10.05 Studio News
Rolling Forward
Contents
1. October's Studio
2. Knowledge Verses Experience
3. This Month's Super Links
4. Wrap-Up
October's Studio
Autumn greetings! This fall season here has been lovely. Though lacking in rain, it's been one great, sunny day followed by another. It's perfect for getting out for bike rides, football games, festivals, gathering winter firewood--all the autumn stuff. In the past month, I launched an update to my design website, Asolare Design (www.asolaredesign.com). I've hit some art festivals and software conferences--and have my first "business trip", a web design job, coming up in a week. As I continue to establish myself as a professional designer/illustrator, I'm beginning to understand that just because it doesn't happen overnight doesn't mean you're a failure. Just takes a little patience, perseverance, and plain ol' optimism.
I hope that the first issue of my Studio News was interesting; if you missed it, I have links for all newsletters on my website, www.asolaredesign.com. If you have a comment or suggestions, please feel free to drop a line. I'm all ears! Take care this month and may you enjoy this second one!
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Knowledge Verses Experience
In addition to art and design, one of my other joys in life is participating in sports. For the most part, the fun for me comes from the experience rather than having expertise or skills. I'm usually one of the slower runners in a race, or one of the last bikers in from a long day's ride. But I still love it.
Learning to play a sport or paint a picture is pretty much the same as anything else. There are three essentials involved: knowledge, skills, and experiences. Recognizing the difference between them, I think, is key to finding satisfaction and joy in whatever you might do in life.
Knowledge is just that: knowing. Facts are involved, like knowing the capital of France or the species of a tree. It's hit-or-miss--you either know it or you don't. With knowledge, there's no hierarchy involved because everyone can know the same facts.
Take running, for instance. I know a lot about running. I know about over-pronation, anaerobic thresholds, and speed workouts. I am still one of the slower runners in a race. Knowing about running doesn't change my speed or ability.
Skill is performing. It's painting a still life or bouncing a basketball. Skill IS hierarchical. If you test a team of players on a skill, one will be the best and one will be the worst, with the rest falling in-between.
My skill as an off-road mountain biker is below average. I love it--the thrill, the dirt, the scrapes. But I'm not good at it.
Experiences just are what they are. And experiences are unique to each person. In elementary school, picking teams for dodgeball was a fun experience for those who got picked right away. For the last, unwanted person, it was not a fun experience. There's no knowledge in experience, you just have them all the time. But you can learn from them. There's no skills acquired by experience, but you might improve upon a skill you have. An experience is usually good or bad, and then it passes on. There's no hierarchy; it doesn't make a difference how someone else experiences something.
My running and biking experiences have been overwhelmingly good. I do enjoy learning about them and trying to improve my skills, but what keeps me going is my positive experience with them. We each can choose to have positive experiences with limited skills or to have negative experiences even if we have better-than-average skills. Lance Armstrong may be frustrated by his time at the end of the Tour de France, but my mom can be exhilarated when she finishes a 2-mile race.
Your experience is your own choice. You have the freedom to make the most of whatever your situation is--or to let it frustrate you. Having skills and knowledge can help you achieve goals in your life, but enjoying your life comes from your own experience. The good thing is that learning to enjoy an experience is something anyone can do.
Inspired by a November 2005 Runner's World article, "Learning to Run"
by John Bingham
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This Month's Super Links
The following are a few of my favorite links for designers, featuring industry news, job listings, tips, forums, articles, you name it:
All Freelance Work--a vast resource for freelancers with job searches, tips, and information
www.allfreelancework.com
About's Graphic Design Resources--a plethora of articles and tips on running your own business, going on your first interviews, getting your portfolio together, resumes...
www.graphicdesign.about.com
Lynda.com--with software tutorials, software tips, web design examples, etc.
www.lynda.com
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Wrap-Up
Thanks again for your time and interest this month!
If you have any comments, suggestions for future newsletters,
questions, tips, etc., please feel free to drop me a line.
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