Tom Jepson
Jul 25, 2017 · 1 min read

I understand your point Simon, but I don’t think you’ve quite hit the mark. I believe that everyone has a thing (a skill, a knack, a calling) which comes to them naturally; it is ‘their talent’. It might not be a practical endeavour or something which yield a high volume of visible, physical artefacts but it is still their talent.

Regarding design specifically, I do gel with your sentiments. I’m not a ‘naturally talented’ designer. I enjoy the field and have, through happy coincidence and circumstance, managed to forge something of a career out of it. However, it has taken years of hard work, learning, doing good jobs and bad, speaking to worthwhile contacts and some no so to get to where I am today. I’ve learned to be talented at it but it wasn’t something, possibly, that was a natural talent at the fore of my abilities when I was growing up.

At the end of the day, whether you are naturally skilled in an area or not, you have to work hard. You have to show up, every day, and put in the hours to hone your craft, grow your skills, and understand how to get the most of of ‘that thing’ you are good at.

Tom Jepson

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UX Consultant and company-of-one. Coffee enthusiast. Spare-time musician.