Been thinking an awful lot lately, why did you become a designer? In truth I never wanted to be, My one love in life was comic book art, the amazing characters and the dynamism of the artwork. I was a good illustrator but could not fathom the talent of those who I admired
So I quit, I cast aside my dream, because like a dream it felt fictional, I merely did not have the talent. A tutor of mine at college, Brian Sweet, one of the most talented individuals Iâve ever had the pleasure of being taught by, saw my drawings in a book of mine
âWhatâs this boyo?â It was always nothing to me, but Brian couldnât and wouldnât let it go. He saw micro potential in anything. He asked me if I could bring in all my drawings and show him. âYouâve got great ideas in these Jamesâ I wasnât entire sure what he was talking about but
I went with it. He went on to tell me about an industry called âGraphic Designâ he filled my head again with huge ambition and inspired me to pursue a new path. Christ, I wasnât that bad at it, I looked at an industry and it all finally felt attainable.
Perhaps Iâm lazy, if I worked truly hard enough I wouldnât be writing this tweet, but plans change, minds change, you change. Never give up on dreams, old or new. If you want it enough, youâll eventually make it work.
If I could pass on anything to someone heading into this industry it would be to dream big as you can but carry a realistic mindset. Thereâs a chance landing your first job will take a year, maybe even two, but that doesnât make you used goods or have a shelf life, talent wins
It took me almost a year and a half to land my first job, it wasnât my dream job by a very long stretch of the imagination, but it taught me what I truly wanted going forward, everything is a lesson. Time moves on, before you know it youâll have worked for all your dream agencies
But, your career isnât a destination, stop trying to complete the video game, relish in the joy of each level, play it back if you have to, start again, play the same level on loop, besides, itâs a game with a lot of bloody levels
if itâs not for you, pick another game

