I know there are a lot of struggling creatives out there right now. So, I want to share some of the best career lessons I’ve learned and try to add some perspective about the current situation.
Career lesson #1: Happiness is greater than money.
In 2008 we had our last big recession. I worked in the commercial and retail flooring industry and when the housing market crashed, so did our industry. That was one of the second worldwide events that had an effect on me personally. 9/11 was the first and although it affected me emotionally, I was still in high school so it didn’t have as much of an impact on my day-to-day life.
While commercial estimating paid the bills, I was miserable. I was never good at math and that made my life very difficult. That’s when I decided to go back to school for graphic design.
Career lesson #2: There is no such thing as a stable job.
After school, I worked in two start-ups. One was a tech start-up and the other was for a multimedia advertising agency. I loved working for start-ups. I learned I was passionate about building things from the ground up. Having two children, I wanted something more stable. That is how I ended up at my last job. I spent six years there and it was steady. Until it wasn’t. Until COVID-19. While we are still looking at getting the team back once things pick up, there is no plan forward. No one is certain about when this situation will be over at this point.
Career Lesson #3: Never Stop Creating
I had to go through a lot of things to shape my perspective. There will be many more before this journey is over. I know how to navigate this world so much better now that I have gone through some things. The biggest lesson that I have learned is not to wait for a company to give you the right opportunity to do the work you love. Keep creating work for yourself. Create the work you want to be known for. You won’t get it from the client work as much as you think. I have learned that all the fears I had about publishing my work were nonsense. Is it all great? No, but it brings me joy. I learn a lot by posting turds on Instagram. It lets me see my progress and get helpful insight from other designers.
Forged in Fire
These downturns have greatly impacted my trajectory in life. I learned that you need to experience things to gain perspective. So when you start feeling down about the current situation, think about how extreme circumstances shaped people who lived through the great depression, WWI, WWII, Vietnam, etc. The older generations weren’t all born responsible, well-rounded humans. They weren’t all born tough or thrifty. These events shaped previous generations into what they became. It crushed some and hardened others.
I’m sharing where I came from to get to this point: Right now is the perfect time to hone your skills, connect with your design community, or strengthen your body of work for the next chapter. It’s also the perfect time to rest if that is what you need. Creativity comes from a rested mind, not a stressed one. When this all turns around, you will be glad you did. Companies are going to need good designers. So set yourself up now.