Embarking on the Visual Creator Journey – Setting Intentions

Today marks the beginning of a deeply personal and ambitious journey—a journey of transformation and discovery in the realm of visual creation. As I sit to type down this entry, the excitement is palpable, tinged with a hint of nervousness. After years of dreaming and pondering, I am finally setting forth on my quest to evolve from a passionate enthusiast into a skilled visual creator. I gave myself 90-Days. The decision to allocate 90 days for the journey of becoming a visual creator is rooted in several thoughtful considerations, each contributing to the overarching goal of achieving a significant transformation within a defined timeframe. Here’s why 90 days is a strategic choice for this ambitious endeavor:

  1. Psychological Commitment – It’s a timeframe that’s often cited in goal-setting theories for its effectiveness in fostering a strong psychological commitment to change.
  2. Habit Formation – Research suggests that it takes, on average, more than two months before a new behavior becomes automatic—66 days to be exact.
  3. Measurable Progress – This timeframe allows for setting short-term goals within the larger goal, making the process more manageable and less overwhelming.
  4. Adaptability –  A quarter of a year is an ideal period to review, adjust, and refine my learning process. It will offer the flexibility to pivot my focus based on what’s working and what’s not.
  5. Project Completion –  Ninety days allows for the completion of several small projects or a few larger ones, providing tangible evidence of your learning and progress. This period encourages the setting of project milestones, from initial concept sketches to completed designs, each step designed to build upon the last, culminating in a portfolio of work that showcases your new skills.
  6. Preparation for what’s Next – Finally, the 90-day journey is not just about the immediate goal of becoming a visual creator; it’s also about laying the groundwork for what comes next.

I know it will take longer to achieve my goal of a Visual Creator. Like many years to a lifetime, but I needed to start and have an accountability partner. This blog and you are my accountability partners. Congratulations!

The First Stumbling Block: WordPress

Before delving into the intricacies of design principles, color theories, and the myriad of skills I aim to master, the very first challenge I encountered was in an unexpected area: WordPress. My initial task of setting up this blog to document my journey became a learning curve in itself. WordPress, while immensely powerful and versatile, was a maze of options, settings, and choices. Themes, plugins, widgets… the list seemed endless. The irony wasn’t lost on me; here I was, about to embark on a journey to become a visual creator, and my first stumbling block was creating a virtual space for my thoughts and experiences.

This hurdle, however, underscored an important lesson right from the start—every aspect of creating, be it a blog or a brand, involves design thinking. Deciding on the layout, choosing a color scheme for the website, and even selecting fonts for readability, all required a creative decision-making process. It was a practical introduction to design that I hadn’t anticipated but deeply appreciated. I gave in to simplicity and stock photos for the time being.

Setting Intentions

With the website finally set up, albeit after a few hiccups and a lot of learning, it’s time to articulate my intentions for this journey:

To Learn: At the core, this journey is about learning—the skills, the principles, and the software that are the tools of the trade for any graphic designer.

To Create: I aim to bring ideas to life, to translate visions into visuals. This will involve a lot of trial and error, experimentation, and creativity.

To Share: This blog will serve as a platform not just for self-reflection, but also to share insights, tutorials, and experiences with anyone interested in graphic design, at any age or stage in their life.

To Grow: Beyond specific skills, this journey is about personal growth. It’s about challenging myself, stepping out of my comfort zone, and embracing a new identity as a creator.

Looking Forward

As I embark on this journey, I’m reminded that the path to mastering any craft is filled with challenges, learning opportunities, and moments of self-discovery. The first lesson learned even before touching a design tool was invaluable—embracing the unfamiliar and finding joy in the process of overcoming it.

So, here’s to the next 89 days of growth, creativity, and transformation. I invite you to join me on this adventure, to witness the evolution of not just a skilled visual creator, but a lifelong learner embracing every stumbling block as a stepping stone.

Thank you for being part of this journey. Let the adventure begin. (Yes I  realize I will most likely be talking to myself for quite awhile. I’ll need to throw some SEO classes in as well.)

Stay tuned for the next entry, where I’ll dive into the world of design principles, armed with nothing but a zeal to learn and a resolve to overcome whatever challenges come my way.