Anyone who used to follow my former blog in the early days (circa 2013-2015) might recall that I struggled to pick a lane when it came to design.
This wasn’t just because I enjoy the design process (though I definitely do!). There were also deeper things at play: things not looking quite how I wanted them to; fear of visibility leading me to hide out behind-the-scenes; not being able to lean into self-trust or self-belief.
When we’re stuck in a cycle of regularly tearing everything down and starting over from scratch, it can really wear us down. And I’m not talking about strategic, intentional rebrands here, but repeatedly not giving our work a chance to gain real traction before we hit the brakes and start over.
If you’re currently in this place, please know that you are not alone, and I can wholeheartedly relate! In this post, I’m sharing a few thoughts on what keeps us here, and some ideas for moving forward.
What keeps us here?
You’re stuck in ‘the gap’
I think this is the biggest one for me. These days, design inspiration abounds. There are so many super polished Instagram feeds and Pinterest accounts at our fingertips. This can be incredibly inspiring – and can also leave us feeling like we don’t measure up.
This short video on ‘the gap’, a concept coined by writer and This American Life producer Ira Glass, is an inspiring watch about what it means to be stuck in this place – and how to find a way through.
‘Nobody tells people who are beginners - and I really wish somebody had told this to me - is that all of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there’s a gap. And the first couple of years that you’re making stuff, what you’re making isn’t so good. It’s not that great. It’s trying to be good, it has ambition to be good but it’s not quite that good. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is good enough that you can tell that what you’re making is kind of a disappointment to you. A lot of people never get past that phase. A lot of people, at that point, they quit.’
‘...You gotta know, it’s totally normal, and the most important possible thing you could do, is do a lot of work….because it’s only by going through a volume of work that you’re actually going to catch up and close that gap, and the work you’re making will be as good as your ambitions.’
You’re uprooting things too soon
Building things that matter to us requires faith. It takes time for the seeds we plant to germinate and grow. When things don’t happen straight away, we can be tempted to rip up what we have planted and start again with a different arrangement.
I’m not a proponent of sticking with things that aren’t working or are making us miserable simply because we’ve already invested time in them. But sometimes we just need to keep the faith and give the things we create a chance to bloom in the first place.
Becoming more aware of how my energy and mood can shift throughout the month has really helped with this. In particular, learning from my friend and mentor Jen Wright, founder of the Aligned Community, that there’s a time when self-criticism is more likely to show up (the autumn/luteal phase of the menstrual cycle) – and equally, a time when intuition can be heightened (the winter/bleed phase) – has been key. Also, it’s important to tune into our own individual rhythms and patterns.
Now, when I feel this urge to rip things up and start over, I can sit with it and know to come back at a different point to see how things feel. You can read more about cyclical working and living in my interview with Jen, including how you can work with the lunar cycle if you don’t menstruate.
A lack of a clear vision
Often, when we’re tempted to uproot things, it’s because those roots weren’t strong enough to begin with. When we have a strong foundation, we can weather storms and doubts more easily, and stand firm in what it is we set out to do.
As with any creative process, taking the time to set a clear vision can make all the difference. It’s important to remember that design is not just how something looks, but how it works. If we’re clear about what we want to do, who we want to serve, and what action or change we want to facilitate, we can make more intentional decisions. When our work is rooted in this vision, we can also be more objective about whether or not something is really working.
If you’re not sure where to start, I have a post on my freelance website on how to create a strong mission statement which may help.
You’re avoiding doing the scary thing (sorry!)
This comes with an apology because it can feel a little confronting, but please know that I share this with love, as someone who has spent countless hours tweaking colour palettes and fonts, rather than doing what I really needed to be doing (for me, writing).
If you think I’ve had a fair few rebrands over the years, trust me when I say there have been plenty more projects that have never seen the light of day! Over and over again, I would make something that never felt quite right. Have I learned a lot from this process? Sure! My design skills have come on leaps and bounds, and this has also served my client work through now being able to offer services like creating graphics for social media. I’ve even made my own sets of social media templates.
But has this also been a space for me to hide over the years? Absolutely. And over time, not launching has taken its toll. While making things just for ourselves can be incredibly rewarding, sharing our work can help us develop and move forward. As well as opening us up to feedback and connection, finding the courage to release our work into the world helps make space for fresh ideas to come in.
If you feel like you’re stuck in perpetual (re)design or branding mode, my best tip is to start simple and allow space for your ideas to evolve. In part two, we’ll delve a bit deeper into how we can move forward from this place. And if you’re happy to share, I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences in the comments too.
I really enjoyed this. I liked, "If you feel like you’re stuck in perpetual (re)design or branding mode, my best tip is to start simple and allow space for your ideas to evolve." I have allowed this more myself. I'm another one of those "got to know it all first, have it all lined up, figured out, then I will spring it." But I don't know it all, nothing is lined up, and the clock is ticking. So, I gave myself permission to just share. Do it wrong and not all the strategies or hashtags or whatever the heck, and I'm starting to just share what I've been making. I've started the easy way... I'm sharing what I make on my graphic design job. It shows that I can do stuff. Next, I made an account for my art. Next, I share on there. I have a note app with bits that I've collected to figure out about "Pillars of social media" "creating a mission statement" "optimizing hashtags", "designing a website" etc. And, I'll get there, or I won't. In the meantime, I started sharing. Imperfect and all.
I enjoyed this even before I realised I got a super lovely mention - thank you! Love the way you’ve talked about uprooting too soon vs leaving things to seed and germinate. And you’re absolutely right - sometimes we are just avoiding doing what’s necessary. Looking forward to part two!