SEA GOD | graphic tutorials & rants

X-Comparisons pt 2

I'm gonna start off with a little thing about myself i guess.

So i rarely insult my graphics (and when I do it's totally justified bc yiKes), and this is not because I have enough confidence to challenge all the members of the graphic guild to a duel or whatever.

(But on that note iMogEnE lEts FigTh–)

It's because after years and years of self depreciation and belittlement, I have finally reached the age where I do not see self hate as an act of humility or honesty, but rather as an insult.

Okay it sounds weird, but walk with me, I swear this is going somewhere 💀

If I look at any of my covers now and actually have the gall to say that it is "trash", then I have not only insulted myself, I have insulted those countless nights I stayed up trying to finish one graphic. I have insulted all the data I've wasted in a day just because I was downloading resources to use. I've insulted all the tutorials i watched and all the criticism I've received and all the contests I've been through.

I've insulted years and years of hard work and practice that led up to this very moment to make this cover by calling what I have just created trash.

Because it's like I've just told myself all that I've done means absolutely nothing.

: :

Self depreciation and self hate is a normal part of graphic design and may probably never leave you. I know I still have moments where I think "why can't my graphics look like ---insert god tier designer here---" , but it's more of a fleeting feeling, something that comes and goes because I've learned to appreciate both my hard work and my graphics.

That's the key, learning to appreciate everything you make and feeling pride in the skill level you are at, no matter where it is.

So instead of self hate, practice self love. Remake  covers to see how much you've grown, do those "graphic evolution" things where you find all your old designs and put them in a chapter, take a step and look back at what you've done and just...be content with it.

Always keep in mind that you've grown a long way and  you still have a long way to grow, so calm down. Stop doing side by side mental comparisons of other people's designs and your own, they aren't you and you aren't them.

Next time you want to go "this is trash" to all your covers, stop and re evaluate like "is this really trash?" Think of the first cover you ever made, think of the amount of work you put into making your current cover. See the good and the bad and accept that both can exist in one art piece.

: :

Next thing is not self love, but self awareness. Self awareness and self depreciation are two different things. Self depreciation is putting you as a designer down, whereas self awareness is knowing your strengths and weaknesses and understanding where you went wrong and where you went right.

For a lot of designers this might be a hard balance to find and will take some time, but lemme start you off.

Mention 5 things you are strong at in graphic design. Nothing more nothing less

Now mention 5 things you are weak at in graphic design. Nothing more nothing less.

If you ignore the Captain's orders I will haul your ass off the ship uwu ❤️

I am strong at colour theory, text placement, manipulation, makeup and gLOWwwwuuu

I am weak at vectors, creativity, game design, natural lighting, and red colour schemes (ew)