is it old or just me?
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- Arvizu
I'm 32. 32 is not that old in the lifespan of things. I don't know how old I was when my point of reference shifted and I started looking at "old" as what happens to a person around lower to mid 60's. I think it was in my twenties... When I was a child (read: pre-pubescent) I thought 20 was old, 30 might as well have been 80. Now, 32 is not that old. I imagine my point of reference will have shifted again by the time I arrive to my late 40's.
My point? I work at a University. I recently had a rare and great time acting in a play with the Theater department. I got to know the cast over the 8 weeks of rehearsal and by the end of it I was among people I like and trust—All of them college age, early 20's mostly.
Now, I'm not saying I'm old. I feel like I'm still a child, but after my experience with this generation—which is a couple of demographics away from my own—I felt like I might be "old" for the first time in my adult life. Until recently, I've never felt even a little out of touch with the culture of youth. And as a graphic designer, I feel like I have an edge on "staying tuned in"; (staying abreast of mass trends being a part of my job description). But here I am. I'm a dad, father of two little kids and working in an office at an institution... I may not be old, but I'm not tragically hip either.
This isn't a complaint, it's just an announcement. And it's not about the whole "you're only as old as you think you are" thing either. It's just that it hit me: I'm not the youngest one in the room anymore—in linear time-years or even in the way I think.
How will this affect my design approach? Have any of you got this feeling before?
- TheBlueOne0
Not old
- kelpie0
my skin starts to itch and burn when I attempt to design club flyers these days. I'm ages with you.
- TheBlueOne0
However, the fact that you put quotes around "staying tuned in" might actually mean you are in fact, old.
- hahjuhls
- I saw your fingers do the the air quotes. Don't deny it.TheBlueOne
- twokids0
god. you are not old, you are boring.
- epikore0
man, you're making me feel old
- mikotondria30
You'll start to really focus on the time old disciplines of space, typography, restricted pallettes, doing more with less, more efficiently, and either scoffing at or ignoring the incessant and pointless array of trends that march past, preferring instead to realise that you're only at the beginning of your understanding of design, of art, and that if you live for another 100 years you might just have got it licked.
- saying that it sounds like you need to buy some more exciting shoes. That'll make things seem better.Bright ones.mikotondria3
- ++++++++++ ++++++++++ ++++++++++ ++++++++++ ++++++++++ ++++++++++ ++++++++++ ++++++++++ ++++++++++ ++++++++++ ++++++++++ ++++++++++janne76
- (not the shoes, just the comment on the left)janne76
- janne760
i am far from hip as well, and disagree with TheBlueOne's comment. Age is only an issue when you mention it. And if you put quotes around "staying tuned in" could also imply you normally do not (wish to) use such terms in your verbal behaviour.
I applaud individualism.
- morilla0
my back hurts.
- TheBlueOne0
*gets on to soapbox
Being nearly 41, thus being, as you said, "demographically removed" (<--air quotes) from a young 32 year old whippersnapper like yourself, I have to say you're going through a phase. I went through it too about the same time when I said to myself "Oh wow, I'm 32. I must be an adult now. I guess I have to figure out what that means and shit..." and then pondered deep thoughts and all...
It's a phase. It goes away, and you go back to feeling like you're sixteen by the time you hit about 38 or so. And from talking to my seventy three year old mom, that is pretty much how it stays for the rest of your life until you die.
- *falls off soapbox. can't get up.TheBlueOne
- TBO...we're of the same demographic.zenmasterfoo
- blaw0
I happened upon this quotation recently and it made me laugh because it's true:
"True terror is to wake up one morning and discover that your high school class is running the country."
~Kurt Vonnegut
- morilla0
I keep getting bombarded with these idiotic messages from people I went to high school with.
"Oh , I can't believe how much you have changed from high school! What happened?"
Like WTF people. I hoped I changed, FFS. But I am glad to see you are exactly as how I remembered you.
- jimbojones0
Getting older meant to me more concept, less useless eyecandy, not the worst deal I guess. But I'm also not as easily surprised/impressed, sometimes I hate that.
- ukit0
You can make excuses all day, but yes, you are old.
They didn't even live past 30 in Logan's Run FFS.
- version30
you're just out of the gate and have your footing, you have more ways and more reasons to succeed now, go forward, make us proud
- Nairn0
I'll be 32 too soon.
I feel like I've been old forever, which is ironic because I'm one of the the most immature people I know.
- fooler20
I hope I die before I turn old
- ukit0
Anyone notice that our generation seems to be aging (maturity wise) more slowly than previous ones? Your average 30 year old is more likely to be out cruising the clubs these days whereas 40-50 years old they would have been settled down with a couple of ten year old kids and a house in the burbs.
I have a theory about why this is, basically I think it comes down to the influence of advertising and culture and the need to keep selling us trendy fashion and luxury items for as long as possible.
- are you saying that advertising is keeping us young?Josev