My top three hard skills that inform my artistic wheelhouse, I would say are; illustrator, photography and web design. I feel like I am strong in illustrator because I feel confident in trying to create lots of different types of illustrations whether I really know how to draw it at first. The tools in illustrator have turned me into someone who draws without having really drawn much in the past. The amount of growth that I experienced in this area was the greatest change in my skillset so far. There is so much I can do in illustrator that I was never able to draw and make so efficiently than with pen and paper. I chose photography because this is a hard skill that I’ve been practicing for the longest. I feel most comfortable with a camera in my hand while I am building my confidence in the computer/digital space! I also find that my understanding of photography and color has informed a good amount of my taste and intuition for design. Lastly I choose web design (figma, html/css) because this area has been my biggest challenge, but also the most satisfying to conquer. I am still far from where I want to be in web design, but I know that this has the potential to become one of my strongest skills. The satisfaction I experience when I get an app prototype hi fidelity and to my liking, or when I layout my dreamweaver file nice and tidy and the code is really working… I get this certain rush that I hadn’t felt before. I think it’s a mixture of feeling both smart and creative because web design can be a pretty balanced display of both of those attributes. Being a designer who is leaning towards the generalist area, balance in skillset is really important to me.
My top three soft skills are easy-going, open-minded and assertive. I have always had a more laidback personality, I feel like having this calm presence has naturally helped others feel comfortable around me. I think having a serene demeanor makes people see the longevity in holding a friendship or business relationship. At least for me, I think that I get burnt out quickly with people who are very out there simply because I can’t keep up with it all of the time, social exhaustion is very real, and in a creative field you want to avoid that as much as possible. I think sometimes people find me as a breath of fresh air to be around in comparison to that. Lots of the speakers have also mentioned that a big part of landing that job is being someone who can hang! I won’t be the most vibrant character of the room but I think I provide a nice space for everyone to not have to socially perform. I am accepting and open minded, and will talk to you about anything! I can come across as quiet and shy but in reality I’m just a present slowly unwrapping itself, and I take patience. In that unraveling you will find that really nothing is off-limits with me, as reserved as I appear. I think that also piques people’s interests because they would expect me to be fairly one dimensional and quiet, but really I know lots of things and can keep up with any topic of discussion. I am open to others ideas and actively want others to be heard. I think it’s important not to dominate a room, and making space for others is part of being open and respectful. Lastly, I am assertive. Being a decisive person, and someone who isn’t afraid to express how they feel contributes to my realness as a person I suppose. Yes, I am well-mannered and open-minded, but I can’t stand to hide my emotions, I’m really bad at it. When I feel I need to, I will always defend others/myself and make my thoughts known. Just as I am respectful and inquisitive of others ideas, I have to express my ideas and feelings with confidence as well and hope it is received in a way that honors and elevates me and how I move through a space.
Hard skills desired: even stronger web design skills, motion graphics, and logo/branding skills. Soft skills desired: friendliness and effectiveness in expressing ideas.
With stronger web design skills I will only elevate my marketability to employers. I want to become a great coder and a great figma user. Visualizing and aiding in the process of developing design systems and aesthetics of online/mobile presence means a lot for my skillset and my bank account. Motion graphics, logo branding skills to me feel just as important. Being a web designer who is also well versed in a couple of really creative visual designing techniques would make me a powerhouse of a designer. One man army is the goal 🙂