The Tribune

THE ART OF GRAPHIX

By DEIDRE M. BASTIAN

ARE designers really frightened? Are they paralysed by the thought of wrapping their fingers around a mouse and starting that next big project? Or, better yet, what is the most evil, repugnant thing that haunts - and prevents - designers from being as courageous as they would like to be? Could it be fear? Writers, carpenters, teachers and lawyers battle it, so it is no surprise that designers are subject to it as well.

This week I had an opportunity to peer into the collective psyche of a cross-section of graphic designers, and took a quick pulse reading by obtaining feedback on how they cope with fear roadblocks. Of course, not everyone used the "fear" word, as fear manifests itself in a variety of ways, but it was definitely clear that time, stress and judgment were the primary issues designers identified as their main concern.

Remember that fear is an integral part of the creative process. If you have no fear when designing, it might be that you are confident your craft will work. Understand that many accomplished, creative people have been victims of the fear beast. But let's break the fear factors down, starting with 'time'.

"Too little time" is a big fear for many designers, but consider this: Most ideas are conceived in a mere second. Even if you have only three hours until deadline, you have more than 10,000 opportunities for inspiration in those three hours. Remember, once you have exposed yourself to a problem, your subconscious mind races to find solutions, so ensure that you're equipped with a pencil and paper when inspiration strikes.

A good approach to counteracting project time is to visit the assignment a few days earlier. This way you will not have to work until the proverbial 11th hour.

Similarly, another source of fear is the concept of the 'deadline'. Sounds threatening, right? Why couldn't they have chosen a better word than 'deadline' if they wanted it to be less intimidating? Think about it; the big deadline is pretty final. Ironically, when you take the ultimate deadline pressure off, you will likely find yourself working ahead of schedule.

Try not to stress about design mistakes or failures as designers do. Do you know that successful people fail more often than unsuccessful people? Remember Albert Einstein, who said: "Show me someone who has never failed and I'll show you someone who hasn't tried hard enough."

Notably, Michael Jordan missed more shots than any other player during each of his final three NBA championship series. He racked up nearly twice as many misses as the next-best players during his last year. Yet in each of those years he was named 'Most Valuable Player' of the series because the things he did to help his team far outweighed his many "failures or fears".

Keep "judgment" in check. Let's discuss how to handle criticism from clients. I'm not saying that a client's criticism is necessarily right, but if their opinion is a big part of the approval process, then that's just the way things are. Learn how to cope. Reality is reality, and you have to figure out how to create within the confines of that reality and do it well, so as to succeed in your craft.

Clearly, beating fear requires practical methods for overcoming the negative aspects of time, stress and judgment in the fight against failure. Yesterday, I asked a finicky colleague (graphic designer) what was her biggest fear. She replied: "Actually, I don't have any design fears. My only fear is my husband giving my expensive handbags and jewelry to his next wife when I pass on". That, to me, was a funny proclamation but, for some strange reason, she didn't find it entertaining at all.

While we all battle our personal fears, research further reveals that celebrities like Jennifer Aniston, Cher and Michael Jackson (deceased), and Whoopi Goldberg, all had/have a fear of flying.

Similarly, Pamela Anderson fears mirrors, while Johnny Depp and Sean 'Diddy' Combs are frightened of clowns. (Maybe it's something about the fake painted faces). Meanwhile, Madonna admits that she is afraid of thunder.

Oprah Winfrey (famous talk show host) revealed that her defining moments came in the third grade when classmates whispered that she thinks she is too smart. Thereafter, she admitted that for many years her biggest fear was to be known as arrogant. Sadly enough, I have observed people seeking to level the field with family and friends by downplaying their brilliance or talents and settling for the passenger seat, depriving themselves in an effort to silence their critics when they long to drive.

I believe that our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, butis our bright light - not our darkness - that most frightens us. We were all born to manifest the talent given to us by God.

The best way to cope with fear is to better understand it. Alongside designers, our task is to conquer the fear within and discover whatever it is that drives us. Just remember that while we embrace that which is within us, we will not find our voice to give to the world through our fears, but only through our vision.

NB: Columnist welcomes feedback at deedee2111@hotmail.com

Ms Bastian is an extensively-trained Graphic Designer. She has trained at many institutions, such as Miami Lakes Technical Centre, Success Training College, College of the Bahamas, Nova Southeastern University, Learning Tree International, Langevine International and Synergy Bahamas.