How to be a writer when you’re a graphic artist
Here I am. Ten years after I closed my last blog. When I was a teen (and even younger) I used to write a lot and had many blogs on different subjects. I was writing more than I wanted to draw. I lost my drawing motivation for a while as I grew up in a school where artists were almost a few to none. So I had a hard time trying to look cool but also trying not to waste my imagination and creative skills.
Then I went to college and I studied Advertising. Had no idea where to go. I knew that I had one talent I loved the most above all: illustration. I wandered for a while (about 2 years) going from wishing to be a film director to photographer then I got my first job as… a project manager (they said). I’d call it now a content curator job and I was curating commercials (TV ads, online ads, banners, prints etc.) for a site which was focused on advertising.
They noticed my Photoshop and Illustrator skills and artistic inclination so that's how I changed my title to graphic designer. And that’s how I started my career.
It happened 7 years ago. Now I’m a graphic designer that works remotely full time with Articulate, a marketing company based in UK. It's literally the best place I could ever work at.
I'll talk about Articulate a bit later.
Basically, I had no idea where I was going until I figured it out. When you feel like you love what you’re doing — that’s when you’re happy. I know it because I’ve also been in the dark place. I wasn’t quite happy about my work, my accomplishments. I was constantly thinking that I should change something, get involved in some sort of project, maybe. I didn’t figured that out until I started to miss stuff. I wasn’t going out and I wasn’t creative anymore so I couldn’t be productive.
Work isn’t everything. Family isn’t enough. Friends aren’t always there for you. I genuinely think that you have to keep things in balance in order to be happy. I’ve started my blog writing about this because more and more people are sad. Especially creative ones. And they don’t want to allow themselves to feel sad. In what society it’s an absurdity to have feelings? Are we transforming into robots or are robots taking over?
As a digital designer it’s a bit hard not to keep up with technology. It scares me but also makes me realise that I still have to hook up to the reality. So whenever I get the chance (and more time on my hand) I use paper, pencils, ink, brushes, acrylic, markers. Most of the sketches I make are realised in the traditional way. Have a peek here. Or here:
So, how can a designer write? Same question applies to a copywriter: how can a copywriter draw? It's simple. We're creative: we can write, draw, sing, we're all there in the creative net. We can't and we shouldn't stop exploring other paths. Just take your ideas out of your head in any way you feel like you'd want to do it. Of course, if you're too intimate, don't post that stuff online! This is how I'm starting a new blog. I'll be posting my work and writing about it! Something I never tried before (at least in writing). Hopefully, my work will be, along some goofy words, a source of inspiration for others.
A problem we all struggle with these days is concentration. Trying to be zen in this world where info hits you in the eye everywhere you go? Try doing what this article suggests. I totally recommend it. In the next article I’ll be talking about being creative nowadays.
