it’s been awhile since i’ve last posted. i guess that goes with the territory of being a new designer and trying to keep up with what’s been going on. with two jobs and a fantastic student loan to pay back, you could say i have my hands full. my balancing act is so far, so good and i’m pleased with how everything has played out. i’ve learned that patience with myself is a good quality to have right now.
i recently squeezed in amazing vacation to portland, oregon which has indeed become one of my favorite places on the map. not only was it nice to get away for a bit, but the art scene there is truly amazing and inspiring. i got right to work when i got back and the transition wasn’t as difficult as i thought it would be. i even survived my first boss-out-of-towner. head honcho, garth [@iamgarth] headed over to chicago for a couple days and i was left to work from home. although i’ve worked from home before, he wasn’t as accessible as before and i’m not going to lie, i was pretty nervous. usually i’m able to work right next to him and get instant feedback as i work on projects and i got comfortable with that. so it really gave me a reality check when he left that he isn’t always going to be right there to help me as i work and that i need to sort of become my own boss when he isn’t around and make my own decisions. i learned a few ways to help myself accomplish that both recently and while in school.
1. don’t go into it thinking you’re going to mess up.
my first thought was that i wouldn’t be able to handle it on my own and that i would mess by producing less than satisfactory work. i had to pull myself out of that mind frame and tell myself that i was hired for a reason.
2. like i mentioned before, patience with yourself pays off.
not all your best work comes out right away. somedays, you’re right on it. while other days, you have to work for your final piece. most of the time, all we see is the masterpiece of what another artist has created. we look at it and say “i wish i could be that creative”. what we don’t see, is the process the artist took to create it. that masterpiece of theirs could have taken days, weeks, or months to create. it could have taken countless pieces of crumpled paper and doodles on junk mail.
3. take constructive criticism as just that…constructive critisism.
don’t take it personally. ever. i’ve watched so many designers take feedback to a level it was never meant to be on. we all make mistakes in our work. whether you learn from them or not, that’s up to you. learning from them makes you grow and the next time you run into the same dilemma, you’ll know what to do because of it. don’t think of it as automatic termination, it’s just a mental post-it note to hold onto.
4. a little stress is okay.
stress will motivate you to a certain extent, but don’t let it get out of hand to the point where you completely block off every creative thought in your head. it happens and you all know it does. more often than we’d like. am i right?
5. make a list.
i’ve learned that lists have become helpful to me [thank you garth, haha] and help me focus on the task at hand. it’s way more rewarding when you get to cross something off your list, whether it be a major project or your daily errands.
6. limit your distractions.
enough said.
that’s all folks. please feel free to comment and offer your own advice for future new designers. we need it. 
Great points Amanda! Especially liked #2. My best work often comes once I’ve stepped away and come back to a project with a fresh perspective.
If I didn’t know better, I’d think you wrote #6 just for me…hmmm…
Amanda,
This is some solid advice. These are some of the most important/foundational lessons you will learn in your career. And I love how you approach them and write about them.
In another year you’ll look back on this post and see how much you’ve grown.
Amanda,
You have some great insight here. These are all good points.
In regards to #1- I would say, Always be confident in you abilities and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. I’ve learned some great things simply by making mistakes and learning from them.
Develop a thick skin- This is huge for new designers, and designers in general. Learn to take criticism and if it’s negative criticism learn to ignore it and let in roll off your shoulders. If you let it get the best of you it will cause a huge struggle with your work.
Stay positive- Always stay positive, keep your head up and realize you are not going to learn everything there is to know over night. Our design world is a constant learning process and no designer knows it all. Be willing to be like a sponge and soak up everything that Garth and others around you have to offer.
Most of all…. HAVE FUN AND ENJOY IT!! Always remember that we are very fortunate to do what we do for a living. We create things that contribute to the success of businesses and make things that make people happy. That’s an awesome feeling.
anyway… That’s my 2 cents