[Cemetery Man]

Okay, I realize this post is a little off subject, but I've been reading all of the posts and replies on this board for a couple of months now and have noticed the great deal of information so many of you have to offer and I can tell that a great many of you are very talented proffesionals. So, my question has to do with me and a choice I need to make concerning my proffesional future. I feel that I'm stuck in a rut. Sping of 2000 I graduated from a 2 year college with a degree in Graphic Design. I learned a lot about how to use programs such as Photoshop, Illustrator, Quark, etc, but that was about all I learned. Mainly we just made logos in Illustrator afterward to teach us the creative stuff. I learned the hard way that you can't get a job in Graphic Design with a portfolio full of logos. All I would hear was "not enough experience." But that was all I had and that was all I was taught, so what else was I supposed to do? Luckily I got a job soon after graduation at a printing company were I have worked a little over a year now . I have learned a LOT about the printing side of the design world but as far as creativity goes, you just don't do anything creative in a pre-press department at a printing company. It's mostly fixing mistakes that designers make so that the jobs can be printed. I guess my question is were do I go from here? I want nothing more that to develope my creative skills along with the technical skills I am learning now, but how? I'm sure some of you have been in the same situation I'm in now and have gotten out of it and moved on to become the talented profesionals you are today. Or maybe some of you were lucky enough to have skipped over this stumping period and just keep developing your skills without a hold-up. Any advice to get me out of this rut I'm in would help me out soooo much I'm sure.

Thanks for your time and sorry for the lengthiness.
-A-

[bluedog]

I hear your pain. I've been working for 5 years now, but starting out was a disorienting process. If you don't have experience but feel up to the challenge, put together some self-promotional pieces and mail them to the agencies you want to work for. They can later be used in your portfolio.

I started by working in a small internal mktg department as their only trained design person. There were several people who without more than Quark training from a class or two here or there who did some internal work. Most outside sell sheets and ads were done by myself. I learned *a lot* by being the one they relied upon.

Your experience in pre-press can make you valuable in preparing and doing art production. This may not be the most creative work, but you usually get a chance to include your own creativity into some work. From there you can build a portfolio of work and perhaps work into a Art Director, Design or Senior Graphic Designer position.

The biggest hurdle will be getting the experience first. I suggest looking at non-traditional design possiblities like in-house marketing or creative groups in larger companies. They often don't want to pay the higher salaries required for a full-time established designer, not to mention the risk they take that the new employee may not enjoy the work long enough to stay. In your case, you may be willing to take a year or two of semi-creative in-house work (where you get to call the shots on creativity and flex your own design experience).

To become the best creative director, you should have a solid production experience, a great portfolio of work and demonstrate the ability to express ideas in a clear and creative way. In the position's I've held, I haven't been able to exercise a lot of my own creative design. I do have a great portfolio and would be up to the challenge of new work. I studied fine art in school and learned all the design apps on my own out of sheer curiosity and desire. I'm currently working as a 'production artist' with creative leverage on smaller projects and leaving larger campaigns to the art directors.

In your case, you were asking for more creative learning. It sounds like you have the desire and want to learn more and improve your creativity. My experience brought me to graphic design because I was getting a 4 year degree and couldn't see myself doing anything but art and liking it for long. I loved art and creative expression and loved the technology of computers (both since I can remember). What better profession than the combining of the two.

If you want to better your creative skills, try finding some local art classes or read a lot of the design magazines and books. There are tons of people who have written books with the desire to inspire your creativity. Some are good, some are horrible. Sit down at a local bookstore and see which you like.

Good luck. Someone will be willing to give you a chance, and you can take it from there. I think some free quick jobs for a local business could help you build a respectable portfolio if you do it in your spare time, then mailing some self-promotional pieces to a few business you want to shoot for with a follow-up call and showing genuine interest in a company goes a long way.

[ 09-10-2001: Message edited by: bluedog ]

[MikeM32]

Sounds like wer'e in the same boat

The thing with me was I was obsessed with my creativity from the age of 13 until like 18 or so, then I just changed. I changed on purpose due to the rather isolated life style of my own self imposed artistic exhile from mankind (I know this sounds all melo-dramatic, but's it's true!)

So I partied my @$$ off after High school, worked crappy jobs (some actually in printing as a press operator) joined the Navy for 2 years, got married, got divorced. Ended up right back where I started, with basically nothing but the rediculous notion that I could somehow change what I love to do.

So at the age of like 26 / 27 I decided I'd actually go to college. Then I lost my crappy job at a pharmacuetical warehouse (as a temp for like 3 years )

So with one semester of college under my belt I sent out resumee's like crazy and landed a job less than one month after I lost my previous one. And I got my foot in the door in a field that actually relates to what I should have been persuing right out the door from High School.

So basically all I had to do was try, and I succeeded. I'm in pre-press myself, and your'e right about it not being so creative, but I know from dealing with so many designers work, and fixxing thier mistakes, that It's more I can incorporate into a potential TRUE design career. All that extra "time=money" saved from fewer hours tinkering with my files in a service bureau/pre-press environment will definitely mean something to someone.

Actually the great thing about this first commercial art related job is that I didn't know jack about typesetting prior to it. I've had some great on the job experience that they just don't teach in college anymore, and have gained a true appreciation for yet another visual artform. Prior to this all I was interrested in was Illustration, Animation and the Fine Arts end of Visual Art. Now I can add typography and production knowledge to my list of talents and skills

My problem is that I'm sorta creatively blocked. Prior to my abandonment of my art (as I mentionned above) I had a real "fire" of creativity and inspiration. Now I'm lucky if I'm inspired to even do a personal creative project, and I've started quite a few (meaning lots of un-finished art).

Mike

[Cemetery Man]

Thanks for the input. Its good to know that people understand what I'm talking about. I will definatly start focusing on the advice you have given and hope to better myself creativly. This winter I plan on taking some art classes at a local college and ASAP I will start working on some self promotional stuff. Thanks again, I think this will get me on the right track if i really work at it.
-A-