On the Power of Community
Before going to design school, I would have told you that I prefer to work alone. I’d rather not rely on anyone else to make things happen or slow me down. I’ve got this. But after design school, a look at my portfolio confirmed the work I had done with a team was better than anything I ever attempted solo. The more the work was rethought, critiqued and remade, the stronger it became. So, it took me by surprise when I realized how many of my ambitions were secret, solo endeavors. Why was I soul searching/job seeking/daydreaming/side hustling alone? Wasn’t this a lesson I already learned? I’m grateful to have a cultivated a variety of friends, a supportive partner and a family that doesn’t understand what I do for a living, but seldom questions my (often unconventional) choices. But I’ve found that it’s easier for me to share nascent hopes and dreams with the people who aren’t typically my closest confidants. This past year, I’ve found courage, accountability and enthusiasm through community. Unlike my days as a student, it took much longer to find groups of people with shared interests. But the search paid off. The groups I’ve joined are radically different but wildly helpful.
I meet monthly with a small group of women to talk about our personal creative pursuits. We start every session by bragging about something we’re proud of, and when it’s our turn to share further, we talk about our process, our struggles and we ask the group for advice. Talking about my long-term, long-distance photography project every month has kept me from abandoning it in the moments the undertaking felt foolish. I leave each gathering energized and in awe of what happens when we invite others into our dreams that don’t fit into a 9-to-5 schedule.
My other trusted community is a local chapter of a professional organization, where I’ve connected with peers in the design industry. They’ve pushed me to step up and do the work that I’ve been talking about for years. I’ve gone from complaining to taking action. They’ve provided not only a platform but the resources, guidance and all the reputation that comes from years of building up an organization.
Here’s what I’ve learned by widening my circle and confiding my ambitions in others: people want you to succeed and they’re willing to help you.
If I am resolving to do anything in 2019, it’s to let more people in on my wild ideas and to ask for help along the way. While it can be dangerous to ask people for directions to places they’ve never been, to paraphrase the author and activist Glennon Doyle, it can be transformative when you open up to those who are cheering you on and have summited the proverbial mountain. Inviting others in is more effective than continually, stubbornly going at it alone.
Meghan Lazier is a UX/UI Designer living and working in Washington, D.C. She can be found on Twitter, Instagram, and her website. This summer, she is launching Portfolio Party, an in-person workshop to help people update or finish their portfolios in just one weekend.
Art used in this issue: “Mining 1, 2005” by Nicole Eisenman
Originally published via the Desk Lunch Newsletter, eepurl.com.
