Funny thing happened...
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- identity
I started writing/designing a brand book for my agency - an educational book about what branding is, is not, and everything in between. To start this out, I started by doing some open-thought writing... Thoughts on what branding means for the small company to the multiple-national corporation... 20 minutes into this "process" I wrote the phrase 'I'd rather be working with my hands to help people, build their homes, solve big issues, discover my true life's purpose than write, analytically, about the value of branding'... And after writing this I've lost all desire to do what itis I considered myself best at...
Has anyone else had an "ah-ha" moment like this? Is this just a sign of too much introspective thought? I'm truly lost on this one. Your thoughts and experiences would be greatly appreciated...
- benfal990
You think you want to stop being a designer and should build homes instead? Is it what you just said?
- identity0
Not necessarily... I think it's more application than purpose in this case. I think 'building houses' is more of a metaphor for what applied action, rather than theoretical action means to me - perhaps a shift in values
- identity0
???*
- cannonball19780
Now you're just backtracking via analysis. Sack up, get to working with your hands and sieze your creative dignity.
- Dad was an architect - not my drive - I think it's a physical symbol to what I'm talking about. But not the answeridentity
- So was mine. Not saying you need another 5 years. I'm saying quit analyzing and folow your guts.cannonball1978
- Why do all the sons of architects become graphic designers? Silent protest? I'm not disagreeing with you thoughidentity
- We grow up with the concepts and never deal with zoning or contractors.cannonball1978
- Ah, see - I knew you'd have a reasonabl answer to that! :-)identity
- lukus_W20
Take a holiday, have a break and get some proper perspective. It's probably a bit unrealistic to expect to have a truly useful 'ah ha' moment when you're working hard.
When it comes down to it - the grass is always greener. Small changes add up - while it's nice to think about grand gestures, sometimes those larger plans are really just red-herrings.
- Agree, it's time for a holiday. Take some time to think and re asses priorities.monoblanco
- abettertomorrow0
Go volunteer for Habitat for Humanity for a couple weeks and see if you really mean what you wrote:)
- identity0
^ perhaps right... Though I'm not melancholly or overworked. Kind of came out of nowhere... I've started working out and dieting again recently... Maybe the cause? Good advice nertheless - I migh just take it. I guess my original post was something of a runner asking if thereareothers who have experience 'runner's high'... Mire interested to hear What others have done when they've been involved in similar situations
- identity0
Don't get me wrong - I've built houses, dug ditches, connected plumbing. In a sense it was temporarily rewarding but I'm talking about a bigger picture - a life's purpose... Not free of troyblesvand problems - just something that has a marked difference in the world... Idealistic?
- Yeh, Felt the same way once. You have two options. Do or Don't. There is a calling or there isn't You decide man.kenteeko
- bigtrick0
yeah, follow these good people's advice, get "perspective," work in your job that you know, write that branding book, hop agencies for forty years while putting in ten hours every six months "working" for habitat with your office-soft hands. pretend that that's enough.
when you're close to death and you realize you've wasted your life because you did what everyone else told you to do, it'll be too late.
anyway. maybe you should look at this thread:
http://www.qbn.com/topics/579601…
and look at page 4.
breaking out gets harder as you grow older.
- kenteeko0
Life always give you the test first and the question later. Seems like you already know the answer.
- OBBTKN0
Try doing illustration for kids, you´ll be proud of you, of your art, bla, bla, bla...
Wait! There is allways a marketing guy prior to publish it!! < It ruins all your good wave, your karma, all of this...
- MHDC0
Identity crisis
- dorf0
- randommail0
Props to identity for coming to this epiphany.
My recommendation: get out of Branding and get back into Design. You know the difference.
- monNom0
You can do a lot more leveraging your talents than as an unskilled hammer swinger.
- camer0
What if you started to decide how what you did affected the world's big picture? Maybe you don't have to change what you do, but how you do it to make a difference for yourself.
For example, I really love to watch the Discovery Channel, specifically Daily Planet. For the most part, everything on this show is real life, positive and innovative. Inspiring even, just to see how other people other are changing their world. If you compare this to regular news reporting which covers death and destruction, it's a breath of fresh air.
Anyway, what if your branding book inspired others to be more considerate of the products they selling or designing. Maybe you're tired of working for shite companies that sell shite we don't even need and that are destroying the planet, say.
Maybe ignore me, and just take a break. HA!
- maikel0
oh noes... THAT moment.
I find myself debating about living in a world of meaningless representation in which we constantly repress our desires for 'the greater good' career progress, bigger house, shit for the missus, etc.
If what you do is rather soul-less and you don't want to play game with that, you will start wondering if you are not better off in the countryside farming, or involving yourself into creating 'real things'.
Every now and then I wonder what if... but I am quite happy with -or used to- my bourgeois little life.
So, if you feel really puzzled about the right direction, watch that short film advert-documentary posted a while ago about californian gay surfer breadmakers...
- i_monk0
Buy a potter's wheel and build a kiln in the back yard.