Stop apologizing! It’s ok if your ideas are different, your goals are big
Normal is not something to aspire to, it’s something to get away from.
I was burned out in design, working someone else’s ideas and thoughts, tired of not moving forward…
So I started investing in myself.
I asked myself - How could I improve myself and my skills while working on the ideas I want, when I want, and how I want them to look?
Problem - I had no reputation as a designer, nobody knew me and how would be capable of competing against the biggest agencies. How could I even imagine being hired by them? I had to work my way up, struggling just like the others would.
But I am creative and see things that many others don't. I approached design in a different way. I brought a new twist to things.
Stop apologizing! It’s ok if your ideas are different, your goals are big - don’t be afraid of what others would say. You are skilled, capable, and talented - you deserve to be a leader, and you are enough. Leaning in can be uncomfortable, so don’t be afraid to own your seat, lean back, and kick your feet up.
Solution - Maybe I should just listen to my gut. Maybe I should try NOT TO FOLLOW everyone's style and just go with my own.
Being comfortable with the unknown is a skill to be embraced.
Many of us tend to shy away from the discomfort of uncertainty and this is potentially stopping us from reaching our best "selves".
Embracing the unknown and adapting to new situations often leads to personal growth and increased strength. Design is a continuous learning experience - so is life. We should embrace the unknown.
Now - Fast forward some years (yes, I'm getting older), and I had the opportunity to work with and for some of the biggest brands in the world. I had my own agency for 5 years with 12+ employees, helped scale start-ups which one exited to Warner Media for 100M+, worked with the biggest enterprise software companies all over and I got to speak at events.
All this is something I would not have ever imagined living in a small Gatineau Québec town in Canada.
So what did I do?
I did not follow the masses. I trusted my gut and challenged the status quo. I did not want to follow Template Monster for website inspiration. In the end, it paid out. My style evolved and my confidence grew. I started exposing myself outside of my home town and things just started happening for me.
Every designer out there is unique and should bring their unique flavor to the game. Even if your "style" seems really different, it does not mean it is not right. Maybe you are to future-forward of a thinker.
Some little tips to help you change your perspective to welcome the unknown:
1. Realise that everything is impermanent
2. Letting go of attachment is beneficial
3. Every new path and experience means growth
4. Surviving the unknown makes you stronger
5. There is always one thing you can control – your reactions
6. The unknown can make life exciting
To embrace the unknown is to live the life as it was meant to be lived — being surprised by all its miracles.
Uncertainty will always be a part of life. This is a given. And, paradoxically, the more you try to prepare for the unpredictable, the more surprised you may become.
So, embrace the unknown.
It is everywhere, whether you like it or not. When you welcome it into your design path, you will be at peace. Embracing the unknown is the path toward true joy and openness to life’s wonders.
You must first love the craft and the challenge which comes with it. Growth will always occur through struggles. Through it, not around it.
Go out there and get it. Embrace the suck. Trust your gut and follow your heart. If you follow your heart and your passion, the rest will flow. My story is unique to me. Maybe your journey won't be through freelance or running your own business but try something. Test things out, you will only get stronger from it. 🫶
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