Develop a start-from-scratch mentality. Imagine walking into your kitchen each morning and seeing a completely empty pot-no leftovers, no old recipes, just a blank slate. That's what I face every day as a creator: the daunting but exhilarating task of starting fresh. This mindset is essential for innovation. We can't rest on yesterday's ingredients. We must embrace a beginner's mind, a state of utter unknowing, like a child who can see infinite possibilities and the extraordinary in the ordinary.
Now that the dust has settled and AI evolution has become a truth we must all live under, this narrative feels outdated. The agencies that thrive won't be those resisting AI, nor those blindly automating everything in sight, but those that incorporate it, intelligently, in their process. The real opportunity lies not in the battle of human v AI, but in the partnership of human plus AI.
"You know, having those conversations early on, reaching out to people in different departments ...that was really hard when I didn't have much confidence.” A VP of Design brought this up recently, reflecting what many designers are facing. There's been a crisis of confidence in design, and it's happening all across the career ladder. Due to shrinking budgets and layoffs, more designers are being forced to work solo.