Hello you blog reader you! Recently, I had an encounter with someone I truly admire and respect. She wrapped my entire life in a nice box with a bow on it and gave it to me! In other words, she gave me my life! I'm a budding self-taught graphic designer. Therefore, I'm constantly comparing myself to those that have earned a graphic design degree. I only do this because I have insecurities about the fact that I spent money on an education degree and can't afford to go to design school.
That's the back story.
So, one day, a friend of mine and I were looking at some design work on 99Designs (awesome site, if you need a designer, check 'em out). There is this designer that wins a lot of the competitions. I stumbled across her while looking through a gallery. The more that I realized that she was winning, the more I began to doubt my own skill. I mean, my designs are better than hers! My design aesthetic is better than hers! AND I didn't even go to school for this! How can she be so wack yet, win all these competitions and money!?!
This is where the story picks up.
My friend said "Why are you hating"? I looked at her like she said my mama was fat. She repeated herself "Why are you hating"? I replied that I wasn't hating and I asked her if she saw the same designs that I saw? She said that she had noticed the lack of professionalism in some the lady's designs but, she didn't need to attack her to point that out. I felt so defensive and frustrated! I began explaining that I wasn't hating, I was critiquing. But, the more I talked, the more I realized, I was hating. There is a difference between "This bitch's designs are wack"! and "She needs to select better typography and work on the composition of her designs". I was hating. I was spewing hate. I wasn't trying to figure out what she was doing right, and what I was doing wrong. I didn't even know this chick and I was hating on her like she was a sworn enemy of mine.
I do that shit a lot.
I'm going to stop it. Here is how I'm going to do it.
1. Identify the feelings that make me want to hate. Is it jealously I'm feeling? Anxiety? Envy?
2. Make a conscious decision to look within before searching for faults in others.
3. Learn to appreciate the positive in folks.
4. Abstain from hating ass activities with hating ass people.
5. Admit that I have hater tendencies.
