Confession: I waste a ridiculous amount of time worrying about things I can’t fix and feeling defensive about facts I don’t control. I didn’t get a degree when I was still in my twenties. I’ve felt under-qualified for every job I’ve ever had (even stacking boxes in a factory).1 There are countless creative people with more natural talent than me, and I see their work every day. I could go on listing inadequacies for a good afternoon, and I wouldn’t get any closer to changing them. Most importantly, I’d never give myself the opportunity to actual produce something of real value.
![Glasses notebook](/assets/site/inline_images/_inlineImage/glasses_notebook.jpg)
I’m realizing (slowly) that titles, education, and my personal history don’t have to affect today as much as I think. I may not be as talented as Jeffrey Zeldman or Jason Santa Maria, but that’s not completely within my control. I may never be the greatest creative director in the world, and at times I don’t even feel like a particularly good one. The moment I sit down at work, though, it’s too late to worry about any of that. At that moment, we have passed the point of no return, and no amount of self-deprecation will make me better equipped right then. The best thing I can do is to sit down, give my work complete attention, rely on the experience and education I actually do have, and do my best. My best may not be equivalent to Zeldman’s best, but there’s not much I can really do about that when I sit down to work.
At first glance, this may sound like me giving up, but it’s not. I’m not just surrendering to my weak spots. I still work nights and weekends to get better at the craft, and I sweat to make sure I never repeat the same mistakes twice. When I sit down to design, write, code, or work with my team, though, I am not holding myself responsible for not being the next twenty-something wunderkind or not having thirty years of experience in design. I will do the best with everything I have control over, but I have to let the rest go. Then, at least for a few moments after I sit down, I have permission to step out from under the shadow of my weaknesses and feel free for a short time. After that serene moment, I get back to the hard work of creating, tweaking; and, heaven forbid, critiquing or editing myself.2