New years gumf

To be honest I started thinking about this list in the middle of last year when I was getting frustrated with work. A new years resolution always seemed ridiculous to me in that you shouldn't let a date dictate your need or chance to improve, but I stopped being a grumpy git long enough to think, well, if the new year gives people incentive, it can only be a good thing huh.

so here are mine.

1. do not compare my work to others work. Its an old adage and hard to do. One way I found that helps is that you should keep this in mind when you loook on the web: 'I am going to see some art that I will never be as good as, I will see people making better work that me and I will love it and them for it. I WILL love them and it'. say it to yourself and as soon as you see a piece shout it in your brain 'i love this and I love that they are this good'. It helps.

2. Don't take on just any old work. be selective. I actually am quite good at turning down briefs if they are less than creative. I once had a client list nearly all my most well known pieces as ideas for designs, like as it I had forgotten it was me that did them haha. I am beginning to be honest with my clients and say no to bad ideas. I figure unless I am totally inspired- they will not get the best out of me- and I want to be proud of every piece I do and they want that too.

3. Dont work too hard all the time. what I do is creative, it is not a discipline. I went to a lecture with a guy who used to work for IBM and Mac as a creative thingy and one time his job was to find out who made the company the most money. It turns out it was the people who: were at their desk least, did activities, had many hobbies, subscribed to different magazines and generally had a wide, varied and active interest in other areas than there job. It seems that getting away from your job, makes you better at it...if your job is to be imaginative.

4. be brave. "one way to avoid criticism is to say nothing, make nothing, do nothing and be nothing". You are going to get criticism no matter what you do so face it. Some people will always be bitter and jealous, you just have to let them eat away at themselves and you get on with your own business.

5. fail. too much have i been taught to be good and this is a bad thing. I need to start rewarding myself for trying rather than succeeding. Experts have found that children that are rewarded for attempting things rather than being graded for succeeding or failing, are more likely to attempt stuff and to succeed. God cherishes the brave. Luck favors a chancer. and the odds of winning are higher if you actually get in the game. A 'cliche' is often another way of saying 'its true'.

6....um.... that's its for now- subscribe to the blog and check out more as and when I remember and learn- you can learn along with me or leave your own in the comments.

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