I am repurposing this memo I originally wrote in 2000 for a group of college kids touring our agency. I find that a lot of this holds true and I need to continue to share it with my “art younglings” that come on board.
Top 15 Things They Didn’t Teach Me in College
1: How an agency makes money and how I get paid
2: Working hard is not the same as working smart
3: Command keys are your best friends
4: The fact that not everything I do is a Da Vinci. It’s not all going in my book. Be realistic about what to spend the extra finesse on and what I just need to get out the door.
5: How to interpret a client or account executive’s feedback (or even your Creative Director’s).
They’re not out to get you
6: Sure it’s a cool font, but can I read it? Design is for practical purposes too…and making sure it fits the assignment.
7: The difference between not just presenting my work, but selling my work.
8: What the hell CMYK means, and what a
a loupe is for.
9: What mistakes really do cost, and how I avoid them.
10: I don’t get respect automatically starting out on the bottom rung, I earn it.
11: How to direct photography.
12: I should not be busy assuring these people about what I know…but open to learning things I don’t – and realizing that we are all always learning…
13: My portfolio is my bread and butter. Always work on it, always keep it up to date. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS JOB SECURITY!!!!!
14: What is good design. What is hot, what is not. How to stay up to date and fresh.
15: To always keep my creative juices flowing. If I am not doing it at work…I need to do it at home. Always feed my creative self. Keep myself fulfilled.
Flora is an award-winning creative director in Chicago turned food and lifestyle blogger extraordinaire. She is also author to the popular BEE NATIVE! gardening book series and various children's books that celebrate the wonder and hard work of bees and butterflies. Her blog and social spaces inspire thousands to create, learn, cook, grow, and craft, making their world lovelier one pixel/petal/seed/bite/stitch/brushstroke at a time. Follow her on all the social spaces, YouTube, and Amazon, and get creative!
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