Technical difficulties delayed the start of the talk, but soon enough we were let inside.
To me, John's advice was very zen, as he advised more than once to find our center and purpose in the universe.
For me, his words of wisdom and guidance are ones I took the most note on paper and mentally.
"There really is no competition."
I guess this relieved some stress of the unknown and unanswered questions in my mind. I always saw the graphic design industry as competitive, but my views are starting to change. I'm a young student in this game, an amateur so the fear of not being as good as everyone else has always scared me. This provided me with a new mindset on my journey.
"It's not one program fits all."
John gave this answer in response to a graduating student's question for advice. For me this was good advice, because I'm not traditional and I dislike following order. It's not so much about breaking rules, but I believe that everyone is different. Not one person is going to follow the same path. This has probably been evident for the longest time, but actually hearing it, from someone who loves what they do and has been successful at it, made me believe it more.
I'm taking life one day at a time, and not knowing the future is scary, especially an unplanned one, but at the same time, I am going where ever life takes me.
"Stay in a good mood."
There is nothing worse that trying to make something in a bad mood. Stress can definitely put you in a bad mood so it is essential to relieve stress in a positive way. John mentioned meditating, which is something I want to do more of. What good comes from a bad mood?
Collage
I used to always to make collages out of magazine clippings for fun, but when life got busy I stopped. When John advised that we do this, I mentally added it to my ongoing to do list. Not that it is a chore, but because, like sketching collaging allows you to explore ideas with different, and sometimes random, compositions; it's almost as important as sketching. Collages also allow for happy accidents.
"Get out of your head."
I suffer frequently from creative blockage and I know well enough that it is because I'm over evaluating things. It's my first time in the quarter system, so I'm still getting used to having projects due every week. Having all these projects with only a week to do leaves no room for creative blockage, so being able to step away from the task at hand to clear my mind is crucial.
John's talk was an emphasis on the designer's journey with a focus on oneself. I found this not only informative but also helpful because of the advice that was given. A lot of the questioned asked were not specifically answered, as John believes that we are all geniuses with our own set of unique qualities or "hardware" that we must "tap into" or it's useless. We must find our purpose in the universe. I left the talk with much to think about, especially a necessary focus on my sense of self.
I used to always to make collages out of magazine clippings for fun, but when life got busy I stopped. When John advised that we do this, I mentally added it to my ongoing to do list. Not that it is a chore, but because, like sketching collaging allows you to explore ideas with different, and sometimes random, compositions; it's almost as important as sketching. Collages also allow for happy accidents.
"Get out of your head."
I suffer frequently from creative blockage and I know well enough that it is because I'm over evaluating things. It's my first time in the quarter system, so I'm still getting used to having projects due every week. Having all these projects with only a week to do leaves no room for creative blockage, so being able to step away from the task at hand to clear my mind is crucial.
John's talk was an emphasis on the designer's journey with a focus on oneself. I found this not only informative but also helpful because of the advice that was given. A lot of the questioned asked were not specifically answered, as John believes that we are all geniuses with our own set of unique qualities or "hardware" that we must "tap into" or it's useless. We must find our purpose in the universe. I left the talk with much to think about, especially a necessary focus on my sense of self.
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