Arguing about an idea is personal. Arguing about an example is collaborative. One deals with unrealized potential. While the other deals with tangible form.

Not everything has to become a polished portfolio piece . Let the work expand your range of expression for later refinement.

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RT @NHammondDesign: Your creative heroes don't have something you don't. They just let go of something you continue to hold on to. Thin….

Your creative heroes don't have something you don't. They just let go of something you continue to hold on to. Things like:.- Letting fear get in the way of starting.- Not creating consistently.- Not taking breaks. Instead of just trying to do more. Do less, better.

The person who makes something today isn't the same person that returns to the work tomorrow.

The best thing you can do for your creative career is to learn things that have nothing to do with creativity:. - Communication.- Finance.- Sales.- Marketing. And then start to weave it all together. Craft is only 1/2 the battle.

The bar is incredibly low. To stand out, focus on being:. - On time.- Authentic.- Prepared.- Candid.- Confident.- Curious.

The most dangerous person in a creative department isn't the one with bad ideas. It's the one whose mediocre ideas never get challenged because of their title.

It's far easier to critique than to create.

There's only ever:.1. The way you know.2. Maybe a better way. Why not try to reach for the 2nd?.

You either have goals and are moving toward them. Or you don't and you're not.

Surround yourself with creative people that:. - Prioritize growth.- Are supportive.- Have been through it before.

"Until you conquer the fear of being an outsider, an outsider you will remain.".

The design that marketers call "too risky" is usually just "too different from what failed last time.". Most marketing fails because it's forgettable, not because it's memorable.

Focus groups will tell you the blue button is prettier, but they won't tell you the red button converts better. Some truths only emerge when real money changes hands.

The creative brief that separates "brand" work from "performance" work creates artificial constraints. Great marketing design does both: builds the brand while driving the behavior.

Marketing teams that hire designers to "make it pretty" get pretty results that don't perform. Design teams that ignore conversion metrics get beautiful work that doesn't matter. Neither builds businesses.

The conversion rate that goes up when you make something uglier is telling you something important about your audience. Sometimes functional beats beautiful. Your job is knowing when.

Design systems aren't about making everything look the same. They're about making decisions faster. When the fonts and colors are decided, you can focus on what the message actually needs to do.

Brand designers think in years. Performance marketers think in weeks. Product designers think in user flows. The best work happens when all three perspectives collaborate instead of compete.