Stay positive

This topic has been talked about during the Signalnoise Broadcasts a bunch of times, but I wanted to take a moment and discuss it more specifically. I’ve fielded a lot of questions about personal artistic growth, advice for young designers, and finding your way in this convoluted industry and I always try to incorporate the idea of staying positive into the replies.

It’s difficult to have fun with your job, job-hunt or school work all the time given the curve balls thrown our way but it’s important to always have something you are looking forward to working on, ie. your own project. In my case, I’ve worked with a variety of companies here in Halifax with ups and downs, but I never stopped working on my own little projects on my own time. I remember many days racing back to my apartment to keep working on that animation, or site, or poster, or drawing. That anticipation made me happy, that was the point.

Trying to stay positive clears your head and reduces personal limitations. In one of his talks, James Cameron said “Don’t put limitations on yourself, other people will do that for you.” Also in Conan O’Brien’s farewell speech on The Tonight Show he commented quite blatantly on this very topic. Check it out:

So stay positive, and keep working on those design and art projects that make you happy. And when the time is right, take a risk to align yourself with that thing you really want to do.