Transformation
Hey Friends
My life has been all over the place lately and it feels nice to have a chance to sit down, reflect and write to all of you.
Things may seem a bit quieter from me on the online front but best believe I have been busy as hell “IRL” as they call it.
Life lately has been absolutely filled with transitions. As someone who is super happy with consistency and routine, it’s been a bit of an adjustment to say the least.
There are 3 major transition points in my life right now.
Moving into a new home
A new season (if you will) with my personal design practice
Transitioning focus on within my career both as a designer and content creator (don’t love that term but it’s the best I got)
New Digs
So as I have been talking about for a bit the past month or so I’ve been moving. Well Moved actually. (past tense now, I am officially settled into my new spot.)
It feels pretty nice to be back in my hometown and the new office is starting to come together.
I forgot how easy it was to do things in the subrubs, like even going to my local Trader Joe’s takes about half the time it did at my old West Hollywood local TJ.
I am liking it so far but it definitely does not come without the cons. The beauty of not being in the city is the exact reason it can be ugly too. I have already found myself having a hard time adjusting to the slightly slower pace. (Even with running around working on the house 5 days in a row).
I had a little weekend trip planned though that livened me up a bit.
I visited my friends from college in San Francisco recently and it was so much fun and kind of reminded me why I still love the city.
we went to raves, rode the BART all night long and overall it had a very juvenile and nostalgic feeling.
I know I’m a bit off track but, I love hanging out with those TRUE friends that make it feel like you were just hanging out last week (even if it’s been years).
Anyway though, I am overall liking the new spot and am excited to finish setting up so I can work on:
more videos
more client work
and last but not least more personal design work.
IT’S BEEN 10 DAYS SINCE I HAVE DESIGNED ANYTHING
That is probably the longest I’ve gone since high school.
New Approach
Speaking of designing, my whole approach to personal work I feel needs a refresh or change and this big forced break may just be the thing that helps with that.
I want to keep experimenting with more analog stuff but also freshen things up some way or somehow.
I think some of my “Style” has started to become a crutch for me as an artist.
I swear I can’t create something without throwing typography on it or printing it out or at the very least a digital texture lol.
I think the quick-to-consume and quick-to-forget state of apps like Instagram have changed the way designers/artists approach their work.
These apps make me feel pressure to post super consistently which I think in turn sometimes rushes the process.
I think some things can be created quickly, and I am all for having the discipline to give yourself deadlines.
HOWEVER
I want to create at the speed that feels right to me for the design at hand. Not for the distribution channel it’s going through.
This is easier said than done too, so you’ll probably see me falling back into some of the same old bags of tricks. But just know I’m trying my best.
I also feel like as a designer's audience or community online grows, it can be a hindrance to their ability to experiment.
I know for myself I get afraid sometimes to try new things because
“What if they don’t perform?”
or “What if the audience doesn’t like it?”
But you know what?
At the end of the day, the creation is for ME. I’ll let the client work continue to be for the client/audience and let my personal practice be for me.
In personal design work, you should be the CREATOR, CLIENT, and AUDIENCE
New Focus
The past 2 years as I have grown my online audience it has increased the pressure to work on more personal work, more short-form content, and some other feelings that come with creating design/media online.
I feel I have been putting a bit too much emphasis on being consistent in every aspect of my practice that it has caused some of the quality to drop and other areas to fall between the cracks.
If I give everything a bit of my finite energy it leaves me with no more left to focus on the things that truly matter.
What truly matters to me you might think though?
HONESTLY I AM NOT SURE
I know I got into design for the love of creating and I know I always wanted to work on big client projects. However Covid, Freelancing and growing a youtube channel were nowhere near my vision board in the 2020s.
The past 2-3 years have gone by in a flash and now that I am in this transformative stage of my life in other aspects it has given me some time to truly think about what I want to put my energy into.
There have been times when I have (I think wrongfully so) prioritized content or the youtube channel over some of my design aspirations whether it be personal work or client work. This year I really want to work on client work and longer-form design projects.
Delayed Gratification.
I still want to be active online, NO DOUBT
however I can’t do it all: Instagram, podcast, client work, personal work, TikTok, Twitter, newsletter, youtube, etc.
The buckets of things I focus on need to be downsized a bit, or at the very least rearranged to different shelves.
For the rest of 2023, I am going to focus on a few things.
Rewarding and Challenging design projects (Client and self-initiated)
Fulfilling YouTube videos For both myself and the audience. (without a forced weekly schedule).
More activities in the real world. Hanging with friends, doing more with my partner, taking more trips. Truly embracing the “FREE” in Freelancer
BONUS: will still be doing the weekly newsletter and Patreon videos:)
With this thought I have to become more content with:
less short form content
fewer video games
less one-off personal pieces on social media
and just a little bit less time online in general
I have been neglecting my golden ratio for navigating the internet as a graphic designer and creator.
80/20
80% OUTPUT
20% INPUT
Not sure what this whole new focus will look like to myself and to all of you entirely but we’ll just play it by ear.
Touch Grass
Stuff to Check Out
ReviewStudio (Sponsored)
ReviewStudio is an intuitive tool for designers and clients to approve design projects, leave feedback, and collaborate.
What I like about ReviewStudio is the feedback and comments can be right on the PSD or any other design file.
You don’t have to hunt them down in a random text or email chain, It’s all set up in one nice easy-to-use interface.
ReviewStudio also lets you keep track of all the past versions so you can always reference back to any part of the design process.
Overall ReviewStudio is a great way to:
- cut down on unnecessary email threads,
- makes keeping on top of those dreaded revisions easier,
- and makes you look great in front of clients.
Checkout Review Studio HERE and get 3 Months for 50% off
Now onto the other list of cool stuff to checkout:)
Love writing my newsletter, If YOU are a designer who wants to do one, Watch This Video
Tweet of the week below
Closing Thoughts
I’m learning you can simultaneously hold onto your core values, while still embracing change.
Much Love, Glue.
Weekly Wrap Up
My Daily work life as a designer in Los Angeles
Conway the Machine Patreon poster design video!
Love writing my newsletter, If YOU are a designer who wants to do one, here ya go:
Thanks for reading. This newsletter is a reader-supported publication. The best way to support is to share this newsletter with a friend and/or subscribe to my Patreon!