Searching for a Design Yoda
Any designer looking to grow in his or her professional life should have a mentor. The continuing education of one self is crucial to the path of personal advancement. My life has change drastically from the time I met my mentor, and has continued to change over time. Your personal creative vision can grow by leaps and bounds with a solid mentor. In our profession, nothing is ever constant; we must learn to use those around us to obtain our goals. Aligning yourself with someone to help you along the way and give you guidance is the foundation in our journey to that golden pencil or silver spring.
How does one obtain a mentor? What are good qualities in a person that constitutes them to have influence over us? My mentor is smarter than me, more successful than me, a well rounded person, in his professional and personal life. He has overcome greater challenges than me and has failed more than me. All of these characteristics add up to a person that can teach me something, not saying that he is perfect, but he has the experiences that I can learn from that is more valuable than anything.
Do you have a mentor? What would your situation look like if you didn’t or did. Would you be where you are today or less off? What if we all mentored someone? As a community of creatives, we have a responsibility to make those around us better. Being an island is only as good as the people that visit it. Make yourself available to those looking for guidance and pour into them the knowledge and experiences that you have. If you are in need of guidance it’s never to late, to send an email, pick up the phone and start a relationship.
Share your thoughts and comments about your mentor or lack of. You never know you might just meet one after reading this.
Author Info: Joseph Gonzalez
I'm an ever learning father, loving husband and demanding mentor.
I am passionate about our craft, industry and community. I enjoy the challenges of life and the values of design.
I’ve had several mentors over the years. I’m sure I’ll have many more in the years to come. In general, even the CEO at the largest agency in downtown New York still has a mentor he calls upon when he/she is really STUCK. Talk to someone who’s been doing what you’re doing for longer than you. You can bet they’ve already run into the same problems you’re having and they’ll have the informational “nuggets” that can push you and your skills where you want them to go.
A “mentor” doesn’t always have to be someone you immediately perceive as “older and wiser.” Someone at your professional level (or below!) can open your eyes to techniques and insights you’d have never come across from anyone else. You never know where valuable information will come from. Keep your ears open!
More than anything, I think Joe’s post is spot on. If you’re going to be a successful designer, you have to be in a constant state of learning new things. If you don’t push yourself, you’ll put out menial work. If you don’t get wrapped into a project with everything you’ve got because you’re afraid of getting “shot down” by the client, maybe you need to be selling your work better. You’re getting paid to provide your expertise. The client may even act like they don’t want it, but it’s your job to do everything you can to give them a product that will actually help their business in a big way. This’ll develop a reputation for you and your business and bring in more work too!
My point? Northwest Indiana is a drab place for design. Your designs don’t have to be drab. Having a mentor or someone to bounce ideas off of is essential.
Nicely said, Joe!
Good stuff dan, in your third paragraph you go into a great issue about clients and our roll as designers to educate. You should expand upon that in a separate post. Its a great topic as well.