ASK + GIVE: Inspiration and Advice for 2022
Towards the end of 2021, AIGA Chicago began hosting ASK + GIVE, an open-mic event where creatives were invited to bring their ASKS (feedback, recommendations, etc) and GIVES (advice, resources, etc). In the end-of-year spirit of reflection and generosity, we asked past participants to lend a few words of wisdom as we leave 2021 behind.
What’s something that kept you inspired in 2021?
I get inspired seeing new and budding design talents. That always puts fuel in my tank! It inspires me to not only see things differently, but see the spectrum of solutions we all uniquely bring to design challenges. — Nacho Montiel
Students. My students are a constant source of inspiration. It is the one thing that makes being in the classroom so much fun! I am always learning from them. — Richard Zeid
An inquisitive mind riddled with more questions than answers. And gratitude, tons of it. — Christian Solorzano
Inspiration has come seasonally for me this year. I take a lot of inspiration from nature, so the changing seasons and learning to be present and appreciate the now has been immensely helpful for my creativity. Beyond that, trying to get out and experience the world beyond my apartment has been almost required. — Melody Pohla
Is there a resource or tool you discovered that changed your creative process this year?
The AIGA SLACK! I never was really on Slack before this year (wholeheartedly)…but being able to tap my creative network at — what sometimes feels like — a moment’s notice is really a game changer. — Nacho Montiel
Same tool as always…curiosity. It’s the best tool I have and allows me to ask questions, be investigative and always wanting to learn new things. — Richard Zeid
Utilizing the Pomodoro technique has been incredibly helpful for my focus and creative output. I need deadlines, so the more “mini-deadlines” I can self-impose, the better. A classic pomodoro cycle feels too restrictive for me, so I’ll change the length of time for work and breaks depending on how I’m feeling that day. — Melody Pohla
This sounds a bit counterintuitive but — going analog with bits of my process really helped me retain the throughlines of my work. In every project or process, I make sure that I have a component of physical work. Whether it’s hand-drawn sketches, hand-written notes, or printing out pieces and marking them up, they all help solidify a rooted connection with the work I’m doing. — Irina Goldman
Can you share a piece of advice or a few words of wisdom you’re taking into 2022?
My favorite Bradbury quote (I’m a nerd down to my core): “Jump off the cliff and build your wings on the way down.” The best choices I’ve seen are the ones that are adaptable, and I see that continuing into 2022. — Irina Goldman
Keep your eyes open. You never know what you will see. — Richard Zeid
“Trust the rubber under your feet.” I went to Ireland this past fall on a hiking trip, and while struggling through some ankle pain, I was trying to over-correct my steps and force my footfalls. Telling one of my friends on the trip, she started her advice with that simple sentence. After I allowed the boots to do their work, the hike was a breeze. For me, it represents how easy it’s been to second-guess the years of experience and education that’s brought me to where I am — as if I’ve somehow stumbled into the opportunities I have, negating the long nights and work that goes into obtaining them. This quote reminds me to trust in the skills that I’ve built and that impostor syndrome is nothing but the anxiety of comparison and the deep will to do great work. — Melody Pohla
We hope that the thoughts from our leaders and speakers spark further reflections for your own creative goals, hopes, and intentions for the new year. What do you want to leave behind in 2021? And what do you hope to bring into 2022? Whatever your journey looks like, we’re sending warm wishes your way as we all move into this next chapter.
A bit more about our ASK + GIVE speakers and participants:
Christian Solorzano: Christian Solorzano solves complex problems through empathy, creativity, and design. He’s the founder of the Chicago Graphic Design Club, a community focused on critical thinking and conversation about the theory, craft, and practice of graphic design. He enjoys drawing inspiration from experimentation, play, nature, and the world at large.
Irina Goldman: Irina is a multifaceted graphic designer that thrives in telling stories with anything from print to animation. She also strives to bring communities together, in her roles as AIGA Chicago Community Engagement Chair, Chicago Graphic Design Club board member, and owner of her home bakery Catto’s Kitchen.
Melody Pohla: Melody Pohla is an interdisciplinary designer who wants to help shape the world to be a more thoughtful and beautiful place. Through design and community building, she has developed purposeful and strategically sound experiences that allow people and organizations to thrive. Previously volunteering for AIGA Chicago’s events and serving on the planning committee for the Mentorship Program, she is currently working to develop the Chicago Graphic Design Club.
Nacho Montiel: A Native Arizonian, Nacho has hopscotched her way to Chicago through her graduate school travels and now new career as a design and art educator all over the East Coast. Her aim and goal is to share the power generated within both the classroom and the applied art world by sharing her personal experiences and skills as a designer/artist/educator. From being a first-generation college student, to her career as an art director, to working towards being a civically-minded organizer; she strives to merge community requisites with creative strategies for her students, her clients, and the Chicago Design Community, at large.
Richard Zeid: Richard Zeid is a designer for clients ranging from not-for-profit theatre companies to Fortune 500 corporations. His work has been recognized by Creativity, Art Direction Magazine, American Corporate Identity, and once again most recently by Graphic Design USA. Richard currently teaches at Columbia College Chicago in the graphic design and advertising art direction programs for over 20 years. Richard is also a member of AIGA, Society of Typographic Arts (STA), The One Club and the Chicago Advertising Federation (CAF).
If you’re looking for ways to stay inspired and connect with fellow creatives in the new year, check out AIGA Chicago’s upcoming events, including more ASK + GIVE sessions to come!
