bOUnCInG BACK
You know the drill by now. There?s a new project in the office. Something fun. Innovative. Something that everyone in the office is excited about and wants to participate in. One of those projects that makes us LOVE WHAT WE DO. So we sketch, we brainstorm, we research. And, of course, we drink a lot of coffee. With all of our hard work, brilliance strikes! But the amazing thing is that it strikes all of us. The customer is going to be thrilled with all of the options we have to present to them!
With a glimmer in our eyes and hope in our hearts, the concepts are sent out to the customer. We wait patiently (OK, not so patiently) for their reply. And then it happens. They pick an amazing design, but?it isn?t YOUR design. It?s your co-workers. All of a sudden you?re attacked by a whirl wind of thoughts, emotions and doubt. You?re thrilled for your co-worker, of course you are! Their concept was awesome and they truly deserve the project. But there?s still a small part of you that is mourning the fact that your design wasn?t the chosen one. It?s a hit to your self-esteem, creates doubt in your creative skills and can be debilitating if you?re not careful.
What I?ve learned over the years is this: just because you?re idea wasn?t picked, doesn?t mean that it was a failure. It doesn?t mean that you lost your edge. Or that you are in the wrong career. It simply means that the customer had a personal preference for the other design. Graphic design, like fine art, is very subjective. Some people may love it, while others just aren?t feeling it. But that doesn?t mean that it?s bad, it just means that it didn?t speak to that person.
I personally will always feel a little let down when my idea isn?t picked. It?s part of my personality, and it?s part of what pushes me to do better next time. Call it competitiveness. Call it striving for perfection. Call it a little bit (or a LOT) of craziness. But the important thing is that I don?t let it affect my creativity or my relationship to the co-worker who?s design was picked. I like to see those around me succeed, and I?m OK with sharing the limelight every once in a while. That is after all how a strong team is made and how they stay together. We share in each other?s successes and learn from each other mistakes.
Do you need a new web site or blog design? A new brand identity or marketing collateral? At Moxie, you?ve found a design team with endless ideas for you and your company. Contact us or visit us at www.thinkmoxie.com to learn how we can help you SUCCEED!