Getting older and working in design
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- scarabin3
35 here and burned right the fuck out of advertising. i don't care about hollywood or movies anymore. got laid off and can't really be arsed to get back into it so have been trying out a lot of other things hoping something will stick.
it makes me happy to see others older than me starting a new path as sometimes i think it's too late for me to switch things up or whatever.
- +1phatwrx
- This guys used to do advertising in LA, got sick of it, opened a farm->table restaurant, and it's amazing: http://www.bellstree…Knuckleberry
- sorry, "guys" should be
"guy"Knuckleberry - that's greatscarabin
- It's never too late to start a new project or learn new skills!zarkonite
- fuk man. good luck. shit like this has forced me learn other complimentary/supple... skills, aka, photography. again good luk man.jaylarson
- Ben991
- I bring something into the world every day in the morning on the toilet._niko
- ^ genuinely made me LOL this morn. love school yard humourdee-dubs
- I'm being pedantic about a turd joke but that's not creativity, it's just regurgitating what already exists.set
- Now, if you did a shit without eating anything first... THAT'S creativity.set
- Not a bad quote considering he's the only one of these people I don't really like.CyBrainX
- @set if you do a shit without eating thats a biological issue and not being creative is the least of your problems.Wolfboy
- uan0
we all die at 45. or have you seen Horp around here lately?
- necromation1
41 and still sticking my dick in the mashed potato... The key is to always make yourself relevant.
Most designers just ride waves, i just make em.
- The point is that you can't and you don't and you won't stop.CyBrainX
- ^^^^Bingo.necromation
- jonnypompita0
I am a 36 year old interactive art director/designer who is also starting to feel burned out with the industry. It's just getting harder and harder to give a shit anymore. I have never held a job outside of creative/advertising so it's scary to even think about doing something else with my life. Been freelance in NYC for the last 6 years and I've been observing alot of the same things mentioned in this thread. The employees at agencies getting younger. The race to the bottom in terms of budgets and timelines. The chaotic approach to getting digital work done. The awful clients, it's really soul killing. At this point I'm going to try to milk every penny I can before I make my exit in the next 4 years. So far it's been working for me.
Ideally I would love to work in a product based business or even client side in a managerial role. I still love design and would love to continue doing it, just not in an agency environment. I f*cking hate advertising agencies and the holding company bean counters that run things now. I hate the politics and the people who work in these places. I do it only for the money now. Having health insurance through my wife allows me to continue freelancing until I can make my exit.
- The key is to save enough money for a rainy day. Too many people live paycheck to paycheck and thus have no options.jonnypompita
- Ben990
I've been thinking about this a lot lately. I'm kinda tired of graphic design sometimes and feel i won't be in the game in 10-15 years but i have zero idea what i would do outside it.
I think there are too many self-proclamed designers and the profession is been diluted with all those websites offering graphic design for 5$.
I feel the place to be is into apps and websites design, but i find those very complicated and perpetually changing and I'm very lazy.
My dream is to create a website with a product, a service or anything else that would make me rack up a small decent salary and live out of it. But i have no idea what to do. I'm lazy and i can't code complexe stuff.
I have no idea what my professional future will be.
- bklyndroobeki0
Jot down some ideas and sell something (clever/simple) on
http://society6.com or etsy.com
- formed0
Another thing to consider is other professions. I came from architecture, where the most famous don't do much until they are in their 50's. There's lots of reasons for it, but the point is that creativity doesn't die, it's always there.
Frank Gehry is 86 years old and just design Facebook's new buildings. I could list more and more. Point being the only way it dies is if you let it.
- I think architecture and graphic design are two different animals in this respect. Age and reputation are important for both but for an average designer withoutfadein11
- a big reputation the work may dry up in middle to old age. It's a trend driven industry and unless a trend-maker age is an issue.fadein11
- Pavement Lyric: Architects are like virgins without an itch they cannot scratch. Never build a building till your 50, what kind of life is that?Knuckleberry
- lol, I used to listen to that just after grad school...and when I switched careersformed
- but also keep in mind most architects sucks, just like any other profession...I was just trying to offer some hope ;-)formed
- bklyndroobeki1
I know a woman who is 54 She's working for a huge space co. You guessed it. Has been there for a year and 1 1/2 and is very happy. portfolio is not anything more "special" than what I've seen on cr3 ative hotlist, and that's not an insult.
It can happen. I wonder how much "positive thinking" has to do w/ her success, she's one of the most optimistic / positive people that I know.
I know this guy seems a bit nutty but I kind of like him, check it out.
@ CrimsonGhost I know you're probably wanting to be in your hole, in all that discontent it's quite possibly the perfect time to reach out to your comrades, networks and friends or go to meet ups to get out of your own head no matter how hard it might be.
- With a video poster like that I'm scared to click on it.ArmandoEstrada
- Agreed, ... it's not as bad as you think. that is an awful still that they chose.bklyndroobeki
- *that is just an awful still that...bklyndroobeki
- Gucci0
35 this year. I find the transition from identifying as a "doer" to a more hardcore managerial role difficult. Putting others in a position to succeed when you've seen yourself the same way for so long can be torturous. Redefining what you equate accomplishment with can be damn near impossible.
Someone likened it to going from a player to a coach in sports. Meh.
We're all in this shit together and we all struggle with the exact same things. A lot of creatives sit within their own thoughts to find answers to problems that it becomes a poisonous, unhealthy norm. Kudos to talking about stuff.
So many feels in this thread.
- CrimsonGhost10
Thank you all for your support and sharing your experiences. It really means a lot to me. (And I thought this place was just for downvoting Gerorges photo choices...I kid)
@bklyndroobeki I watched the video. I like what Brandon says about duration and weight we give to our negative thoughts. Believe me when I say I don't wish to stay down.
A little about me: I left home at 16, put myself through university and have lived a life doing what I want despite friends, family and acquaintances telling me I can't. "You can't make it as an artist, that's a stupid profession. Haven't you heard of starving artists?" "You can't get a tattoo," "You can't ride a motorcycle" etc etc etc. What that means is THEY can't or THEY'RE afraid to. People will always try to live their lives and fears out through you and I've always lived my life tuning them all out.
I live for being hyper creative, 41 and still hungry for new trends, scribbling in my sketchbook or taking photos. Shit, before digital and camera phones I'd blow so much money on getting photos of random crap that inspired me in that moment developed.
I have defined myself my entire life as an artist. The thought of working at something like stocking shelves is a Hell I'm trying very hard not to sentence myself to. NOT that there's anything wrong with those jobs at all, but I've always wanted to be passionate about what I do. I'm the jerk that goes to the movies and names the fonts while looking at the ads they show before the trailers, or cringes when he looks at a menu that's poorly kerned. Where else but our world would have me?
Having a job of 15 years fall out from under me was a huge blow. After which came constant and repeated feelings of rejection, irrelevance and being inconsequential that have been chipping away at me. I started freelancing and tried "faking it til I made it" but those core feelings of being a 41 year old out of work art director and web developer are like a cancer that have been eating me alive.
Depression is an entirely different animal altogether. I thought I could pull out of it on my own, that if I told anyone what I was going through I would be considered weak or broken. My doctor repeatedly tells me its a disease that needs to be treated, like diabetes, that you can't just will away, and I should say "Thank god, there's a pill that's keeping me from jumping out a window." I haven't reached that level of acceptance yet but I'm trying.
I'm working very hard at getting myself back to a healthy place so I can pull out of this nosedive. So my brain can work again rather than feel like somebody grabbed the emergency brake and is holding it in a vice like grip.
I apologize if I've made this thread about me. I hope some of my experiences can in some way help. If any of you are dealing with similar dark or negative thoughts, please know you're not alone and there IS help.
Again, thank you all so much.
- It takes courage to admit what you're going through and to reach out to others. As you're now seeing, it's in every one of us as well.Gucci
- Nicely stated.
I wish you the best moving forward CGRamanisky2 - You are definitely not alone. I understand completely what you write.SimonFFM
- ... I almost hate to do this but i hate this new culture of internet pussies. grow some balls, quit being irrationally emo and evaluate your values. ALL yourdeathboy
- answers you search for exist in your posts if u are a llittle more self awaredeathboy
- i'll tune you up. i clearly see your problems if u REALLY want to see them. Paragraph 5 first sentence clearly shows your level of disillusionment. hit me updeathboy
- Certified.set
- IRNlun66
Sounds like many agencies are not only undervaluing their employees but shorting their clients with mediocre work. Seems like it will be an advantage to be a smaller shop who values the work that goes into providing great design, building a great team, and growing a creative environment.
So many of you are uniquely qualified to understand most aspects of what it takes to produce and market a product. Most of you probably have more knowledge and experience than those that manage or hire you. We're our own worse critics. You're at a huge advantage and need to accept that you've outgrown your position and need to become business owners, leaders, or entrepreneurs.
- a_aachen1
thanks to all for your open thoughts. here are mine:
i am freelancer, been that for 12 years now. always worked good for me. i dont make like 100.000 a year but then again, i wouldnt need the money. now beginning this year my two biggest clients jumped off due to internal reorganisations cutting my income dramatically. I was expecting this, so no big surprise. and although this is not easy, cause i have wife and a child, soon two, i am trying to see this as a opportunity for me.
i just finished an exhibition, working on a book project and planning a theatre project for autumn – everything pays less than design but i am excited doing it. my prof always said that a good designer has the ability "to think with the heads of other people" and i believe this ability gives us the ability to do different things besides designing logos and websites.also i was always lucky to be interested in different things (although, looking back, doing so also hindered me seeking 100% in design) so i am giving cooking classes and improv workshops.
I found it easier to live your life if you try to avoid comparing yourself to other friends/colleagues etc (who earn more).
this is all a bit incoherent, nevermind.
- ArmandoEstrada0
Im 43 and I've been freelancing since I started 20 years ago. I hear what you're saying. These two things worry me:
1- If my freelance dries up and I have to get a 'real job', I am not sure how many agencies would hire me based on the fact that I don't have 'real world' agency experience. I rent space from a smaller design firm but thats been the extent of it.
2- I don't know how to do anything that is not creative. I work on TV commercials and photography shoots, so everything that I do is in the creative world.
I understand where you're coming from. I don't want to end up working in a non-creative job, like Best Buy or something like that.
Maybe just keep doing what you're doing and plan ahead. I wish I had more advice.
- I'd hire a freelancer any time. You've proven you don't need supervision to get things done. Plus you understand that 9 to 5 is bullshit...zarkonite
- Ben995
+1 for this thread by the way.
Good to see we're not alone asking ourselves lots of questions.
- spot133
I've been transitioning to management (in my mid 30's) and now have five staff under me including a graphic designer, web designer, a developer and a motion designer. Some people will be 'doers' forever but generally the more people who work for you, the more money you will make. You also become a mentor and influencer through this direction, which I really enjoy.
