Jack of all Trades

This morning was just like any other morning. I woke up after hitting the snooze on my alarm a couple of times, I took a quick shower before the water got cold, got dressed, grabbed a bite to eat, kissed my wife and pups goodbye, then headed out the door for work. When I get in my car every day I turn my iPod on for the hour commute to work. Some days I put it on shuffle, others I listen to a playlist I've created, and others I listen to podcasts. Today, was a podcast day.

I began listening to short five minute podcasts entitled "Design Guy. The show that explores timeless design principles and explains them simply." I don't know who is behind it but it's well spoken and offers good information about design in general and even more specifically, graphic design.

A few posts ago I mentioned that I feel like I've become a "jack of all trades" and don't have a specialty. I'm good at a lot of things, I have knowledge about many different fields, I love to know how things work. Anyway, after listening to one of the podcasts today I realized that this jack of trades thing isn't such a bad thing. The Design Guy pointed out that to be a good designer one must be open to many different things, not just in design, but in life. If you prefer listening to the Smashing Pumpkins then maybe you start listening to some opera or classical music as well. To see things from many different angles and have many different life experiences only enhances a designers way of thinking, which in turn affects the creative process. While there are some projects out there where the ideas just come to a designer instantly, ultimately it is the process that makes all designers the same. How one treats the process is what makes us different.

So... jack of all trades or master of one? While I'd love to have a specialty I love the idea of learning and doing as much as possible. That's what makes me a well rounded person. My motto is "Never stop learning," and that is something I plan to NEVER stop doing.