Advice

Advice #48: What’s Your Secret to Shooting Photos?

September 13, 2012

Photoshop Actions

First off, this is just a quick note that I’ve changed my long-running advice column from Ask Nubby to simply Advice. I felt it needed some clarity and the “+” comes into play since my goal has always been to give positive yet relatable advice. If you have a question of your own, contact information can be found in the sidebar.


Hello,

I’m wondering if you could do a post on your photography for blogging. Your images are always consistent in style and very punchy with colours. I’m a junior-intermediate user of a high end DSLR camera, but can’t seem to get the most out of it in a blogging capacity – your journalistic style photographs and pics of your work always look lush!

Photoshop Actions

Shooting away at The Viceroy, Santa Monica! Photo by Gala Darling.

One of the key components that you’ll notice across the board for established bloggers is that they have a fairly consistent style to their photos. This is one of those more ownable elements that you can use to differentiate your content. Shooting almost all of my own photos has allowed me to add my unique take to blogging over the last ten years. I bought my first Nikon digital camera in 2002 and it opened up a whole new world to me.

I’ve been carrying a camera in my bag since the sixth grade and am constantly shooting. But the straight-up truth is that I’d never call myself a photographer. I’m first and foremost focused on being a designer — I just know how to manipulate my photos to look the way I want. I am not very technically savvy in the photography department — I have a very point-and-shoot method to what I do. I keep my settings on auto and shoot in natural light 90% of the time. If I need something above and beyond the basics, I call on one of my professional friends or my brother to make it happen. I’ve been around enough pros and have also been on enough sets to realize that photography is an art all it’s own and I have major respect for that.

This is the exact setup that I use.

Here’s the exact setup I’ve been using for the last 2+ years: A Nikon D40 paired with a Nikon 35mm f/1.8G Lens. I particularly like the D40 because it’s on the small size as far as DSLRs go and super tough. I just throw it in my handbag and go! I’ve tested a few of the new micro-sized DSLR cameras but too many of them feel cheap and breakable. The Nikon 35mm f/1.8G lens is great for detailed, close-up shots which I do a ton of. I still need to do some more research about what lens to invest in next! That’s it, though. I like to keep things as simple as possible and shoot almost everything on the blog with with this combo.

I use Actions to edit all my photos.

Between the camera and lens, I can get a good base image to work with but beyond that, it’s all about using Photoshop Actions to implement a consistent look. Actions are a series of recorded steps that help you edit your image without having to do each step manually — they are essentially a one click editing process! Can you say time saver?

If you’re wondering how to load an action in Photoshop, it’s easy! In your menu bar, simply go to Window > Actions. Once your Actions palette is up, click in the top right corner on Load Actions and you’re set!

Over the last three years I have pulled from a number of other actions and tweaked my process until I was happy with the style. Some actions are too soft for my taste while some are too harsh so I never use them straight out of the box. I personally have three of the below sets of actions and after much research, I really want to try out the fourth as well!

1. Making Nice In The Midwest Photoshop Actions are great if you’re going for a soft, vintage effect.

2. Devlin Photos has an awesome variety of Photoshop Actions that are geared towards weddings and beyond. As a sidenote, Lisa Devlin will be at our Blogcademy New York launch teaching you about Photoshop shortcuts as well!

3. Elsie and Emma of A Beautiful Mess shared examples of the actions they use and now I really want to try out Totally Rad Actions!

4. As a sidenote, I know not everyone can afford a set of actions right away so I also included a link to my favorite free action: Vintage Film Effect by Fallout 75. I modified this one a lot when I used it but there’s some good layers in there to tweak and learn from.

Here are some real life examples of befores and afters of images I’ve featured on my blog. All of these were edited with actions:

Photoshop Actions

Photoshop Actions

Photoshop Actions

While I wish I could give you the exact formula of actions I used on these, I’ve built my own mix over time with many elements from the above sets of actions. I tend to like my images to be bright, vibrant but not too saturated and to have an overall cool tone. I’m constantly adding and subtracting to get what feels right to me but always depend on actions to get me off to a solid start when editing.

Readers: Let me know if you have any more specific questions about my photography setup or editing in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer!

Ask Nubby #47: Can I Make A Design Career Work With Kids?

August 1, 2012

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I am 19 years old and recently became pregnant. It was unplanned and a surprise but has kicked my future goals into high gear. Lately graphic design has been something I’m interested in, and seems like it could be a reliable career, but I don’t have a clue where to start. I will be in my second year of community college and I plan on learning all the Creative Suite programs and the latest in design and typography before transferring to another school to get a bachelor’s degree. So my questions are 1. Where should I begin as a newbie in pursuing a career as a graphic designer? and 2. Is graphic design something that is manageable with a baby?

advice typography

Source.

Never stop learning. Stay focused.

First off, I commend you for staying focused on your education and future! From my perspective, it sounds like you’re doing everything right, including taking an affordable route to kicking off your education (I’m a proud community college graduate myself). It sounds corny but a thirst for knowledge will get you far. The very best designers started out just like you — everyone begins with limited knowledge and through schooling, internships and experience, we all get better. Four years since graduating, I still feel like I’m learning something new every day and truthfully, the learning never really stops. Since you’re already in school, my two suggestions for supplementing it would be to subscribe to Lynda.com and watch as many videos as you can and secondly, to read as many design and creative industry blogs as possible. The more you learn and the faster you’re able to pick up the basics, the better. Also, joining AIGA can help you make design industry connections.

To answer your second question, you’re not alone in thinking about how to make a design career mesh with being a mom. It’s on a lot of other women’s minds as well so take comfort in that. Designer Promise Tangeman recently wrote a great article on the subject (the comments are super insightful as well) as did new mom and designer / blogger Joy, who explains in detail how she makes it all work for her. Finally, the book Mom, Inc. will hopefully inspire and empower you to find a way to crete a routine that works for you.

I’m not going to sugarcoat this; working as a designer is really demanding even without kids. But I also do personally know plenty of moms who make it happen every single day (and somehow make it look easy!) I’ve heard many moms (and moms-to-be) talk about how there’s never going to be that “perfect time” to have children and balance that role with their careers. And of course, everyone has an opinion on the subject but when it comes down to it, the only opinion that matters is yours.

Once you are finished with school, you can take two paths:

1. Work for someone else. From my experience, working in-house tends to be a lot less demanding than working in an agency environment. This is because when you’re in-house, you have one client: your company. And, the lines of communication are much more direct. In comparison, when you’re at an agency, there are many clients who are setting the deadlines and demands for you to answer to. Realistically, if a presentation is due and you have to work until midnight or god forbid, pull an all-nighter, will you have a reliable option for childcare? I wish I could say that crazy hours are something you won’t have to worry about in this industry but depending on who you work for, they are often the norm.

2. Work for yourself. If you decide to run your own studio, you’ll have more control over your hours. The biggest trade-off is that you’ll be in charge of your own health benefits and the paychecks won’t be steady, at least in the beginning. But having that freedom to be with your child may be the best reward.

Note: I felt that this was an important question to address but at the same time, I don’t have kids of my own and they’re not in my future plans so I can’t put myself in someone else’s shoes who does. Readers with kids who also work in a creative industry, please weigh in and share your advice. We’d love to hear your thoughts!

Ask Nubby #46: How Do I Build My Font Library?

June 27, 2012

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How do you build up your font library? Buying fonts one by one seems to be a very expensive endeavor. And what is the anatomy of a bad font? My teacher said that all free fonts should not be used. Granted a lot of them are gimmicky, but dismissing all of them just like that seems shortsighted.

advice typography

RBNo2 by Font Fabric

It’s good to start building up your font library as early in your career as possible. My advice is to invest in what you can, when you can. Bookmark your favorite fonts and when you start making money off your services, view purchasing fonts as an investment in your business. If you’re a freelancer, they’re considered an expense and therefore, a write-off. Save those receipts! I swear by Veer, House Industries, YouWorkForThem and Hoefler & Frere-Jones for high quality font options.

I was lucky to get off to a great start with my personal font library. During my first semester of college, my instructor provided us with a handful of the tried-and-true classics including Bodoni, Garamond, Caslon and Avant Garde. Having access to this limited but high quality collection of fonts got me going down a solid path and I used these over and over again in early design projects. From there, I gathered more during my first internship at an ad agency and as I began profiting from client work, I kept building my collection.

Instead of asking what the anatomy of a bad font is (design and typography can be so subjective, just like fine art — one person’s trash is another person’s treasure!), focus on what the anatomy of a good font is. When I applied for a design program back in 2006, the first book I went out and bought was The Elements of Typographic Style. This book is often referred to as the “Typographer’s Bible” and for good reason. Penned by Robert Bringhurst (who also happens to be a poet), his attention to detail when it comes to typography is unparalleled. This book will teach you to appreciate even the smallest details in typography all while absorbing proper etiquette.

advice typography

Valentina by Pedro Arilla

When it comes to free fonts, don’t write your teacher off completely — they are making a point that has some validity! I heard similar advice back when I was in school and with good reason — we’d all go crazy on free font sites, downloading and installing without much thought on our school computers and most of the time, we got lucky. But, there was that occasional misfire that screwed up our machines! Admitting that we’d installed a bad font and having our teacher call up the tech guy yet again was embarrassing. And so not cool.

Over the last few years though, the tide has began to turn and the abundance of high quality free fonts is pretty unbelievable. To prove my point, here’s the 100 greatest free fonts of 2012! Seriously, this is the best roundup I’ve ever seen.

Enjoy!

Damn Good Advice from Advertising Legend George Lois

June 5, 2012

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“Creativity can solve almost any problem — the creative act, the defeat of habit by originality, overcomes everything.” – George Lois

I just finished reading Damn Good Advice by George Lois and I promise that it’s one of those life-altering books for creatives. George is one of my personal idols because he’s responsible for introducing me to the world of advertising as a teenager. Back in the late 90s in my suburban high school, budget cuts were in full swing and our library was completely frozen in the 70s. There was a diamond in the rough, though. One day, I discovered a book of George Lois’ advertising work and it completely opened up a whole new world to me. His iconic covers for Esquire especially pushed a lot of buttons and he wasn’t afraid to get a good rise out of the public, all in the name of thought-provoking advertising. He got me interested in the idea of working at ad agencies years before I became a designer; I knew that somehow, some day, I wanted to be a part of this world that Lois gave us glimpses into.

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Damn Good Advice is one of those books you’ve got to read if you’re involved in the advertising, PR, or design worlds — and the sooner, the better. Lois founded the second ever creative agency in the world and is still alive and kicking. Unlike Mad Men, he wasn’t a caricature of the ad world — he lived and breathed it and in the end, changed it for the better. Rumor has it that Don Draper is even based on his likeness! I could go on and on why Lois is the man but more importantly, the no-nonsense, real life lessons he bestows in this book had me excited, inspired, fired up and ready to take on my next challenge head-on.

Here are some of my favorite “lessons” from Damn Good Advice. Hopefully they’ll inspire you as well:

Follow your bliss.

I am so on board with this! Lois says, “Follow your bliss. That which you love you must spend your life doing, as passionately and as perfectly as your heart, mind and instincts allow. The sooner you identify that bliss, which surely resides in the soul of most human beings, the greater your chance of a truly successful life. In the act of creativity, being careful guarantees sameness and mediocrity, which means your work will be invisible. Better to be reckless than careful. Better to be bold than safe. Better to have your work seen and remembered, or you’ve struck out. There is no middle ground.”

Have you found your bliss yet? It took me years of searching when the answer was right in front of me. As a teenager, I loved making collages, I was constantly saving inspiring magazine layouts and I always appreciated a great ad campaign. Yet, I didn’t have a mentor to show me the way. I didn’t have anyone around me who put the pieces together and said, “You know, you should be a designer.” It wasn’t clear to me until my mid-twenties, when I’d finished my business degree but still felt empty. I knew I wouldn’t be happy unless I was making a living being creative. After that, I enrolled in a design program and the pieces quickly fell into place. Following your bliss isn’t always easy but it also won’t leave you with that nagging, empty feeling.

…Creating ideas without a work ethic to follow through is inconceivable to me.

People have often said to me, “Slow down or you’ll burn out.” But I love what I do! I’m excited to wake up and tackle something new each day. If you feel the same way, you’ll appreciate Lois’ advice: “If you don’t burn out at the end of each day, you’re a bum! People watching me work ask me all the time why I’m not burnt out, how (especially at my age) I manage to keep going. The fact is, I’m totally burnt out at the end of each day because I’ve given myself totally to my work – mentally, physiologically, physically. When I head home at night I can’t see straight. But I love that feeling of utter depletion: it is an ecstatic sense of having committed myself to the absolute limit. But after recharging at night, I’m ready to go the next morning. Isn’t that what life is all about?” I’ve always felt like a bit of an outsider when it came to this subject — it’s pretty awesome to hear someone with decades more experience than me say that it’s okay to give it your all when it comes to your career and own it.

Don’t expect a creative idea to pop out of your computer.

True story: last night, I was sitting outside my hotel, having a meeting with a friend. I was relaxed, my laptop was closed and we were brainstorming. Right then, what I considered to be a sure-fire concept for her logo popped into my head. I did a quick sketch and was like, “This is it!” It had nothing to do with noodling around on my computer or searching Pinterest for the ‘next greatest thing.’ I was away from my regular habitat and that allowed my mind to wander into new places. Lois says, “I’ve witnessed a myriad of creative “professionals” fishing on the computer, frantically looking, searching, praying for an idea. Look deeply, deeply into the screen – there’s nothing there! Without a creative idea in your head, the computer is a mindless speed machine, producing tricks without substance, form without relevant content, or content without meaningful form…don’t sit down at your computer until you’ve grasped a big concept, without a computer in sight. You can’t run until you can walk.”

Creativity is not created, it is there for us to find.

Whenever I travel, no matter how long or short the trip, my new surroundings inspire me to dream up new ideas. Lois affirms that “Great advertising comes down to The Big Idea, but I never create the ideas that characterize my work. I discover them – snared in the air as they float by me…if you’re trying to achieve greatness in any creative industry, go out into the world and sail the ocean blue and live a life of discovery.” I couldn’t agree more. Life experience will make you better rounded and more aware; travel as often as your budget and schedule allow.

Work is worship.

Work at what you do because you love it and you constantly want to improve. It’s as simple as that. Lois asserts that “Working hard and doing doing great work is as imperative as breathing. Creating great work warms the heart and enriches the soul. Those of us lucky enough to spend our days doing something we love, something we’re good at, are rich. If you do not work passionately (even furiously) at being the best in the world at what you do, you fail your talent, your destiny, and your god.” Amen.

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What type of person are you?

You are the master of your fate: you are the captain of your soul.

Finally, perhaps the most important lesson I took away from Damn Good Advice is that we absolutely have to take charge of what we want out of life. Lois notes that “With all the lucky breaks, or unhappily, the bad breaks one endures, I believe a person still decides their own fate, that they ordain what kind of family life they have, what they believe in, and what kind of work they produce. You can decide that no one can make you produce bad work! …If you’ve got the right stuff, “they” can’t stop you from following your bliss, they can’t keep you from demonstrating your talent and they can’t keep you from fulfilling your destiny. Never.”

In Closing

Yes, George Lois has a strong personality that people either love or loathe. Either way, his perseverance and work ethic has been a force to be reckoned with for over fifty years — knowing what you want, going after it and being a self-made success is hugely admirable in my book. I am so glad George took the time to put Damn Good Advice together because we’re now able to take lessons from his life experience and proactively apply them directly to our own.

Developing A Design Process: 01

May 10, 2012

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Moodboard for Sasha Gulish Photography branding

One of the questions I get asked most often is about my design process. Most of us have a method for working through a project but once it’s done often enough, it begins to feel like second nature. I’ve continually held off writing this article until now because truthfully, my design process has become so routine that I don’t think of it as being significant. But, when I take the time to step back, I realize that we each have a different method for working through projects and can learn from one another. Today, I’m going to share an overview of the general design process I go through when working on a project. Please note that the process detailed below is focused solely on the creative side of a project and not on any of the administrative or strategic tasks that take place.

1. The Questionnaire

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Nubbytwiglet.com Questionnaire

When I’m working with a new client, I begin my process by sending out a questionnaire. It’s comprised of a short, succinct set of questions meant to jog memories and provide the basic information clients might not otherwise think about. The last question encourages clients to gather their own visual inspiration and links to sites and content they like. After all, we know ourselves better than anyone else and the more we share about what we love & loathe, the easier the designer’s job becomes.

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Nubbytwiglet.com Pinterest

2. Visual Research

While the client is doing their own visual research to show me what they like, I’m doing mine at the same time. Conducting visual research is important because it helps you become aware of current trends. This doesn’t mean that you should rip off every hot color, font and lockup you see. It’s meant to inform you of what’s happening in the world around you. Think about the flipside; you don’t want to end up with a logo that looks exactly like someone else’s because you didn’t do your homework! Clients tend to want a logo that’s on-trend while still remaining unique. But by on-trend, I mean current, not trendy. Nobody wants to go through the hassle of redesigning their logo every few years if they can help it!

My top places to search for visual inspiration are:

1. Designspiration

2. Pinterest (This is my personal account where I save some of my favorite images).

3. FFFFOUND!

4. Flickr: I have a private folder that I upload everything I find into and have been actively adding to it since college. I do this mainly because I can be anywhere in the world, log in and have my full collection of inspiration at my fingertips.

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Thumbnail sketches from a recent logo design

3. Thumbnail Sketches

Ah, yes. Our college professors made us do page after page of thumbnail sketches and they do have their benefits! My head is usually full of potential fonts and lockups the second I start working on a new project and getting them onto paper helps me define some of the options I really want to explore. Plus, being away from the computer helps me clear my mind and creatively focus in a fresh way. To be completely honest, I’m not a big sketcher. Often, my notebook pages will be composed mostly of lists, like “try this font” and “reference this image.” Sketch, make lists, do whatever suits your style best. Just try to do some part of your creative process away from the computer. Breaking up your routine often yields some of the best, most unexpected results.

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Inspiration section from my presentation deck

4. Presentation with Visual Research

A moodboard (at the top of this post) is more of an arbitrary, outward-facing step I’ve included to show online folks what outside influences inspired me on a particular project. But usually, the visuals I’ve gathered are placed in a section within the first client presentation I deliver called, you guessed it, “Inspiration.” This is beneficial for the client because it can make them more feel more confident of the outcomes when they understand the general reference points. Also, something lurking in the visual inspiration may very well grab their attention. Perhaps they’ll say, “I love the layout of option #4 but the type feels off. Can you modify it to feel more like the type in XYZ?”

5. The Moodboard

I’ve noticed a huge trend lately of designers showing moodboards online of what inspired a particular project. I’ve never shared this part of my process with my readers but am considering making a change the next time I showcase a project. Of course, in my world the inspiration is just a folder of gathered imagery tucked inside the client’s job folder on my hard drive but in an effort to present a so-called organized, methodical look, an example of the visual research I gathered for photographer Sasha Gulish’s identity development is at the top of this post. Looking back, it really did help speed up the design process and aligned perfectly with the colors we’d already been considering.

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The final outcome of Sasha’s identity / business cards (note that only the blue version was printed).

6. Revise / Review / Redeliver

Once you’ve delivered that first round, it’s time to wait for client feedback, revise the options they liked, perhaps gather even more visual inspiration if they’re feeling a particular direction and send off the second round. Rinse and repeat until complete!

I’ve titled this article Developing a Design Process 01 because I figured that you might have more questions about specifics. If there’s something further you’d like to know about developing a process, please leave a question in the comments!

Ask Nubby #45: Should I Use My Degree or Follow My Passion?

April 18, 2012

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I am an architecture student finishing my fourth year of school this June but now I’m not sure if I will continue to pursue this path. I want to study fine art but I am scared that I’m not good enough and it costs a lot more. I chose to study architecture because I thought it was more practical to design houses than to paint pictures. Now I’m wondering if I made the right decision. I don’t want to end up doing a job that I don’t find fun!

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Source.

First of all, take a deep breath and realize how close you are to reaching a goal that you began four years ago. Some people may disagree with me but I’m a firm believer in completing what you’ve started when you’re that close (and have invested a good chunk of time and money). If you were only a year or two into your studies, it might make sense to pull out but you’re almost there!

Maybe I’m a bit more traditional in my career views but here’s what I think: For now, being an architect will allow you the opportunity to earn a great living until you figure out your next move. If your goal is to be a fine artist, you don’t have to jump in with both feet first (remember, many artists aren’t solely artists for a living). Perhaps it makes sense to work full-time out of school and see if you even like architecture (who knows, you might fall in love with it once you’re doing it professionally!) And then, maybe you can set a goal of cutting back your hours to part-time within a specific time frame so that you have more time to dedicate to your art. Your decision doesn’t have to be all or nothing right away unless you’re fully comfortable with that prospect.

Your passion does not have to be the same as your career.

Consider this: Your passion or hobby doesn’t have to be the same as your job. Fine art is something many of us do as a creative outlet but it can take awhile to establish yourself and earn a great living as a fine artist. Tangling your passion with your profession can also be tricky. Once you’re creating art to make a living, the focus of your work may also start to shift. What happens if you have bills to pay and a commission comes along that you’re just not comfortable with? Do you take it or leave it? In that position, would you wish that you’d stuck it out with a steady paycheck a bit longer so that you could turn down certain opportunities that didn’t fit within your artistic vision or goals?

Do both.

Have you considered doing both architecture and fine art? Here’s the thing: It’s hard to make a great living right out of school as a fine artist. Yes, it’s possible! Yes, some people have all the charm and talent and make it look easy! But often, unless you’re an illustrator that’s willing to do commercial work or perhaps a painter that does commissions and murals, it can take some serious time and commitment to gain momentum (i.e. a distinct style, solo shows, steady clients and representation). Do you have a plan in place to support yourself in the meantime?

I, too, wanted to be a fine artist. I ended up going to school for design because like you, I felt it was more practical than art. Art was a huge passion of mine but I found a happy medium by becoming a designer which provided a much steadier income and then came home from work and set aside a few hours each night to work on my series. I had a solo show at the first agency I worked at and later, my collages were used on a line of snowboard goggles and helmets! Working as a designer actually helped me open up more doors for creating fine art. Architecture may do the same for you in very unexpected ways.

If fine art is for you, make a plan.

Be smart about your decision. Do you even need another degree to be an artist? Do you have a specific style and medium established? Is your work only accessible through a gallery or do you offer a format and style that would do well on a site like Etsy? Do you have social media set up to promote your artwork? Making a clear plan of what you hope to accomplish will make the transition into fine art as a career a lot less stressful. If you’re looking for more advice about a fine art career, I highly recommend reading Taking the Leap by Cay Lang. This book was recommended to me by another artist years ago and is full of practical advice on how to build a successful career, promote your work and put together contracts.

In Closing.

Remember, life doesn’t have to be about either / or. Fine art vs. architecture doesn’t have to be a black and white decision. If you do decide to use your degree to earn a living, you don’t have to continue down that path forever. How will you know if architecture isn’t right for you if you don’t try? You can always change your mind. Follow your gut. It’s always okay to make a change when something in our lives just doesn’t feel right.

Readers: What do you think? Have you been at this crossroads with your career before? How did you decide what to do next?

Ask Nubby #44: I Am Not the Best. Should I Refer Work Elsewhere?

March 28, 2012

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Hello, I was wondering about referring work and clients. I am a very good graphic designer but I know that I am not the “best”. I occasionally get work from clients that I think friends of mine could do a better job on. Should I refer the job to them or not? I’m afraid that it will look really bad to the client when I can’t deliver the best possible outcome. Help!

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Source.

This is a fantastic question and brings up a much larger issue. As creatives and humans, we’ve all had those moments of self-doubt and feeling like we’re not the best. Well, I’ll let you in on something that will hopefully shift your perceptions: in almost any field you go into, there’s always going to be someone that’s better than you in some way.

So, take a moment to free yourself from those self-deprecating feelings and move on. Let go. Instead of wallowing in self-doubt and contemplating whether you’re good enough, focus on the big picture of your career. What have you accomplished and where would you like to go? Are the clients you’ve done work for happy with your output? Think about it: if your clients are happy, you’re definitely doing something right.

Self doubt is normal but be realistic.

Design is an extremely competitive field and I remember the self-doubt I felt during my first agency job fresh out of school. All of the designers on my team were much more skilled (and in my mind, that equated to way more awesome) than me but you know what I quickly realized? I was comparing myself to designers that had 5, 10 and even 15 years more experience! I was a fresh graduate trying to be as good as them! Obviously, I was setting myself up for failure with the “I’m not good enough” mentality. Once I realized that I’d been comparing apples to oranges, I was able to relax, put my guard down and go with the flow. I was aware enough to realize that everyone on the team was friendly and willing to help me when I asked — I was the one with the issue.

“We don’t see things as they are. We see them as we are.” — Anaïs Nin

Back to your question — clients are coming to YOU. I’ve always felt that if someone is choosing you out of the hundreds, even thousands of options they have out there, it’s because they admire your work. They want to work with you. Go above and beyond and most of the time, you’ll have a return client.

Know when to say no.

At the same time, if you feel very strongly that you’re not the best fit for the job, refer that client to the best person you know. After all, it’s better to be really amazing at something versus a jack of all trades and master of none. For instance, I’ve done my fair share of print and web design and feel confident in these areas but I’m aware of my limitations when it comes to retail environments. I can concept and whip up production files for banners and second-surface graphics for store windows but developing the entire look and feel of a full retail location or trade show booth is beyond my scope. If you feel like a project is way over your head and far outside your comfort zone, don’t commit. In the end, nobody will be happy!

One of the hardest things to admit is that as individuals, some projects are bigger than us. Some of the work I’m most proud of was created with teams, often including an art director, a copywriter, a producer and multiple designers. The client had a big vision and a team was needed to pull it all together. So don’t beat yourself up if you’re not seemingly awesome at everything! Remember that a lot of the big campaigns and projects you admire often weren’t the work of a single individual; they were the work of a team.

Surround yourself with the best.

Finally, consider this: if you feel that others around you are “better,” this can actually be a good thing. Strive to surround yourself with successful people. They give you goals to work towards and a reason to push yourself further. If you truly felt that you were already “the best,” would you work so hard? Probably not. Remember though that the people around you should be as supportive of your efforts and goals just as much as you are with theirs. It’s a two-way street.

The bottom line.

Put in that extra bit of effort to always deliver work that you’re proud of. Knowing that you’ve done your personal best (even when a project has dramatically shifted from the initial brief) is important. You may not want to put every single project in your portfolio (trust me, there’s campaigns I’ve spent two months of my life on that nobody’s ever seen) but knowing that you gave it your all is what’s important. If you’re good at what you do, your clients will notice. And remember that confidence is built over time, as we gain experience. We’re all a work in progress. As creatives, we all want to be better and do better. Take comfort in that.

“There are no short cuts to any place worth going.” — Beverly Sils

The Dark Side Of Schooling: Debt and Student Loans

March 21, 2012

the love shop etsy

Print: The Love Shop

Student loans are one of those things that most of us will have to deal with at some point in our lifetimes but nobody likes to talk about. And, I can see why. Money is a touchy subject for many of us, especially when the conversation shifts to debt and admitting how much we owe. Student loans can be a huge source of anxiety, shadowing us as we begin our post-college careers.

This weekend, after much focus and planning, I hit a personal goal: I paid off my student loan. In my case, the reason this was possible was because I made the choice to do my entire design program at a community college. Post-graduation, when I had a good month, I would double, triple and sometimes quadruple my payments. I wanted it to go away, badly. I don’t even use a credit card, yet the high interest rate on my student loan made me feel like I had one.

In 2010, total outstanding student loan debt exceeded total outstanding credit card debt in America for the first time ever. — SignOn.org

Society places so much emphasis on getting into the top schools and students feel the brunt of this pressure. If you have the chance, by all means, go for it and relish the opportunity. If you can’t though, please don’t compare yourself to your peers; this is your journey. School really is what you make of it, whether you have a top name splashed across your diploma or not. The truth is, if you are determined, you’ll find a way to carve out your path.

When I went back to school in 2006, my top three choices for graphic design programs were at well known art schools and universities but there was no way I could afford them. And when I tallied up the total cost of these programs in my head, I knew the only way I could take this route was by racking up massive student loan debt. Honestly, I just couldn’t stomach it. So, I enrolled in a two-year limited entry graphic design program. Looking back, it was one of the best decisions I made. I still got a great education, a great internship and I still found a great job post-graduation. What I didn’t have a chance to learn in school (two years goes by fast), I eventually learned on the job.

If I’d had the opportunity, you bet I would have chosen a top art school. But because I knew it wasn’t an option at that moment, I made a choice. Everything turned out okay. I loved my teacher, I loved my program and I loved my college. And in comparison, the debt I incurred was minimal. Just because a school is expensive and well regarded doesn’t mean that it’s the best fit for you — for your learning style, for your goals or for your budget. No matter where you choose to go, your heart has to be in it.

I’ve heard so many students say, “I’ll worry about my loans once I finish. Right now, I just want to have fun.” That out of sight, out of mind mentality can really come back to haunt you, though. Remember, that’s real money with real interest you’re borrowing. Read the fine print; those interest rates on private loans are high. It adds up fast. And forking over a huge payment every month post-graduation is a harsh reality.

Since 1999, average student loan debt has increased by 511%. — SignOn.org


To me, it’s really upsetting when you’ve done everything right, earned an education and are left with mounting debt with an interest rate as high as some credit cards tacked on. There’s something really wrong with this country and the predatory lending practices when it comes to student loans.

All I’m tying to say is, give your choices some thought. Weigh what feels right for you when it comes to your education. Know what the interest rates are on your loans. Be aware. And always remember that If you want something out of life, you’ll find a way.

• Are you or someone you know struggling to pay back your student loans? Please consider supporting this petition. You can make a difference.

• Learn more about the student loan debt crisis through these infographics: The Roadmap to Repayment and The New Deal for Student Loans.