Returning to Why — How to create your Manifesto

When studying design we are taught about the great designers and art movements, we learn of huge shifts in thinking and the great manifesto’s that bound designers to these ideas. It is inspiring. I dream of being there, shoulder to shoulder with the greats, signing my name onto a manifesto. A reason for being.

While not quite being stood shoulder to shoulder with the greats, I did get my opportunity. I had to write a 2 page design manifesto during my time at university. 2 pages of beliefs rattled off like a stream of consciousness. After which the task was to distil this into a short paragraph and design piece. Ahhh my first slice of true copywriting experience. Now I find myself, 8years later, revisiting the very words I wrote. Finding meaning in those short statements, finding inspiration, and finding direction.

Like many people, I am incredibly prone to bouts of existential doubt about my work and the way I spend my time. What should I be doing with my time? Does my work have any meaning? Maybe you’ve experienced this too, maybe you know the response ‘because you have to have a job’ doesn’t suffice either. Write yourself a manifesto. Whether you are a creative, an entrepreneur, a barista or a sales person, find your reason for what you do. Seek the joy you find and the growth you are aiming for. For me, this manifesto sums up not what I always do, but what I always come back to focusing on.

We all loose directions sometime, but a manifesto, a Why, will guide you back and re-light a little spark of excitement. Enjoy what you create. Look more, read more, and explore. Make mistakes. Make friends. Be ethical, and never, stop, learning.

Good Luck.