Your journey of self reflection begins with two simple steps

Self reflection offers you an opportunity for personal and professional growth. Growth that often occurs through reflecting on experiences and expanding your perspective. In the spirit of self reflection and growth in a graphic design context, I ask you, have you identified the skills you bring to the creative table? What about areas you need to improve? Your journey begins by answering two simple questions. What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses?

The practice of turning your focus inward and being brutally honest with yourself can be challenging:

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All joking aside, your journey of self reflection is worth the inner struggle for it results in clarity, establishes direction and starts you on the path to achieving your next personal and/or professional goal.

What are your strengths? 
Identifying your strengths enables you to pin point qualities that perhaps only you posses empowering you to shout these unique, stand out qualities from the rooftop! OK, not the rooftop but in your communication with clients, creative directors and potential employers. The rationale behind my last blog entry building a better ladder doesn’t only apply when you’re concepting for clients. It directly applies to how you promote yourself and how your intended audience perceives you. Having a strengths list at the ready is an excellent resource as you edit your résumé, write cover letters, update your portfolio, interview, promote your brand and build your ladder.

What are your weaknesses? 
Additional benefits present themselves when referencing that dreaded list of weaknesses too. Is this not an excellent starting point of “to-dos” encouraging you to become a more effective visual communicator? You’ve basically self-identified action steps to make you more marketable in an extremely competitive field.

In another previous blog post, things I’ve learned about visual communication during my lifetime, I cite the contrast between a design school environment where inspiration abounds (other designers’ work, examples the professors show, etc.) to the environment of working in the industry where those vital inspirations are sometimes more difficult to discover. Keeping that weaknesses list on hand ensures you always have areas to improve, keeps you inspired and ultimately enhances your strengths list.

In conclusion
I hope working as a visual communicator you’re always thinking, questioning, finding more effective ways to emotionally connect with consumers, and yes, enhancing your own skill sets. Your journey of self-reflection truly begins with asking those two questions. What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? Use your chosen strengths for stability and support and your weaknesses as a personal mission of growth, self-motivation and inspiration.