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- grafician0
Did a bit of thinking these days reflecting on the past decade and the impact it had on my "career" as a creative.
So I have a question: after 10 years, how many of us here can say "I made it" and be truthful about it?
In the sense of "I accomplished all I wanted so far and I'm pleased with how things are going".
Also, after a decade in the game, if we don't make it, we move to a different field? We do something else entirely? Or we push thru and hope we'll "make it" in the next 10 years?
10 years should be enough to get an idea on how good you are with something?
Personally, I hadn't had a precise path/goal in mind when I started designing. I just went with it. Didn't go to "art school" either and all I know was self-taught - graphic design applied to various projects...I can do logo design, web design, app design, art direction, photography, illustration, etc. so a very good (I think) generalist, but nothing that can be considered impactful or even great happened...
Sure, I worked in agencies and with agencies, as a freelancer, full-time, etc. for small and big brands, and for the past 3 years I run my own little studio here in Bucharest - Romania - Eastern Europe.
This being said, although I enjoy greatly what I do, the burnout seems to be hitting harder and I'm having doubts if I should consider going for another decade doing the same design stuff or switch to something else - as I'm thinking of starting a career in painting maybe, going to art school, investing another 10k hours in this and so on...
So, again, if you don't really "make it" in 10 years - do you still go on, or you switch and move on to something else?
p.s. keep in mind I'm 35 at this point, so another 10 years would hit 45 for me (so a bit "late" in society terms), but on the bright side, I can still learn almost any new skill in a few months time at this point, but anyway
- It's hard to imagine a situation where you would feel you "accomplished everything" you wanted.nb
- But yes, in 10 years I've made remarkable progress. I'm paid well, quite content, work is easy, happy life.nb
- @nb glad you're good buddy, so you plan on sticking with it for another decade?grafician
- Yes, why not? I'm paid decently and I do my best to never take on the clients' stress.nb
- I would only switch careers now if I found something that paid more or offered far more time off. Don't see either happening.nb
- hah it's like i'm reading my own thoughts 10 years ago :) Everything will work out, don't think in 10 years. You have the experience to make decisions in 1-2.sted
- I would grow what's already built, develop or steer it into an other direction. For me it was moving into real life products for a specific industry.sted
- After a wasted 3 years pursuing the less satisfactory goals, and making some bad decisions.sted
- All I do is to find myself a challenge in what we do and shit just started to grow that the last 4 years just fast-forwardedsted
- and i'm not even thinking about joining the freshly organized paint crew in Budapest anymore :)sted
- *to grow so faststed
- @sted ha! tnx for your thoughts, will consider!grafician
- eryx6
@ grafician
I was 33 when I decided to switch carriers. In my late 20s and early 30s I put all my effort into becoming a really good Actionscript guy in Toronto. I had some good clients and did some really great work and thought I was pretty safe because it was kind of specialized. Well we all know what happened with flash so I tried to work with Flex for a while and ended up moving back home (we had a lot of dept and it was only getting worse)
Nothing was really happening there so the wife and I decided to move out to Alberta and work in the oil industry because the jobs paid so well. I moved out here when I was 33 and I am about to turn 40. We both paid off all our depts in 2 years. We bought a house and started a family. I work as a subcontractor that makes great money. The work is hard and the hours are crazy but I really like it. In only 7 years I am much further along then I was in the advertising industry and I am doing something I did not even know existed when I moved out here.
My point is that starting over can be daunting but you might find something that better suites you. It might not take as long as you think to get far in a new career if you work at it.
Also if you going to start something new move to where the work is, it will be easier to try out a few different types of jobs if there are a lot of them around.
Hope this helps.
- wow! this helps a lot! ty very much for your insight!grafician
- ..but the first thing I would do is see if Simon needs an apprentice.eryx
- but the industry decline got you worried no? or still pretty stable what you do?pango
- Yes it is declining, The US has been producing a lot more. Also large projects are being stopped or held up to the point they are not profitable.eryx
- I might have to change my career again, but for now it is still busy enough to stay in the same place.eryx
- I should say that I dont work in the oil sands, we mostly do natural gas and condensate which takes very little to refine.eryx
- I'm selling shoes on eBay now, officially I'm AL Bundy. lolhelloeatbreathedrive
- ben_10
@grafician
A few pages ago in this very thread I mentioned I'd be packing it in on this career for a calmer east coast environment to open up a pizza place and chill.
I've been in this industry in one form or another since I was 23 and dropped out of art school. That's almost 18 years in - have worked in Spain, Germany, USA and Canada - some really great design shops along the way, and some real crap ones. Started my own business and blew it, only to come back around and find my niche working for others in a consultancy and unless I get let go I would intend to finish up my design career where I am, with the goal of starting anew by the time I'm 45/50.
I don't know what your definition of "making it" is, but work is work - you have to have the passion for it to continue doing it. In my humble opinion, the 10k worth of hours (which I kinda think is bullshit personally) you'd spend learning something new and perhaps finding happiness is way better than the (I did a little math here) 50k plus hours you'll spend until retirement age doing something you feel burnt out on.
Even if it's repositioning within your particular skillset, the challenge of learning something new and significant can really refresh things for you.
Good luck!
- Wise words. I plus oned.Khurram
- that's the plan of going to art school and be a fuckin painter - repositioning within my particular skillsetgrafician
- if not, I was thinking being a beekeeper - I have someone in the family that I can be an apprentice too, and still paint and should be fine I guess.grafician
- I am still a designer, but that doesn't do it for me anymore I guess after 10+ yearsgrafician
- very much ty for your insight too man!grafician
- btw, I always thought we designers would do great as pizza/bistro owners, still working with ppl and taking care of the little detailsgrafician
- very much very good luck to you too sir!grafician
- Oddly enough my father has become a beekeeper in his retirement years, he just gifted us a jar of his latest honey.ben_
- ^beekeeping will be very important in the coming decades, it's a very interesting job/skill to learngrafician
- Ill take a sicilian with meatballscannonball1978
- I'd gladly make you one. The new home oven is going in this coming summer.ben_
- bliznutty6
i had a onewheel accident back in september and had shoulder/clavicle reconstruction surgery. turns out the accident also left me with a hematoma in my head that didn't start to show itself until november. i was suffering from daily headaches and loss of vision. i flew home for the holidays which apparently made it worse, my mom made me go to ER which led to me having emergency brain surgery on christmas eve. twas a crazy f'n christmas this year!
i'm wishing everyone a healthy and happy new year!
- woah, that's crazy. Brain op to QBN blog post in under a week is impressive.Fax_Benson
- fuck man, welcome back to some normalcy!jaylarson
- indeed welcome back!robotron3k
- I wish you a fast recovery!! That is a lot to go through! :(Fabricio
- woah! Get well my friend!Bennn
- Wow. I don't know tou but im grateful that flight didn't kill you, dude. You are one licky bastard.shellie
- wow. all the best!!!ArmandoEstrada
- best Christmas ever you get to be alive :)
(holy shit and keep an eye on your headaches :D )sted - to happy and healthy new yearutopian
- thanks qbn! love y’allbliznutty
- My God. I hope surgery makes everything better, Get well bud.eryx
- Wow, good riddance to 2019 then? Swift recovery man.Ianbolton
- And like Shellie said 'you're so licky!' :-)Ianbolton
- damn.... All the best man. and thank god for moms.ben_
- yes, thank god for moms! and i am a 'licky' bastard who got the best Christmas gift ever - being ALIVE! thanks again qbn for all the love ♥bliznutty
- :Pshellie
- Hope you come back stronger. Health is wealth!stoplying
- sted9
I fell asleep in while eating pancakes the other night.
Found some pieces next to the bed.- thats the life!pango
- This is the kind of content I came to qbn for
( ͡☉ ͜ʖ ͡☉)pedromendez
- omahadesigns-5
2020
- 2021robotron3k
- Oh and FUCK that guy and good riddance 2019.robotron3k
- And I’m not referring to you O, but the asshole I posted about a few weeks ago. I ghosted him on Monday. Pfft.robotron3k
- Ramanisky23
Went to see a movie today
So I’m flying through a universe filled with a beautiful spectrum of colors and stars only to come through on the end out of Adam Sandler’s rectum.
That’s the most 2019 thing ever.
- Krassy0
So does the new decade start on Jan 1, 2020 or or on Jan 1, 2021?
- 2020 literally.monospaced
- but but, the end of the first year was December 31, 1 AD.Krassy
- so the end of this current decade, according to that, will be on December 31, 2020Krassy
- the twenty ones how stupid that sounds ahah 1 BC was followed by AD 1 there was no zero yearsted
- although you are right, i think with decades people tend to start with year "zero" - the 60s, 80s, etc...renderedred
- Yes. The END of the first year ended in 1. That’s one full year AFTER the start of the decade or whatever. As soon as it ticks to 2X it’s a new decade.monospaced
- e.g. when you’re 19 years old, you’re finishing your 20th year. You’re fully twenty years finished when you turn 20. The new decade begins.monospaced
- And no the end of the first year was December 31, 0000, not 1. Sorry but it’s true.monospaced
- Of course there’s a year 0. There’s one starting tomorrow and has been since AD 0. Maybe I’m wrong but that’s just how counting works.monospaced
- https://en.wikipedia…renderedred
- Use your fingers as years. You have 10 fingers for the first decade. So the 10th finger is part of the 1st decade. Right?Krassy
- The full year 2020 is part of the 2020 decade, therefore year 2021 is the beginning of the next decade :)Krassy
- There was no year zero, it started at 1. The rest is simple mathGnash
- this: https://en.wikipedia…sted
- This debate is painful. I 1/1/01 is the first day of the millenium, then 1/1/91 was the first day of the 90s.CyBrainX
- I thought this was the dumbest debate ever, but looked it up and turns out Krassy is actually right.yuekit
- Read the part at the end:
https://en.wikipedia…yuekit - So technically the 2020s haven't started yet, everyone come back in a year :)yuekit
- Granted the whole system seems a bit questionable considering they don't know how the original "AD" date was determined in the first place.yuekit
- Fuck this shit. :)monospaced
- :DDsted
- https://www.dictiona…
"a period of ten years beginning with a year whose last digit is zero"drgs - https://en.wikipedia…
Cardinal definition is how everyone understands decades, you can argue about year 1 AD, but the world has entered 2020sdrgs - exactly my thought, drgsmonospaced
- zaq2
<2019/>
- Krassy2
Today is January 0!
- mantrakid10
39 years old. new years eve. Hanging in a luxury mexican resort with the man who employed me for game dev / changed my life (for the better...?). absolutely ripped on fine wine and champagne and everyone has now gone to bed. chilling on qbn ΩI hear the thoom thoom thoom of a techno bass drum off in the distance and i just want to go to it. im still me, i guess. thats comforting.
- Go to itbezoar
- Good news, ypu're still alive... Go for it, now!OBBTKN
- welcome to MX, where ya @?moldero
- Did you go? Were you rewarded? Was there tequila?CyBrainX
- how did Ω end up in your post?
P.S. hope you went to the techno party!Krassy - https://www.youtube.…shapesalad
- Go to the partyi_was
- And that was the last we ever heard from him.Hayzilla
- techno room always best optioncanoe
- mg333
Ugh... Been off work since the 20th and back at it tomorrow. I've been staying up late a lot recording, watching movies and working on a personal project, dreading going to bed at a reasonable hour tonight.
I also learned that while I love my kids, 48 hours straight with them is just about enough. I'm so ready to go back to work.
- Haha. 48hrs? I just finished a 2 week stint with my little fucks.Hayzilla
- shapesalad3
If the word 'divorce' appears often in your thoughts during the first three months of marriage... should you be concerned?
- yes?pango
- also none of my relationship lasted longer than a year. so...pango
- What's causing those thoughts? If it's a matter of getting used to being married, give it time. If it's stuff that was bothering you before saying "I do"...i_monk
- just have a kid, that fixes everythingmonospaced
- lol @monojaylarson
- You get the same exact thoughts dating someone too...robotron3k
- maybe?sted
- robo is an MGTOW monkmonospaced
- We discussed divorce in a fun way during the 1st year. Like "if we split, then I get these albums". It was silly, but it definitely was healthy to talk openly.ayport
- ^ As a product of divorce, it was always on my mind. So, roll with it. If you're able to be open and honest, then you know your good.ayport
- Three months? Ouch!OBBTKN
- Now if, “cruise-ship” & “second degree murder” are in your thoughts, then be concernedfuturefood
- It's called the 7 minute itch.utopian
- lol monospaced first commentsandpipe
- No one knows the future. Some people are better off getting divorced early, but they can't know it would have gotten worse.nb
- If you're thinking about divorce "often" you should probably talk to your spouse about it. No one here knows your situationnb
- yup, get out before kidstimeless
- stoplying0
Alright Marvel peeps, I need some help identifying a classic character. My son got a Marvel classic characters wall decal pack and he keeps asking me who this character is. A friend seems to think it might be the inhuman called Blackagar Boltagon. I'm not a big comic guy so I have no clue. Thanks in advance for any help!
- Ianbolton0
Why do they put, for example, pulled-pork on these. Surely it's conceptually lazy, or are we just so blinded by our own pathetic habits that we need to know it tastes like something we're probably trying to give up?
- It's funny, vegans want to be vegan but lust after meat flavor and the experience?!?robotron3k
- Or maybe it’s targeting those who’d like to stop eating meat.NBQ00
- But still need/ want the taste of real meat.NBQ00
- M E A TIanbolton
- C Y B E R M E A TNBQ00
- Agreed with post and robo. Stop making vegan versions of stuff you can't have. It's weird.monospaced
- We are just so blinded by our own pathetic habits that we need to know it tastes like something we're probably trying to give up.jagara
- You might be being a bit presumptuous here. Some people might choose vegan for legitimate health reasons.SteveJobs
- I've recently developed an allergy to milk. It causes horrible rashes on my skin. Had no idea how many products contain milk until I was forced to avoid them.SteveJobs
- I recently tried vegan pizza and vegan mac & cheese for the first time because I miss being able to eat those foods once in a while. They're gross btw :(SteveJobs
- Then again, can someone have a meat allergy? Idk, maybe you're all right on this hahaSteveJobs
- I’m pretty much vegan but it’s not because I don’t like the taste of meat. Meat is delicious. How we mass produce it is fucked.thumb_screws
- Not sure how else they would name it? Pulled vegetable and soy based style patties?thumb_screws
- I don't get this argument, I'm not vegetarian but people give up meat for tons of reasons that don't include flavour or a desire for something familiar.ben_
- If someone gives up leather and then buys a pair of shoes in synthetic leather... you'd care?ben_
- Personally I try not to buy animal based stuff any more. Flip side is one of my main clients manufacture leather goods.
It’s all fraught with contradictions.thumb_screws - Haven’t tried these but honestly some of her other stuff is amazing. I don’t eat meat due to ethical reasons .. not taste based onesautoflavour
- Fake duck is fucking brillant.. just wish a company had the balls to call it fuckautoflavour
- Isn't it the same as Lesbians and dildos?Alum31
- I only eat meaty on holidays but I don't hate the taste of meat. I eat mostly veggies, nuts & mushrooms but I like some quick varience in my meals. I'd try it.shellie
- She was the best keyboard player in WingsGardener
- The label helps people understand what it tastes like. It's not rocket science.nb
- If you were designing the package, what would you write? The thing that fits in with your world view or the one that helps people buy lunch?nb
- These burgers aren't even vegan, But sure go ahead and blame vegans for this package's label. Somehow it's their fault!nb
- robotron3k, this stuff isn't really marketed to vegans. There's loads of people to try new diets and looking to cut cholesterol.omahadesigns
- they dropped the 'milk' from soya milk recently. but you can call stuff pork and beef because it's not the same as calling it 'pig meat' or 'cow meat'kingsteven
- Maybe an overtime image of someone aging, one with the turkey, one with the tofurkey, Canadian stylecanoe
- spill78
I just read all of the blog thread. I can finally type in here.
spill7
(Jan 3 20, 08:14)
- moldero14
wife: brings home a stray cat
me: WTF is this shit, we already have a cat and a pit bull, it's going to stress out all the animals including the new cat
wife: but, blah blah, poor cat, blah blah, so cute, blah blah, needs home, blah blah, yoga hippie shit.1 month passes, we all fall in love with the new cat, but original cat is still stressed out, pit bull "seems fine" with new cat.
me: 20 minutes ago repeating in my head "don't say I told you so, don't say I told you so" as im burying the cat by the beach while the wife is crying because our pit bull did pit bull stuff to the new cat.
- ripGnash
- damnmonospaced
- yoga hippie shit lolpango
- Holy shit your OG cat is a Boss!HijoDMaite
- um, "pit bull stuff?"whatthefunk
- Pfft... Oh my, someone planned that.robotron3k
- Face palmshellie
- who bought the pit bull?sandpipe
- Beach burial? Better than most get - hefty bag > communal garbage binfuturefood
- https://i.imgur.com/…utopian
- Your dog is a psychopathi_was
- better repeating it on qbn.com than your wife!hotroddy
- so your old cat convinced the dog to kill the new one. your cat is a psychosted
- shiet. yea I dunno about pit pulls. especially when it has the taste for blood like that.inteliboy
- Epic post that played out like a movie in my head !
P.S. RIP new catKrassy - You: *to wife while digging grave* You seeing this? Huh? You see whats happening here, don't you? Remember what I said?cannonball1978
- Pitbull stuff is better than butt stuff resulting in the cat's demise.
*cough* Sorry to hear about the little fella.Gucci - Can't blame the dog for doing dog stuff... You bring a random in it's space it's a goner! My little Shiba would do the samenecromation
- Have a picture of old cat and pit bull high fiving in the laundry...pit bull laughing like Mutley.BusterBoy
- I suggest the following title.
Yoga Hippy Shit vs Pit Bull StuffCyBrainX - oh hell nocanoe
- you married?!?!!?CALLES
- HijoDMaite12
My 16 y/o: why doesn’t QBN have an app?
Me: I don’t know, not yet I guess.
16 y/o: it’s ‘cause they’re all old. They don’t know how.- lolpango
- Heherobotron3k
- they’re all commies!MrT
- QBN can't even make a dark mode for the site.NBQ00
- Zing!OBBTKN
- A new common app is being developed to commemorate our merge with YayHooraydrgs
- kids today think they know everything!dee-dubs
- By the time QBN gets an app, the net will have gone full circle with everything back to the real web, using local storage and webassembly.Nairn
- be careful with that kid, soon he will be like:
https://www.youtube.…sted - Why do people care about dark mode? Help me out here. I'm old.CyBrainX
- Chek your white priviledge.deadsperm
- Why dark mode? Maybe it's easier on the eyes at night instead of the extreme bright white.NBQ00
- https://i.imgur.com/…deadsperm
- I personally believe, that QBN should provide individual editable CSS files for each user and not impose that much whiteness on us users.deadsperm
- And on the 28th of each month, QBN should merge each user file, touch tips if you will, to create a beautiful rainbow theme that reflects us all.deadsperm
- Let the lil' millennial understand this...that only 10% of all apps are used more than twice.utopian
- Didnt someone try to make one one about 10 years ago and asked for everyones log in info?fooler
- @eadsperm add top 8 and you got yaself MySpaceKrassy
- This is accurate af.meffid
- Not everything needs an app...i_monk
- Shots fired!_niko
- lolmoldero
- HahahaHijoDMaite
- Hayzilla0
Stupid question. Do Americans say "Pence". They have dollars and pennies right. So how would an American say a $1.34? In the UK we would say 1 dollar and 34 pence or P for short.
- A dollar thirty-foursection_014
- Republicans do, repeatedly, as they jack offNairn
- I think they use 'pennies' for cents (don't know why) but I've never heard them use 'pence' or 'pennies' in TV or film.
IANAANairn - -pennies in last line of last postNairn
- if it's less than a dollar they use 'cents', otherwise was Section said ^Gnash
- Michael PenniesFax_Benson
- a buck thirty-fourprophetone
- centsmonospaced
- we would say, "a dollar thirty-four" or, more formally, "one dollar and thirty-four cents"monospaced
- US: one thirty four
UK: one and thirty four
US: thirty four cents
UK: thirty four pmonNom - US: EH! I'm walkin' here!
UK: You all right then, luv?monNom - in Spanish-American: Una bola = dollar, 50¢ = tostón, 25¢ = peseta, 10¢ = diez chavos, 5¢ = una fecha, 1¢ = un pinacorobotron3k
- buck 34BustySaintClaire
- Pennies, but mostly I think we say "Um my chip isn't working" on $1.34 transactions.garbage
- Un pavo y treinta y cuatroOBBTKN
- In Canada, they'd be llikely to simply say, 'One thirty-four.'Continuity
- @Continuity, same in the US.monospaced
- Depends on the Spanish. Its a very regional thing. Never heard of half of robotrons saying. Im Puerto Rican.ArmandoEstrada
- A dollar and 34 centsfyoucher1
- Fuck you on about, Hayfever? We dunna say "dollar." We dunna say "euro" either.zarb0z
- Okay so Cents is the version of British Pence. Cool. Thanks.Hayzilla
- dolla bills yallcanoe
- @zilla Yeah the slang is basically quid = buck and P = cent.garbage
- Mike Pencemisterhow
- mg332
Ever have those "I feel old" moments in our career where you look up a new employee, or simply someone new you're working with, and see that you were already out of college by a dozen years when that person was finishing college? Nothing wrong with that all, I'm just finding myself in those situations more and more with new hires.
- alright alright alright
https://theinfallibl…_niko - I feel like Clint in Gran Torino all the time.maquito
- Or that you finished high school before they were born!monospaced
- ^ Geez... Yes, I'm sure that's happened by now and I've just not noticed.mg33
- me too maquito, me tooOBBTKN
- ^ lol dude! I just clicked on your name and you got the fucking profile pic! Holy fuck!maquito
- I have never been. I hear friends talk of this on a quarterly. It's all in how you handle it. Really, just staying true to you...canoe
- by all means they shouldn't feel qualified to judge... it's not like a leap in aesthetic as it was from 80s, 90s, 20scanoe
- Happens a lot to me: I think, her parents might be my age when she was born after I graduated from high school (which goes until age 19 in Germany).SimonFFM
- I was doing some work recently at a financial startup... I have t-shirts older than most the staff there!dee-dubs
- other than the CEO.. although he was probably still younger than me.dee-dubs
- we have a pretty good age-range here, but i totally hear ya... there's plenty of younger folks here now that are SOOO young. fresh out of school etc.exador1
- actually, I'm getting an intern here next week. it's the son of one of my wife's friends from highschool... he's in university now and studying marketing..exador1
- I've known this boy and his little brother since they were babies... and now they're in their 20's etc... can't believe he'll be interning here with me lol...exador1
- On one hand, it does kinda make you feel old...on the other, it's pretty awesome to be helping out a family friend and helping get a kid started on the journeyexador1
- Oh come on SimonFFM... we're talking about office jobs, not your life of luxury shooting gorgeous women. :Dmg33
- But I can imagine that in your line of work that could be awkward, and I imagine the potential awkwardness helps keeps things 1,000% objective and professional.mg33
- Good thing, I am not speaking of interns. This topic was covered by another guy already.SimonFFM
- alright alright alright