ΛTOM π-can
Aug 28, 2017 · 2 min read

Dylan Wilbanks thanks for encapsulating so many of the things I’ve thought, known, suspected, and hoped about my design career for the last 10 years or so. I think the parts about mentoring in particular are important to consider. I’ve been a CD for almost 10 years but I haven’t really had a mentor in design, I do believe it’s a missing piece. I’ve been working with more junior designers lately and I can attest, it is a good feeling to be able to impart one’s knowledge.

One piece of advice I’d add, or expand on here: learn to take criticism AND learn NOT to take it personally. How to do that? I can only say “practice”. Because there are a lot of people along the way who either won’t like your work, or do like it, but want to change it a bit anyway for whatever reason. (Sometimes I think clients just want to have some input just so they can assure themselves that they, a layman, know just as much as the person they hired, an expert. Because, “design is easy, anyone can do it!” right? Which gets me to another point: don’t ever buy into that nonsense. Be confident in that NOT everyone can do what you do.) There have been quite a few times that a client has made a really good point about something that I didn’t consider. And many, many times when I had to politely shoot down a stupid idea. So listen to the criticism, take it for what it is, keep whatever is useful, and throw out the rest. I learned that last part way back in art school.

I could go on but well, maybe I should write my own piece. Cheers!

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ΛTOM π-can

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Mixed Media Artist, Designer, Photog. Creative Director, Redstage. Bronxite. Searching the world for inspiration and a continued sense of wonder. And jokes.