"Do you know how many designers there are like you?"
That question came as a blow from an employer who was mistreating their design staff, including myself. In what I assume was an attempt to scare me into staying, it hung in the air and was ignored by me. The truth was, I wondered that myself.
It's a common scenario for in-house designers that I've never truly understood. While their team of designers is literally the reason companies succeed or fail, the reason they become market leaders or followers, many companies are not giving their design staff the respect or creative freedom they deserve.
Instead, some are treated as if they are disposable. As if their contribution is meaningless. And yet, they are pushed to keep pumping and pumping and pumping their creative efforts in order to make the company more and more and more money.
Is it just me, or does that seem off-balance somehow?
Tomorrow is my birthday and I'm 51 (woot!). Exactly one year ago, I put my foot down in a career that I was exhausted from. After 28 years of giving my all, I took one look at my work situation and decided enough was enough. There had to be a better way for designers to make a living where their work is valued, their creativity appreciated, and their efforts rewarded.
It's the day I signed up for an 8-week class that has literally changed my life and opened my eyes to other industries, advances in creative opportunities, and support from other creatives, unlike anything I've ever known in my career. It's the first time I've felt like who I am as a person and who I am as a creative has aligned with the direction my work is taking.
The truth is, today's creatives have ALL of the control.
The world of opportunities is at their fingertips. They are no longer held back by gatekeepers who pick and choose who will succeed. Some just may not realize it yet. Success is ours for the taking, and I'm actively reaching for mine in 2022.
How about you? Are you tired of the hamster wheel of a creative career you've been on for years? Are you tired of people who devalue you? Of companies who expect more and give less?
This program only opens once a year, and tomorrow is the last day. It's had such a huge impact on my life and career that I've signed up to take it again. I'm also promoting it as an affiliate because it's literally the best thing I've done for my creative work in three decades. It's life-changing for me, and I'm hoping it will be for you as well, should you take the leap of faith. If you show up with me this year, I'll cheer you on, check in on you, and would love to set up a one-on-one at the end to help you with anything I can. That's how much I believe in it.
And if you find it's not the right time for you, let's stay in touch. Follow my journey on Instagram, take one of my classes on Skillshare (and get your first month free), or just reach out and connect with a fellow creative who loves to cheer other creatives on.
Oh. And that question that was posed to me? I've found my answer.
"Do you know how many designers there are like you?"
I do, actually.
One.
xo,
