People constantly learn and try to become better in their fields. But there are times when you can’t just keep up with the pressure of seeing others being better at things you are trying so hard to be good at. As we all know that to be perfect at something takes plenty of time, but we are so impatient that we want everything right now and right here on a silver plate. Sadly, but we can only dream about it.
This article will provide some essential tips to keep yourself motivated and inspired. Tips are based on my personal experience as a design student. Hopefully, this article will keep you motivated and you will continue to develop you skills.
1. PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
I am sure we all know this and have heard thousands of times, but it is so tough just to keep going and going when you don’t see a progress in your works. Maybe you are so harsh on yourself that you don’t even notice that there are small changes and you are progressing. I agree that there are people who have born with a talent and others just have to work harder to get to the point where talented ones are. But that’s the way it is and if you are really dedicated to a thing you do, just keep doing and practicing everyday or at least twice a week.
2. DON’T GIVE UP
The worst thing for beginners is to give up. It is the most easiest thing to do when things don’t work as you have planned! People who have achieved exceptional skills in different fields didn’t become pros in just one month or even a year. If it was that easy, we would have been all great at something and it would not be anything special at all.
I know from my own experience how frustrated you feel about your own projects, skills if they are compared to others’ magnificent masterpieces! I have been learning to sketch all by myself for the past half a year and just looking at some product design sketches on the internet, my jaw just drops down from a shock how good those people are! And I am sitting in my chair and wondering about what I am doing here? Creating a blog and posting sketches that are not even close to those that you can see on the internet. And then I just say to myself “But this is the exact reason why I have created this blog – to show other people my journey to becoming excellent in product sketching!”
And you know, just remembering the reason why you are doing something, is enough to not to give up! Stay true to yourself!
3. KEEPING IT COOL
As you manage to continue doing what you are doing, you will meet people who are just like you, but with excellent skills. So what if everyone all around is better than you? Do you think that they don’t know that? Of course they do, but it doesn’t mean that in the future it will be the same. I can give you my personal experience about this. When I entered a design college, I could barely understand what I am doing with a pencil in my hand. I didn’t have knowledge of how to draw a cube or sphere and all I could do was staring at classmates’ polished works and keep practicing. And after four years, I was at the top of the class and those who were good at the beginning, didn’t develop and stayed where they were four year ago. That’s why my advise to you is to keep it cool! You will also shine one day. They may exceed you in everything, but only you know that it won’t be for a long time because you are already practicing more than they are! Hard work pays back!
4. HAVE A HIDDEN ATTITUDE
Always have an attitude to everything someone says to you. Feel the adrenaline when you hear someone saying that you are not good enough at what you do. Do you hear blood pumping in your head? Yes? Good! And with this feeling just say to yourself that you will show everyone what you are made of! Nothing more keeps me motivated that other people criticism or confidence that they are better than me. There were multiple moments in my life when I just couldn’t let myself to give up just because someone told me I won’t achieve a thing in my life.
Even if you are beaten up (physically) don’t forget to smile and keep going, because you know that you will have a last laugh!
5. MAKE A PAIR OF THICK SKIN FOR YOURSELF
Image by samsfadil
Having a so called ‘thick skin’ will help you to achieve your goals. There are many people in the world who will try their best to keep you off the stage. Pros that have been specialists in their field for a long time, can sense your potential and no one wants to loose a warm and secure place of their own. I am not saying that all people are like this, but you have to be ready for that.
If you are ready to hear critic, you will progress faster. Because we learn from mistakes and if you don’t want to hear a bad feedback of your works, you won’t know how to become better. And you know that the next time will be finer than the previous one!
The toughest one survives and that is not about muscle power, but how physical strong you are!
