Manifesto Presentation

Creativity is more than just design

I feel like I always have the urge to create something, it may not always be graphic design, it might be craft, drawing, or a blog or story. It can be anything, and I think that naturally creative people that do always feel that creative urge should embrace it and go with it. Sometimes I tend to envisage something, and try to design it and fail, but other times, I feel 'creative clarity' where everything seems to just come together. Generally, I don't think that design needs to have rules, and sometimes this vagueness is my downfall, and sometimes it really works for me.

Instinct

From my research into postmodernism for my dissertation work, I realised that designers nowadays don't tend to design to a particular political movement, nor one kind of movement in culture, such as modernism, we just design by our mood, or our feelings. We design an aesthetic that people want to see, and it can evoke various 'moods', or to get technical, design can merge style, movement and can nod to the past. Most importantly though, I don't think I always need to be methodical when I design something. I usually tend to think of a visual and run with it, wether I am aware it references op art, modernism or any other kind of movement, because it doesn't matter.

No excuses

My big fault in life is that I find excuses for not doing things. It can range from work to socialising...of course I always turn up to paid jobs, because I am getting paid, but for my design work, I always make myself think that there is more time, and that I can do a whole range of things before I finish that brief itself, which inevitable stunts me, and creates an environment where I will put things off. This is something that I have changed in some areas in my life, such as working out, and climbing, but then I need to find that balance between work, play and things I need to do. So there are NO EXCUSES for not doing things!

Just do things

This really just follows on from no excuses, and where I can find that psychological motivation to tell myself there are no excuses, I then should think that I need to 'just do things'. I tend to also just not do something if I think I cannot do it, or if it feels out of my ability, and so I need to just push myself off of the deep end and just design something, or just climb that wall.

Climb

So climbing is one of my hobbies, and I love how it challenges me psychically and mentally at the same time. I really put my climbing achievements next to my capabilities in life in general. For example when I climb a rock face, the challenge is also metaphorical, where the struggle is the hard work, and reaching the top is the reward. I feel great when I reach the top of a climb, and so I feel encouraged when I go climbing to achieve things in every aspect of my life.

Stretch zone

I need to basically put myself into situations that I am not always comfortable with, such as networking with professionals, or designing with a programme, I am not comfortable with, or asking someone to collaborate with me that I don't normally socialise with. Some of these things probably won't happen but I am the type of person that some things just take that bit of extra time to achieve. I have the problem of not doing something when I don't know exactly how to so it, and so I won't put myself into any vulnerable positions, whereas I need to do this.

Work hard

I have always grafted, and have worked part time since I was 14. Ok, so I only worked 4 hours a week and got payed £4 an hour, but then I built on that, and I still work part time, and feel good at the end of a day of hard work. I enjoy working with my colleagues because they are also hard working, and professional, and I do prioritise my paying job over uni. If I don't have my own money then I don't have much at all, and I can't even get to uni, so at the end of the day, when I am being payed I will work damn hard. I find it hard sometimes to come to a loud studio at uni where it doesn't feel professional, to sit down for hours and do work, so I prefer to shut myself away at home where I can take myself seriously.

Travel

I managed to afford to go to Asia last year during summer, and bloody loved every second of it, even when I felt ill. It was freedom, and I have to take myself away for at least a week in the year where I can get lost and emerse myself in a different culture to my own. I don't think there are many excuses to not travel, even if it's a weekend of camping an hour away from home, it's the act of exploring that I love. So I have to keep doing it.

Simplicity

I do like modernist principles of simplicity, if only aesthetically. I also believe in the zen buddhist culture of simplicity too. I hate having lots of stuff in my house, and I also hate adding extras onto my designs. Sometimes I have an inner conflict as to what to keep and what to take away in both of those areas, but I always try to seek simplicity because it gives me a clear head.

Loyalty

I am a loyal person. If I think someone is complacent or not genuine then I won't have any respect for that person. In terms of my relationships, I rarely let anyone in because I feel that I need to surround myself with people that I believe to be good. Although this sounds extreme, I do it subconsciously, and it's usually just an overall feeling that I will get from someone when I know they aren't going to return any of the loyalty that I give them. I'd like to think that I will end up working with generally loyal people in my professional life, and if not, then it will be a difficult working relationship.

Underdog

I am pretty much a full on underdog. Nothing in my life really seems to be spectacular. I have always been quite average, in my grades at school, to my height and weight. Average isn't necessarily a bad thing, and so I think that my underdog status will still get me to where I need to go in my professional life.

Work hard in silence, let success make the noise

The echoes the same sentiment that the underdog has, where I just need to keep working at it, and eventually I think my success will come. It might not be 'spectacular' but it will happen.