"Stop! I want to get off." Having a creative career crisis.
Modern society asks us to all be the most successful versions of ourselves, to strive for that perfect career, have the perfect house, perfect car - but the success that I have found is through going against the norm, and not caring what people think (still working on that).
As a designer you may start as an intern then junior, middle-weight, senior, lead, and then probably some sort of creative director role. This is the career ladder I had been running towards my whole life, yet, a few rungs up the ladder I paused. "Stop, wait, I think I want to get off!". This linear path only seems to lead to less design and more people management. It just didn't make any sense to me?
I had worked my ass off for years to get good at my job. I was just starting to find my feet, creatively, producing work I was proud of and my managers wanted to reward me with a 'promotion' to design team leader - or some other such title. So the pat on the back for becoming good at my job was to do less of it and instead mentor others. Now don't get me wrong, I have worked under some* incredible Creative Directors and Senior Designers (*some utter shite ones too), and I wouldn't be the designer I am without them. We do need senior roles to take young designers under their wings - but I didn't see a way to progress at 'just' being a designer. Or even somewhere in the middle.
This realisation floored me. I panicked. I'd arrived where I thought I needed to be only to find it wasn't what I wanted.
What did I do? What any sensible person would do, is decide on a complete change of life and start researching how to retrain as a vet, physio, farmer... I was lost and I panicked. I just needed to get out, get back up north, back to the fresh air and take a minute.
Taking that jump off the ladder felt like a failure. But why should it? There doesn't have to only be one way? I have always lived with this impending reality of how short life is. It's terrifying and liberating all at once. I never want to get stuck in a career I hate, to just get swept along because that is the 'easier' or expected path. Life is too damn short.
So what should you do if the classic career ladder isn't everything you expected it to be?
Go it alone. Being freelance, or a consultant - means you get to do all of the work (and then some!). You're the master of your own destiny, your hours, and your rates, but it is not easy. You have to wear many hats and in fact, a lot of your time gets gobbled up running the business before you get to do the bit you're paid for. But if you're looking for security, then maybe this isn't the route for you.
Talk to your manager. Speak up about what you want out of your job. If the obvious progression for you doesn't feel right, ask what other options there are. Businesses are becoming much better at listening to their employees (sometimes). If you don't ask, you don't get.
Split the difference. If you're feeling unfilled in your current role, but can't/don't want to go it alone, maybe ask about going part-time and dedicate the rest of your week to testing the waters of what you REALLY want to be doing.
Work in a small team. Many in-house jobs or jobs within smaller companies will only have a small design team so you'll be able to get stuck in with the majority of the work and have a small team to support you.
Panic and google how to become a farmer.
I took option one. Not intentionally. In fact I never saw myself setting up an agency. Having to be the ‘big wig’ in the room, schmoozing clients and telling everyone what to do - no thank you. But what I did want is control over who I work with, what projects I work on, and what hours I keep. I started to realise I didn’t have to set up an agency like the ones before me, it could be different. There is another way - Off Grid.
If you don’t pave the way to change in your own life, no one else will do it for you.
Kim x