What’s holding you back from a life of purposeful work? Are you waiting for your friend’s approval? A thumbs up from your family? Chances are, it’s the voice in your head that isn’t giving yourself permission. For Debbie Millman – writer, educator, artist, and host of the award-winning podcast Design Matters – it took decades of being miserable in commercial branding before she realized it was time for a career change. Now as one of the veterans in the podcasting and design frontier, she shares what her own guests have taught her, what makes your art powerful, why you should revel in the long process towards your craft, and why confidence is overrated – but courage is essential.

Thanks to Slack! Slack: Where work happens. Find out why at slack.com.

Thanks to FreshBooks! Get a 30 day free trial by going to FreshBooks.com/dreamjob and enter Don’t Keep Your Day Job in the “How Did You Hear About Us?” section

 

TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:

1. Everyone is fine on Facebook, but remember – most people experience lots of insecurity. The only ones who don’t are people in their 80s.

2. Powerful art doesn’t just resonate with the viewer, but challenges their mindset and allows them to grow.

3. Anything worth while takes a long time. The longer it takes, the longer it’ll last.

4. If you aren’t being asked craft something that makes a difference, you have to self generate that work.

5. Revel in the process of learning how to do the work and becoming good at it. Once you become good at it, then you promote it.

6. Busy is a decision – we determine our priorities every day. If we don’t do what we think we want to do, then we probably don’t want to do it that much.

7. Government doesn’t make culture, culture makes government. We make the world we want.

8. If you think you need something in order to start doing what you want, you’ll be waiting forever.

9. Confidence is overrated. Courage is more important.

10. Avoid compulsively making things worse. When things are bad, don’t bring everyone down with you. Improve it.

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Debbie Millman’s website

• Follow Debbie Millman on Twitter and Instagram

• Listen to the Design Matters podcast on Apple Podcasts or on the website

• David Bowie’s “Modern Love“

• Sterling Brands, where Debbie was President of the Design Division and spearheaded branding for Burger King, Twizzlers, Hersheys, 7 UP, Orville Redenbacher, Tropicana, the No More movement, and more

• Voice America

• Design Observer

• Milton Glaser, designer

• Massimo Vignelli, designer

• School of Visual Arts

• Design Matters interview with Seth Godin, Simon Sinek, Chris Ware, Dani Shapiro

• Seth Godin’s blog post on the pleasure / happiness gap

• The Hacking of the American Mind by Robert Lustig

• Start With Why by Simon Sinek

• Leave Me Alone with the Recipes: The Life, Art, and Cookbook of Cipe Pineles – Debbie’s latest venture into books / cookbooks

 

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