Carry On, Project Runway Style

Some days are stressful.

Some days you might feel like everything is just a little bit too overwhelming and you’ve reached your quitting point. However, this is the most important time to re-prioritize and re-focus your energy to carry on. As one of my favorite people in the world once said on an episode of Project Runway:

“The times when you most want to panic are the times you most need to take a deep breath and pull it together.” – Tim Gunn

This has been my new mantra. I have reached that level of frustration several times over the past couple of weeks. Frustration at myself for not being good enough and frustration at my situations for not magically working out. However, simply sitting around and moping about it is not going to accomplish anything. I have to pick myself up and keep on going. This is my “Make It Work” moment.

When I am picking myself up off the ground from my pile of sorrow and re-focusing my energy, I find it helpful to turn to my support group. My group of people who are there to listen to my woes and rants. Who support me no matter what and believe I can accomplish my goals even if I do not believe I can.

I encourage everyone to find their support system and lean on them in times of stress. Sometimes you need that little bit of encouragement and help in finding your way again.

I will leave you with the legendary catchphrase of Tim Gunn,

“Designers, make it work.”

Critique is Critical

When I entered college as a freshman, I was very much a ‘work by myself’ individual. As I’ve taken more design classes and matured I’ve realized that being a team player is a much more effective way to get things done.

When I was taking design classes as a freshman and beginning of sophmore year I worked by myself a lot of the time. I didn’t reach out to my peers around me very often to ask their opinion or critique and I only asked the opinion of my teacher when necessary. Sure, my projects weren’t bad but I feel that in seeking more critique and help I could have pushed my designs a lot further. Today I came across a blog post titled “Get Yourself a Crit Buddy” and it talked about how finding someone else to look at and critique your work is always a good idea. This can make your work even better than you thought possible. As I’ve gone through college, I’ve learned to value critique from others. Usually it involves getting ruthlessly cut down from peers or teachers (if you have that kind of teacher) but don’t take it personally! Critiques are not personal attacks on your character or you as a person. They help you better your work. I’ve learned to take advice from fellow students and peers and apply it to my projects and work.

This also applies to working on a team. Your team is your personal critique group. Our intern team here at LACD is constantly talking to each other about projects and events, getting each others opinions and feedback and relying on one another to help out. I believe critique is an essential part of being on a team.

Critique is critical! This doesn’t just apply to design projects, this applies to all aspects of school, work and internships. We’ve heard teachers tell us countless times to get our papers proof read by other students or have a second pair of eyes to help us with speeches, homework etc. Also we’ve all had to suffer through group projects in class which most of the time don’t end to well. However all of these are practice for being able to work with other and get feedback and critique from team members or workplace peers later in life. So get out there and get some critique!

The Power of Negative Thinking

I recently read an article titled “The Power of Negative Thinking”. I received the link in an email and I didn’t immediately pay attention to it since it had such a strange title. Most of us have been told throughout our lives to visualize the end goal. Picture your life with all your ambitions fulfilled and this will help you motivate yourself to achieve those goals. Personally, this is something that my parents and teachers have told me in the past. Look forward to what you want, visualize your perfect end result.

This article disagrees slightly. According to a study done by Gabriele Oettingen’s psychology lab at New York University, research has shown that visualizing our aims before they are achieved can backfire. Thinking about this positive, complete picture tricks our brains into thinking all the hard work has already been done. This means that it may cause the brain to relax and for our energy to seep away. See the exerpt from the article below:

“In the study, volunteers felt de-energized after visualizing success in an essay competition. In another, participants who fantasied about their goals for the coming week felt less energetic and achieved fewer of their goals.”

Interesting. So what are we supposed to do? Give up? Never think about the future ever? Thinking about the perfect future may cause us to gloss over thinking about the obstacles in our path to success. Thinking about this perfect life may be exciting but we shouldn’t lose sight of the challenges we have yet to conquer. Simple put, we need to be realistic. Obviously we should have our goals in mind and think about what we want to accomplish but it’s just as important to see the hurdles we have yet to face. This is called “mental contrasting”, thinking about your end goal while paying attention to where you are now and the difficulties between here and there.

 

To read the full article go here.

Switching Majors

Switching majors was the best thing I’ve ever done in my college career. It was a nerve wracking decision, however I now know that I’m right where I want to be. Should you do the same thing? When switching to a different major there are several things to think about beforehand. Being frustrated at the amount of schoolwork you have or not getting along with a professor are not good enough reasons to change majors. You’ll get your work finished and you’ll pass the class and move on. However if you are truly unhappy in your major or you feel passionate about another subject, then maybe you should switch directions.

Changing career directions is not something to take lightly. This is an important decision that will affect the rest of your career. There are some things to consider if you are thinking about switching. Graduating on time is a huge factor in the decision making. Many students may not want to or can’t afford to stay in college for more than 4 or 5 years. Staying in college for even an extra semester or two can be expensive and time consuming. Sometimes, however the classes you’ve already taken may be able to count towards the other major you are considering. This usually happens if you are switching majors within the same department or school. Talking with your advisor is the best way to decide if you can graduate in time and if not, would it be worth it to stay in school longer. You may also consider taking summer classes or having a heavier course load for a few semesters.

Then you should consider your skills and talents. Maybe you’re in a major that isn’t suited to what you’re skilled at. Bad at math but you’re majoring in physics? This may not be the place for you. Think about what you’re interested in life and what motivates you. What are your passions? What activities do you pursue in your free time? All these things could help inspire you in choosing a new major.

Are you switching because you fear there may not be a job after college? Do some research about the field you’re majoring in and talking to some professionals and professors. Sometimes the fear of the great unknown may prevent you from pursuing something you really love. Don’t let worry about finances stop you from going after a career that inspires and motivates you. Don’t choose a boring office job instead of doing something you love just because of money. Of course there are times when money is the thing that motivates you but don’t let it become the deciding factor. As liberal art majors, we have many opportunities that we don’t even know about. More and more companies are hiring liberal art students because of the communication and people skills we are developing during school. Sometimes the job you get after college will have nothing to do with your major simply because you have gained skills during school that are valuable to employers.

Then of course there’s one of the biggest reasons you want to change your major: you completely detest it. Classes don’t interest you and the whole thought of what your major entails puts you to sleep. You’re stressed, you’re bored, you’re not being challenged enough. These reasons alone is a big enough reason to change majors. For me, it was because I had lost interest in the subject I was studying. The actual career prospect I was facing was nothing like I imagined when I entered college and so I decided to switch to something that I felt strongly about (adding a second major was just the icing on the cake).

That being said, I encourage you to stick with the major you have chosen for at least a semester. Sometimes freshman or low level classes are not interesting and you just have to push through it to get to the exciting, challenging classes. No matter what you’re thinking about, always talk to your advisor. They will have the knowledge and the resources to help you fully decide on a plan of action. Also talk to your peers and professors. Those around you could lend you insight on the situation and even lend their own experiences and perspective.

No matter what, follow your dreams.