Designer Again? Why Not!
You know, I been thinkin’… bein’ a designer, that ain’t just for them young folks, right? I mean, I always liked drawin’. When I was a young’un, I’d scribble all over the place. And clothes? Lordy, I always had my own ideas about what to wear. Sometimes, couldn’t find nothin’ I liked in them stores, so I’d tell my ma or grandma, “Hey, make me this, make me that!” I’d draw it out for ‘em, and they’d sew it up. So, I guess I been designin’ all along, just didn’t know it had a fancy name.
Now, I hear tell there’s all sorts of ways to be a designer these days. Used to be you had to go to some fancy school, but now? They got these things called “job boards” on the computer. Upwork, Indeed, LinkedIn… sounds like a whole bunch of hooey, but folks say you can find design jobs there. Even full-time ones, not just that freelance stuff. And they got special job boards just for designin’! Who knew?
Some folks say you gotta be young to be a designer, but that’s just a load of hogwash. There ain’t no age limit on dreamin’, I tell ya. If you wanna design, you go right ahead and design! Don’t let nobody tell you different.
One thing I heard is important is keepin’ a “journal”. That’s just a fancy word for writin’ stuff down. You see somethin’ pretty, you write it down. You hear somethin’ interesting, you write it down. You get an idea, you write it down and maybe draw a little picture. That way, you don’t forget nothin’. I reckon that’s a good idea, no matter what you doin’. Helps keep your thinkin’ straight.
- Thinkin’ of new ideas? Look around! The world’s full of ideas, just waitin’ to be found. Sometimes you need a little somethin’ to kickstart your brain, that’s all.
- Need to fix up your “portfolio”? That’s just a fancy way of sayin’ showin’ off your work. Make it look nice, so folks can see what you can do.
- Workin’ all by yourself? That can be tough. Sometimes you need other folks to bounce ideas off of. Gettin’ lonely ain’t good for nobody, and it sure ain’t good for gettin’ them creative juices flowin’.
I also heard tell that them folks who do the hirin’, they look for certain things in designers. I ain’t sure what all them things are, but I reckon it’s important to be good at what you do and be able to show it. And you gotta be willin’ to learn new things, ’cause this world is always changin’.
And another thing, get yourself on them computer things, like LinkedIn and Instagram. Show off your work, give folks some designin’ tips. Let the world see what you can do. It’s like puttin’ your best quilt out on the clothesline for everyone to admire.
So, if you’re thinkin’ about bein’ a designer, or maybe you used to be one and you’re thinkin’ about doin’ it again, I say go for it! Don’t let nobody tell you you’re too old or you ain’t good enough. Just get yourself a pencil and paper, or a computer, or whatever you need, and start creatin’. And don’t forget to write it all down in that journal! You never know where your ideas might come from.
Life’s too short to be sittin’ around twiddlin’ your thumbs. If you got a hankerin’ to design, then you go design. It ain’t nobody’s business but your own. And who knows, maybe you’ll be the next big thing! Or maybe you’ll just have a good time doin’ somethin’ you love. Either way, it’s a win-win, right?
So, there you have it. Just some plain talk from an old woman who knows a thing or two about life. Go on now, get to designin’!
