As a new year inches forward by the day, and the world cycles through the brouhaha of the holidays, many people start to get anxious about the future ahead. This time of year stirs up a range of emotions: everything from feelings of loss to facing the cold hard facts that the grand year we envisioned for ourselves didn’t go at all like we intended. As designers, individuals who work with our minds and hearts, not just our hands, all of this can start to take a toll.
Trust me. It happens to the best of us. In my mind, 2015 was supposed to the victory lap. The year before, I launched my solo design practice while working a 9-to-5. I had a few clients under my belt that paid well, and was working toward making enough revenue to justify going full-time. I was planning a big marketing campaign and launch party coinciding with my big 30th birthday in February. Then, the day after Christmas 2014, I lost my hero, and everything else went out the window. It’s taken me a good bit of the year to get back on track.
Sometimes, things happen beyond our control, but if being a designer has taught me anything, it’s how to make revisions, and forge my own path.
It’s almost Christmas 2015. About a month ago, I left my 9-to-5. I thought about making an announcement to let people know that I was back on the market. However, I quickly found that once I told close friends what happened, the most common response was “I’m so sorry!” I was a bit taken aback by all the condolences, so I just stopped saying anything. No one died. Nothing bad happened. It had been a great ride, but it was time to go.
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