When it comes to skills, to so called 'talents', we're always told the same thing: practice makes perfect. I'm one of those people who hears that, instantly dismisses it, decides I will be excellent from the start and ploughs ahead. And then becomes increasingly frustrated when things don't turn out brilliantly.
But sometimes things turn out okay from the offset and I think, wow, I got this! This is the basis on which I set up my business. I knew I was okay at drawing. I didn't know I was okay at typography, I just decided I would be if I gave it a go. So I gave it a go and because I didn't know if what I was doing was any good, I just based it on my own opinion. And my own opinion was: well, that's not bad! High five!
Confidence is just as important as practice. People bought my designs and my business began to grow. My confidence in my own ability meant customers had confidence in my ability which meant other companies had confidence in my ability and doors started opening up. And that meant I was designing increasingly more, which meant I was practicing without even realising it was practice.
Recently, I've been updating old designs. Now I have a few years of practice under my belt, I can see that the designs I was producing a few years ago are perfectly adequate. Perfectly lovely. But through this elusive practicing, I've found myself. That other thing people always say will happen has happened: I've discovered my style. I always wanted a style. I'd look at other artists in envy that they had a style.
My style isn't perfect, but it's one I recognise as mine. I know how I'm going to form each letter
before I form them and I have a rough idea how the final piece will look before I've started doodling.
Practice makes perfect, but that doesn't mean you can't be proud of the work you've done on your journey there.
