Great graphic designers are able to put aside their ego for the sake of collaboration, they understand that it’s not just the art that makes a piece effective, it’s also the content and user experience brought on by the insight that only a team can provide.
That being said, it can be difficult feeding your creative engine if you’re constantly being directed and negotiating the look of your work with individuals who don’t have the same passion for design. I’ve seen so many designers fall into the trap of feeling like a design pack mule; just doing exactly what they are told and not venturing beyond that because they feel their creative input isn’t valued. Standing up for your work isn’t something that comes naturally for most people, it requires years of successful projects and the ability to see where your piece fits into the big picture. Beyond that, I feel it also requires a separation between your paid work and your self worth.
Creatives naturally get attached to our art, whether it be a flyer or full branding package, we often take ownership over our projects and feel a need to protect it like a child. But without a clear distinction between doing what you love and doing what makes money, the lines can blur on whether you’re fighting for your art or your own ego. That’s a lesson that took a while to learn for me, personally. I had difficulty walking away from a project, finding a deep kind of obsession that affected me even hours after being away from my desk. Entire weekends would be ruined because of my rumination over how to fix a certain issue, if I was fast enough on that revision, or whether or not a suggestion from a team member was valid criticism or based more on personal taste. All things that, once I really sat down and considered it from a distance, were rooted in me anchoring a big part of my self worth to my job. It was almost the opposite of a starving artist, where instead of sacrificing financial freedom to achieve my dreams I was sacrificing my sanity; I was starving not for food but for creative expression.
One thing that really helped me take my personal worth out of my paid work, was to find creative outlets outside of my day job. It’s very important that these activities don’t make money, they are purely doing something for the sake of doing it, nothing more. Picking activities outside of your day job help develop a new persona for you to anchor yourself to, one who does all these things for the same reason you got into this profession to begin with: to create and admire art.
These activities can absolutely vary, but I now find myself focusing my off the clock obsession on lego sets, painting, drawing, playing video games, reading, designing video games, knitting, sewing, baking, the list is endless.
This shift in mindset has even made my paid work better! With a more level head, I can come to the table looking to create something effective and beautiful, looking at the work as separate things from myself that can be analyzed. Criticism doesn’t hit so hard anymore, because I understand it’s directed at the work and not the artist. When I believe a request won’t work right I have the confidence to push back with valid reasoning, not being upset if that reasoning isn’t accepted because it’s simply a disagreement on a project, not a rejection of my experience or skill.
All of this is so much easier said than done, and requires a level of maturity that I feel only comes from years of creative collaboration and rejection. If you’re a designer reading this, and you struggle from a similar obsession or sensitivity regarding your projects, I urge you to take a step back and reevaluate why you chose this profession to begin with. Find what you are missing, and make sure to feed that creative fire in your free time so you can come back to your day job with a clear and level head ready to make something incredible and effective.
