We don’t talk about it that simply, but it’s that simple. Know thyself and know thy clients. Don’t start by comparing yourself to others, that’s the wrong mirror. When you compare yourself to others you underestimate yourself and by doing so, overestimate the competition. Look within. Everything that makes you unique will come from there—from yourself, from the special work you do for clients, and from your aspiration. I improve my skills by… doing a lot of it very poorly—and publicly—until you learn to do it well and on a regular deadline if you can. Whatever “it” is (selling, designing, writing, etc). In 2007, when Michael Joseph Winkelmann, aka Beeple, made a commitment to produce and publish a digital drawing every day, little did he know he would eventually produce over 5,000 drawings, combine them into one magnum opus, and then sell the whole thing for $69 million, the first NFT sold by Christie’s auction house. A little adds up to a lot, like pennies in a jar. In Beeple’s case: a ton of pennies in a jar. PPAI: 111248 | ASI: 35375 | SAGE: 50327 | UPIC: ACCENTS | DC:101273 www.americanaccents.com 888.287.7883 PERFECT FOR... ѭ -TYJQX ѭ *IZHFYNTS HJSYJWX ѭ )TTW YT ITTW HFRUFNLSNSL ѭ FSI RTWJ Looking for Hang Tags? Digitally die cut; no additional fee Several shapes & styles to choose from Made from renewable resources Available in cardstock 12pt thickness 1 or 2-side print available Made & printed in the USA 50 piece minimums! Lately, I have been inspired by… the music of Anton Baibakov, a Ukrainian composer from Kyiv; the documentary Unstoppable: Sean Scully & the Art of Everything; Where the Heart Beats, a book about John Cage. The crazybeautiful blue hues in the Apple TV series Severance by cinematographer Jessica Lee Gagné. And a weird little book by Jun’ichirǀ Tanizaki. Valdez is an associate editor at PPAI. | APRIL 2022 | 81 CONNECT
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