Just like any career, being a graphic designer has its ups and downs. You can work with the best of people and on a rare occasion, the not so best of people.

More often than not, you’ll get the people who respect what you do and then the others who think you sit behind a desk and simply push buttons. Even after 13 years of experience, I still get the occasional inquiry that makes me shake my head in disbelief.

Graphic design is a field for highly creative people. Although anyone can dream of becoming a designer, not everyone can succeed at it. I strongly believe that creativity cannot be taught, it’s innate – you either have it or you don’t. A person’s expertise or learned knowledge plays a valuable role, as they need to be familiar with the most popular creative productivity tools in the industry. These include applications like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign (Creative Suite).

Being a graphic designer gives you the freedom to explore your creative thoughts. It also provides you the chance of working on a project independently and making your own decisions. Some people like the thrills of creative freedom. Other individuals have this desire but lack the “creative-eye” to make a dynamic design stand out from the crowd.

Sure we sit behind our fancy computer setups, but it can also be one of the most stressful, involving and cutting edge jobs out there. Graphic design is in an industry that technically and creatively evolves faster than any other profession. Designers constantly have to learn new software, stay on top of trends, have our work critiqued, manage tight and strict deadlines, consistently stay creative…and when we have time, live our daily lives. We play many roles and face many challenges daily. But in reality, there is nothing that I would rather do with my life and career.