I have to share this with you
It’s too important to keep to myself
Header Image Courtesy of Dext Dee Livingstone
A college student for the second time around 6 years ago, finding so much more value in the educational experience. Higher education as a teenager feels like a total waste in hindsight. Not recognizing the jewels I was being given and not having the focus or determination to wring every last drop of worth out of the experience.
During my revisit to the hallowed halls of higher ed, the experience is different. Blessed with a teacher who carried purpose beyond the curriculum. Jim Mountjoy has a purpose to build better designers. Designers who understand the process of creativity and idea generation. Knowing ideas don’t appear like magic and inspiration doesn’t drop out of thin air proving that gravity is real. It’s a tangible, repeatable process.
Armed with that knowledge he slowly builds an army of creatives that refuse to simply be the hands while others play the brain. He isn’t training computer monkeys, he’s building thinkers who express their thoughts visually.
This purpose so important to him he reserved time in every history class to teach ideation. Giving me more education than I paid for. Giving me the edge I use to excel every day in every design endeavor I undertake.
As I’m mentoring, leading, and educating now, feeling that same pull to make sure that those I effect don’t leave without an understanding of how to talk across the table to those they serve. A soft skill that’s harder to grasp than most of the hard skills a designer earns.
Urging you to ask this question of yourself: What’s so important to you that you have to make the time to teach to someone else?
Inspiration
- Clouds of cotton sculpt grannies’ hair in this portrait by Dave McClinton.
- The letter “K” globetrots the rock in this logo by Tashawn Jones.
- Tope Adenola catches a lady in her classiest moment of rapture.
- And so much more, go CHECK THEM OUT
Education
- Kenyan photographer Mutua Matheka has visited 10 African cities to document their complexities and contradictions.
- If you’d asked Lulu Kitololo a few months ago, if she’d ever pitch on KCB Lion’s Den, she’d probably have said “no way!”
- And Much More
Invocation
- The human highlighter MonoNeon gets funky over a J Dilla Instrumental.
- Masego and SiR search for a sugar mama on “Old Age”.
- Kev Brown bangs the raw for the skaters in the park.
Congregation
- If you’re not part of the Black Designers United or the African American Graphic Designers groups on Facebook, you need to stop playing and come through.
- You can also find more creatives of color on 28 Days of the Web and Revision Path
- Plus over here at Creatives of Color and Adjust Your Margins and BlkCreatives.
- Get your hands on some melanated photos over at Tonl and Nappy and Women of Color in Tech and Jopwell and Blend Images and Create Her Stock.
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