Overcoming the fear of relevancy

3 part change of pace

Hey friends
Been so busy with longer-form videos and design projects it got me thinking about how different my work days have been from the past few years.

The constant anamorphosis of my design career

When I first started out as a designer after university, in my free time I did all kinds of self-initiated design work.

From 30 logos in 30 days challenges to trying to create a poster every day.

Some designs for the 30 logos in 30 days challenge

I think that level of repetition was super valuable for me at the time because it was getting me closer to my 10,000 hours and also giving me room to fail/experiment.

As I started my journey on YouTube during Covid in 2020 I had a similar approach to creating content.

I wanted to make as many videos as I could and as fast as possible to get my name out there and learn how to record, edit, and package content

2 years and 10 months worth of videos

This pace has similar benefits to those one-off design challenges because it helped me learn what was the right and wrong way to create videos for each platform.

It’s so crazy to think that for over 2 years I was

• putting out a weekly podcast

• Almost weekly YouTube videos

• Weekly newsletter

• 3-5 a week posting on Instagram

• Usually 2 short form vids a week

• Posting bonus stuff on Patreon

• And then similar stuff on TikTok and Twitter

  

  96+ bonus Patreon episodes of the podcast

All that while juggling client work lol

Y’all about a one-way trip to BURNOUT

Before the burnout, the creative momentum was nice tho, not gonna lie.

So all that context to say, these days I am taking a slower and more intentional approach.

I am focusing on fewer videos but with higher production value (hopefully) and creating less random personal work for Instagram so I can focus on clients, bigger design projects, videos, etc.

Now all this is good on paper 

• more time to develop ideas

• A better work-life balance to be honest

• And freedom/flexibility to work on longer and more flushed-out concepts

but the slowed-down pace has not come without its problems.

The main one is that I still have this itching fear that if I am not online enough that people will forget or stop caring about what I’m doing.

I know that as long as when you are around you’re providing value (education, inspiration, entertainment, etc) that it’s satisfactory.

But I can’t help but have this gnawing feeling sometimes to bust out a poster design to post online or record and upload a video to Patreon or Instagram in 1 day.

There is something nice about fast production and getting that feedback instantly.

Instant gratification is one hell of a drug.

I just want to make sure that what Im spending my time on is worthwhile.

Both for myself and all of you.

Where I’m at with that, is trying to figure out what is in the ven diagram that fulfills both.

What are you working on that gives you the most satisfaction these days??

Stuff to Check Out

• Been using Linkedin More LOL

• Nice branding

• Dope new book

• been loving this channel

• FACTS

• IG Post of the week below

  mr_jackio

  

  A post shared by Jack Harrison (@mr_jackio)

Closing Thoughts

Always forward, never backward

Weekly Wrap Up

Secret Channel upload :)

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