I’m good at what I do. I don’t mean to be immodest but I know that I have a level of ability others lack.
That isn't to say I can’t improve in areas, I am well aware of my shortcomings when it comes to work. I know them quite well and I still want to get better. You’d think after a certain amount of time things just stop but the truth of the matter is if you don’t keep trying to get better at what you do you wind up being behind the curve.
Through the years, I’ve prided myself in knowing as much as I can about the applications I work in. One of the things I dislike about freelancing as opposed to a staff gig or permalancing somewhere is that I am often called in to put out fires.
Putting out fires is not fun and going one step further there inevitably comes a time when you can’t put out a blaze because the client or someone on that end of the equation has let things smoulder for far too long.
I’ve gotten better though about pushback in recent years. Part of it is because I realize as much as I want to please people, I’m doing myself and them no favors putting myself into a lose-lose situation. If I do, it weakens my brand, or put another way, I become the easy object of blame, the fall guy if you will.
I’m not into being anyone’s fall guy anymore. While I will go to extreme lengths to keep clients happy I’m just not willing to destroy my reputation due to someone else’s screw up.
While I do a lot more production than design, I have design chops. I’m not passing myself off as the world’s greatest designer mind you and I’ve worked with super talented people whose skills I am envious of but I do know what I’m doing. I’m better than I was years ago and years ago I was working as a designer more than I do these days. I’ve had a few clients over the last year or so comment on my design abilities and I’m truly flattered greatly when that happens because it’s one area where I really DO want to be better.
Yet, I still run across people who get it wrong...
See, I’m fast.
That is to say given the choice between noodling around with a mouse, I would just as soon use some keyboard shortcuts and do things by the numbers. When I say by the numbers I mean in the sense of moving things around or positions elements on a page or layout. People will watch me work and they’ll be floored by how fast I am BUT that’s all they see.
They don’t get it.
I could be fast as fast can be but if I didn’t have an intrinsic understanding of design and where I wanted things to go when I’m moving them, I wouldn’t be anything other than fast. Unfortunately, some clients miss that part of the equation. They think my ‘setup’ or my ‘process’ alone is what makes the difference. Let’s put it this way, anyone can drive a race car and make it go fast but only someone who really knows how to drive can win a race. That’s the knowledge and skill that are involved.
So, I have to say work is frustrating at times because of this. I make really good money to do what I do and I am very happpy for it but I would like to get a little bit more credit than some people give me at times, especially given that there have been so many projects and teams that I have been a part of where the work was sos successful it won an award (and I can’t tell you how many times that has happened).
So, one of my big to-dos for the yearr is to think of a better way to market myself to make it clear the full extent of abilities I have.
I have to do a website which I have been putting off forever. That’s the perfectionist in me but I am coming to realize perfection can’t stand in the way of things getting done.
That isn't to say I can’t improve in areas, I am well aware of my shortcomings when it comes to work. I know them quite well and I still want to get better. You’d think after a certain amount of time things just stop but the truth of the matter is if you don’t keep trying to get better at what you do you wind up being behind the curve.
Through the years, I’ve prided myself in knowing as much as I can about the applications I work in. One of the things I dislike about freelancing as opposed to a staff gig or permalancing somewhere is that I am often called in to put out fires.
Putting out fires is not fun and going one step further there inevitably comes a time when you can’t put out a blaze because the client or someone on that end of the equation has let things smoulder for far too long.
I’ve gotten better though about pushback in recent years. Part of it is because I realize as much as I want to please people, I’m doing myself and them no favors putting myself into a lose-lose situation. If I do, it weakens my brand, or put another way, I become the easy object of blame, the fall guy if you will.
I’m not into being anyone’s fall guy anymore. While I will go to extreme lengths to keep clients happy I’m just not willing to destroy my reputation due to someone else’s screw up.
While I do a lot more production than design, I have design chops. I’m not passing myself off as the world’s greatest designer mind you and I’ve worked with super talented people whose skills I am envious of but I do know what I’m doing. I’m better than I was years ago and years ago I was working as a designer more than I do these days. I’ve had a few clients over the last year or so comment on my design abilities and I’m truly flattered greatly when that happens because it’s one area where I really DO want to be better.
Yet, I still run across people who get it wrong...
See, I’m fast.
That is to say given the choice between noodling around with a mouse, I would just as soon use some keyboard shortcuts and do things by the numbers. When I say by the numbers I mean in the sense of moving things around or positions elements on a page or layout. People will watch me work and they’ll be floored by how fast I am BUT that’s all they see.
They don’t get it.
I could be fast as fast can be but if I didn’t have an intrinsic understanding of design and where I wanted things to go when I’m moving them, I wouldn’t be anything other than fast. Unfortunately, some clients miss that part of the equation. They think my ‘setup’ or my ‘process’ alone is what makes the difference. Let’s put it this way, anyone can drive a race car and make it go fast but only someone who really knows how to drive can win a race. That’s the knowledge and skill that are involved.
So, I have to say work is frustrating at times because of this. I make really good money to do what I do and I am very happpy for it but I would like to get a little bit more credit than some people give me at times, especially given that there have been so many projects and teams that I have been a part of where the work was sos successful it won an award (and I can’t tell you how many times that has happened).
So, one of my big to-dos for the yearr is to think of a better way to market myself to make it clear the full extent of abilities I have.
I have to do a website which I have been putting off forever. That’s the perfectionist in me but I am coming to realize perfection can’t stand in the way of things getting done.
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