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.

may has been up and running for a little over a week now and everything is going amazingly smooth. i’m also stoked about having another girl around to attend the collekt [@collekt] meetings with me. so, hi hello to jackie [@udontknowjackie] and thanks to garth [@iamgarth] for being such an awesome boss to work for. long live may!

here’s some steps to get to know may and what we’re up to:

1. Check out our website at http://hellomay.com
2. While you’re there sign up for our Email Newsletter
3. Follow us on Twitter – http://twitter.com/hell0may
4. Become a Fan on facebook – http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Murrieta-CA/May/108367739212?ref=nf

so i’m currently brainstorming and i don’t really want to go with just my name, because i feel like it’s boring. i was formerly @pandoraburr on twitter and i originally used that as my username because everyone calls me amanda panda. then it just turned into panda burr and so on. i feel like that is a little unrelated.

so i’ve got a couple things in my head if “alittlebithippy” doesn’t work out:

amandadidit.com

amandawashere.com

mandydoo.com

mandyland.com

mandylane.com

amandaontap.com

designingamanda.com

amandaness.com

that’s all i’ve got so far. this is mostly for my blog when it’s not such a rough idea and maybe something down the road. i’m really into this idea of tracking my growth as a designer for both the established and unestablished designer to follow. all feedback is mucho appreciated as well uber cool suggestions. thanks kiddos.

home sweet home

oh thank heaven

it’s been intimidating trying to put myself out there as a designer. being in an industry where there is so much talent and looking for a little place within to call my own has been a struggle. there are so many days where i doubt my abilities as a designer, but as i explore within the design community i find that i’m not the only one who feels this way. it’s great to know even the designers you think are of greatness have those days too and are completely open about it. i have yet to meet a designer who isn’t frantically trying to fit more hours in a day, has drank too much coffee, hasn’t slept in over 24 hours, or thinks all clients are pleasant as honey.

as i grow, so does my confidence as a designer and a member of my design community. i’m thankful for the wisdom i have around me at the moment, as i continue to befriend more and more designers both in and out of my town. from design to music, i’ve got all kinds of artists in my corner who both inspire me as well as push me to be a better creative mind.

i’ve just got my foot in the door and that’s about it, but i’m completely stoked about it. i’ve been fortunate enough to find a spot where i feel i can fit perfectly with time, effort, and patience. my semi-new job with garth (@iamgarth) has put me above cloud 9 and i’m looking forward to the months ahead. i’m finally in a place where the possibilities are endless.

i’d like to thank the talented and inspiring #collekt crew for welcoming me with open arms (and tweets):

@iamgarth

@aaroni268

@lopezdesigns

@seotips2go

@kenny_grill

@sunfalldesigns

@jdpaul85

@joshcagwin

@kylesteed

[and many more to come...]

hello indeed.