Shillington graduate, Natalia Baker, on facing your fears

Date

Jul 11, 2024

Many of us begin our graphic design education with a mix of excitement and nerves. Will I be good enough? Is this the right choice for me? Can I learn everything in time?

I felt the same mix of thrill and anxiety before starting Shillington.

Like everyone else, enrolling on the course was a huge decision - it was like finally saying, “This is what I want to do.” I kept piling expectation on top of self-doubt, unsure how everything would turn out.

The irony was, for all my conviction I wouldn’t be up to scratch, Shillington gave me more excitement and purpose than I’d ever had before. Coming out with a portfolio showing off my new skills was, by no exaggeration, life-changing.

A black and white illustration of a t-shirt with the text "I'M WITH STUPID" printed on it. Two cartoonish arms extend from the shirt, one pointing to the text and the other holding a knotted object, possibly representing tangled thoughts or confusion.

Giving yourself a hard time

For one thing, you can’t just switch off your Worry Annie nature. If, like me, she comes with the Axis of Evil sisters—Controlling and Perfectionist—well, you’re going to over-analyze almost everything and irritate almost everyone.

A hand holding a dollar bill and another hand holding a piece of paper that says "FEEDBACK: A+++" are shown. Below these, the text reads, "I'm not uptight, I just like to be sure." The illustration is in black and white.

On the other hand, that irrational fear of failure will keep you pushing to higher standards. Those traits might also be the reason you’ve got here in the first place.

Whatever your personality, everyone is susceptible to moments of self-doubt.

Maybe you’re nervous about a steep learning curve with the software. Perhaps you think others will be expecting more of you if you’ve already dabbled in graphic design or fine arts. You’ll have seen previous grads’ work and have zero clue how you’re going to produce work that good.

Everyone is in the same boat, battling their own demons, but the environment at Shillington is more supportive than you can imagine.

Natalia

Three people working at separate computer desks. Each person has a thought bubble: the first is thinking, "I bet she's way further ahead than me," the second is thinking, "I bet he's way further ahead than me," and the third is thinking, "I have no idea w

Shillington is like the opening scene of Mission Impossible (the last one) where Ethan Hunt is hanging off the side of an aeroplane taking off. Except it’s a movie and there’s a safety rope to catch you when your tiny Tom Cruise fingers finally give up on the 38th take.

You couldn’t ask for a better environment to try new things. When else do you get to greenlight the weird ideas that led you to a creative career in the first place?

Natalia

Try to create something that reflects you

Drawing of a blender surrounded by ingredients including a kale graham cereal box, Sapporo beer bottle, can labeled "CHICKEN SOUP," peeled banana, a spoonful of Nutella, and a fork twirling spaghetti. Some cereal and liquid appear to be getting poured int

Instead of trying to please the teacher or try to follow trends, try to create something that reflects you. It’s harder to take risks when you’re getting paid for it. At Shillington, you’ll finally have a framework for discovering and expressing the things that make you unique.

There’s no doubt you’ll hit roadblocks in the creative process. A lack of solid ideas, the number of possible directions to take and an unknown end result can threaten to stall your project before it’s even started.

A black and white line drawing of a head with stylized features. The head has tousled hair, a lightning bolt on the forehead, a rectangular shape over the mouth area, and a toothbrush sticking out of the chin, creating an abstract and whimsical face.

I work freelance, and every time a client gives me a project, my gut reaction is, “I can’t do that. And no way I can do that in that amount of time!”

But I have a process now that I didn’t have before Shillington and once it kicks in, the snowball starts to roll downhill. Being challenged by work outside of your comfort zone won’t get any less scary, but feelings of paralysis will get shorter as you learn how to push through them.

Designers block

A hand-drawn illustration of a smartphone displaying a social media post. The post features an image of a wine glass filled with liquid next to a wine bottle. The text reads, "Think I’ll just pour myself a snack." The post has 11 likes and the username "s

Often we expect overnight leaps and bounds from ourselves, especially in a training context. We want to believe it’s possible to shortcut the gradual, winding path from A to B. Shillington is absolutely the transformation process you want it to be—but it needs you to be okay with not being 100% confident before things start to come together.

All designers start from zero at some point, and the ones who progress quickly aren’t afraid to ask for help. More than pure creative talent, they carry the softer skills that hiring companies are looking for.

Making yourself an active, positive contributor in your design education—which includes being on time for class—goes a long way to putting your most employable self out there after graduation.

Handling feedback

A black-and-white cartoon shows three people labeled "Client" looking at a poster of a toothpaste tube that says "Canine Cream." One person asks to change the design to corporate colors. Meanwhile, a frustrated designer yells, "NO! My design! I know best!

Feedback helps you become a better designer, no question. Shillington’s regular critique sessions set you up well for getting comfortable with others’ perspectives on your work. The first time, I felt panicky and vulnerable showing my work. But I soon felt secure enough to seek out people’s opinions and use them to improve my work. My classmates steered me away from some pretty terrible decisions!

Learning to laugh at myself and realising there’s no such thing as perfection in design has really helped me enjoy the creative process.

Indulge in pure design geekdom

A brain-shaped cartoon character, holding a stick with a bag, approaches a group of similar brain characters celebrating under a "SHILLINGTON" sign. The approaching brain character says, "I've found my people.

No doubt it’s been a long journey for you to reach this point, with some tough decisions. For now, you can worry less about where your life is headed and more about which pen nib suits your handwriting best. Indulge in pure design geekdom and go play.

Right in front of you is a tried and tested path that hundreds of others have walked. Trust the school and the creative instinct that got you this far. In a few years, it’ll be you teaching the new wave of designers.