Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
One thing that really stuck with me during my conversation with James was the idea that so many graphic designers quit within their first year.
And honestlyâŚI totally understand why.
A lot of people get into design because they have great taste. They know what good work looks like. They follow amazing designers, branding studios, illustrators, motion artists, etc.
But then they sit down to create something themselvesâŚand it doesnât come out the way they imagined.
That feeling can be rough, and I've absolutely been through it.
James reminded me of "the gapâ that Ira Glass has spoken about:
You have good taste, but your skills havenât caught up yet.
I think thatâs where a lot of creatives give up. Not because they arenât talented, but because theyâre comparing their early work to people whoâve been doing it for 10+ years.
Every designer you look up to has old work theyâd never post today.
That gap? Itâs normal.
The key is making enough stuff to eventually close it, and the more you build up your skills, the faster that gap will close.
One thing that really stuck with me during my conversation with James was the idea that so many graphic designers quit within their first year.
And honestlyâŚI totally understand why.
A lot of people get into design because they have great taste. They know what good work looks like. They follow amazing designers, branding studios, illustrators, motion artists, etc.
But then they sit down to create something themselvesâŚand it doesnât come out the way they imagined.
That feeling can be rough, and I've absolutely been through it.
James reminded me of "the gapâ that Ira Glass has spoken about:
You have good taste, but your skills havenât caught up yet.
I think thatâs where a lot of creatives give up. Not because they arenât talented, but because theyâre comparing their early work to people whoâve been doing it for 10+ years.
Every designer you look up to has old work theyâd never post today.
That gap? Itâs normal.
The key is making enough stuff to eventually close it, and the more you build up your skills, the faster that gap will close.
