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Kyle Ferretti
3,757 PointsCareers Issue - Am I over thinking?
So I've ran into a dilemma that I may be causing myself. I've been going through the career foundations course (excellent course so far guys great work) and I keep having this nagging though in the back of my head. I like the thought of web design and I'm interested in online marketing (they king of go hand in hand too). I've been studying for this area since the start for the most part. I'm stuck on the thought of me not being an artist. I'm really not an artist at all - i do have a feel for aethetics and am studying up on typography and color theory. But by no means am I an artist. I want to learn web development and mobile development but i feel I'm a ways off from those two. I'm just afraid I'm focusing on the wrong thing and wasting time. Maybe I'm just over thinking and need to take a step back.
4 Answers
Michael Bridges
910 PointsKyle,
I think you are over thinking. There are many professions that work together when working online.
It sounds to me like you are confusing the role of someone who would do Artwork with the Webdesign itself.
A Bricklayer can produce a beautiful house, yet doesn't have to be a architect!
Get stuck in, if you enjoy it, ultimately you will succeed!
Chasity Dix
2,747 PointsI keep having the same thought, then I remind myself that I'm not studying to be a GRAPHIC DESIGNER, I'm studying to be a web designer. I can't draw or design logos for people but once I'm done with these courses I hope to take their already existing logos and create a wonderfully laid out website for them that is fully interactive.
James Barnett
39,199 PointsThat's brilliant advice.
A good friend of mine is the flip side, she's a graphic designer and whenever she looks for jobs everyone wants a web designer. She spends her days making logos, banners and menu boards but her online portfolio site could use some love.
Why? Because she's a print designer that's her medium not the web.
Ryan Allen
6,280 PointsI bet you have good taste. Watch this.
I had a programming professor that insisted that the best way to become a better painter was to paint, and the same applied to coding.
Also, I am by no means an artist but taking an Intro to Illustration class at my local community college really showed me that I could become an artist with a little instruction and a lot of illustrating.
Just keep going :)
Also, when you need a boost, http://reddit.com/r/getmotivated.
Dan Gorgone
Treehouse Guest TeacherSome great answers already here, and I wanted to add my own perspective.
I worked as a web designer for about 10 years, and over that time I was exposed to a lot of different aspects of projects: development and coding, testing, usability, client interaction and management, and more. When I switched jobs, my focus changed each time to address the needs of my new company, and as a result, my own professional focus changed to support it.
Sometimes your professional responsibilities and personal interests do not align, and it can be challenging because you end up doing something you're not crazy about, that takes no mental effort, and so on.
But as long as you continue to assess your own interest in what you're doing, you'll know if you want to keep doing it. As the others have suggested, sometimes all you need to do is try something out. Getting a taste for a new kind of project or work can help expose you to something awesome, or perhaps all it does is confirm it's not for you. Either way, at least you'll know and not continue to wonder.
Glad you're enjoying the Careers course!