Values
Here are 5 key values that really matter to me. These are in the context of more everyday life but I wouldn't want to forsake these values in my design work either, as they almost all involve showing kindness and respect for others. I've also defined these values by what they mean to me.
Empathy
Understanding
Curiosity
Growth
Respect
Listen and try to put yourself in the shoes of others to understand their issues as much as possible
Be willing to listen and grow to understand people's different ideals, and how every person has a unique background that shaped who they are today.
Always be willing and eager to learn new things and broaden your horizons to new ideas and points of view. New experiences are always the path to bettering yourself
People should strive to improve in anyway they can and better themselves in day to day life.
Give everyone basic respect and decency regardless of background. Every person has something of value to contribute, and deserves a chance to have their voices be heard.
Defining
Place a score next to each of your chosen values where 1 indicates you are really not really living this value and 5 indicates that you live this value so consistently you could be the poster child or it.
Empathy- 5
Understanding- 4
Curiosity- 3
Growth- 2
Respect- 4
Taking charge
Select the one or two values that you feel are most critical to your success and happiness and that are potentially the most out of whack in your current educational and professional trajectory.
Growth
Curiosity
I always believed in these two values for my every day life and I know my design work benefits from them as well. On a personal level I always tried to grow and better myself in anything I do. I've never believed in innate talent, but I always believed that with practice and constant improvement, people can reach their goals. Curiosity goes in hand with growth as well, because I believe there always has to be a desire to learn new things and paths in order to find what you need to improve. Those ideals I always believed in my personal life, but even so I feel like I haven't pushed these values in my design work like I should be. Some time last year as I grew more comfortable in my Design skills, I started to lean on those learned skills more instead of push myself to learn new ones. Looking back now I see the effect this stagnation had on my work, as it looks like my personal progress slowed down. Instead of pushing myself to grow more, I was content to let my current skills carry me, and I was less willing to go explore and find new ways to improve. Looking back now it seems ridiculous that I would choose to do that, and I know the only way forward to really push those ideals back into my work. I don't plan on slowing down, I don't want to slow down my design progress and I gotta focus so I don't lose my path again.
So here is my plan going forward to keep my values and ideals in my designs to push myself forward;
- Strive to learn something thing new for every project.
- In terms of thesis, I will look into motion techniques that I think will be useful for my projects, looking for new skills to learn every week and take the time to learn them.
- I will foster my creativity by researching into projects that are in the field of where I think my thesis will take me, namely in creating visual experiences. I also want to continue looking into possibly making it virtual reality.
Pursue your passions
What would I do with my life if money weren't an issue?
I would get immersed in countless different experiences and stories via video games, music, VR, and more. I would also want to create compelling stories myself.
What are my favorite activities?
I love getting deep into stories, from every angle.
What type of people am I drawn to?
People who enjoy similar things to me, as well as people who are open to new things and kind.
What kind of stories in the news always capture my interest?
Anything that pushes the boundaries of what we currently know, new discoveries in science, space, or something that has huge implication for future technologies. I distinctively remember getting excited for a concept of a space engine that would have near limitless power.
Passions and day-to-day activities
Was there a common thread across my responses?
All of my responses have something to do with finding new experiences for myself, and finding new stories and possibilities in the world.
Why do I love what I love? (What's the passion behind the passionate activity?)
I think I just love the idea of getting to experience new things, and in a world of routine, the best way to find new experiences is story, weather it be from books, music, or video games. I know many people love games, and even though I've played them my whole life, I haven't stopped often to ask WHY I love them. Now I think I understand that I really am after them for the experience, and video games are personally some of the best ways to experience brand new things. I truly think video games are a form of art and provide experiences that are so unique that there is something for everyone. I love the idea of creating something that really grips and resonates with people, something that even for just a moment, captures someone's mind fully and provide a small moment of escape.
Which of your underlying passions are most important to you?
This is a hard question, I'm not sure I can pick. I think I really like video games for providing beautiful experiences, but at the same note I love taking those experiences and creating new ones in design. I guess my passion stems more from what I find around me, I doubt I could create art without those sources of inspiration near me.
PURPOSE
What has been important to you while pursuing your degree?
Finding out what my art really means to me, and what feeling do I really want to evoke in the work I do.
What are you doing that fuels your passion?
I am immersing myself in work I find inspirational, and experiencing the work of professions that I one day wish to me in the future.
What are you working toward, and/or what have you accomplished that gives you a sense of purpose?
Honestly this question has stumped me. I've always been focused on the path, but I'm not sure where it leads yet, I have just focused on the journey.
Where are you headed after graduation?
I want to be in a place where I can create things that resonate with people. I am not sure exactly what that looks like yet.
Goals
Structure your goals in a way that makes it easy to achieve them by completing small steps by listing them in order of priority with the highest first so you can quickly identify them. Also, categorize your goals as short-, mid- or long-term, so you can develop more detailed steps to achieve each one:
Short-term is within the next year.
Mid-term is within the next one to two years.
Long-term is within the next three to five years.
Goal 1
Goal 2
Goal 3
Goal 4
Goal 5
Goal 6
Goal 7
(Short Term) -Understand what my brand looks like now and settle on a Design image that I want to present to the world
(Short Term)- Find a passion that I can develop into a career.
(Mid Term)- Find my niche that really speaks to me.
(Mid Term)- Have a good start in my freelancing career.
(Mid Term)- Share my work with others.
(Long Term)- Get to the standard of the masters in my field
(Long Term)- Develop a large scale project that speaks to myself and my passions