“Courage is not the absence of fear but fear walking.” ― Susan David
I recently read Emotional Agility by Susan David and this quote struck a chord. It perfectly describes what the past two and a half years have felt like for me after moving across the country and shifting my career from print design to digital product design.
At the beginning of 2019, I was living in Virginia and looking for a big change in my life and my career. I got a lead on a job in Portland, Oregon and jumped at the opportunity. After accepting a job offer, I had to be on the other side of the country, read to work, in a month. It was a crazy, exciting part of my life. Luckily, when things are moving that fast, you don’t have time to worry. Pro tip.
The job I took was an Assistant Store Management position. I was working at one of the top preforming stores for this company, it was challenging but rewarding. While I enjoyed my daily interactions with my team and customers, I just knew it wasn’t the path I wanted to pursue anymore. I had previously juggled my business, Maple and Belmont, while using my retail job to stabilize my income. This lifestyle was exhausting and I got burnt out from both paths. So I made the decision to slowly start closing up shop while I looked for a position that would satisfy my creative desires but also be in an area where I can grow.
I’ve been dabbling in web design for various blogs and businesses that I’ve run over the years. Granted, I was using Wordpress or SquareSpace to build in but I really enjoyed further customization through code. This was my gateway into exploring digital product design. The more I learned about UX/UI, the more I realized it aligned with two things that I am passionate about: problem solving and connecting with people through design. Even though I had been a designer for 12 years, it was hard to find a position that would get my foot in the door for digital product design. However, a friend from Virginia tipped me off on an opening at his company that he worked for remotely. That company was based in Portland. Crazy, right!?
At the end of 2019, I got the lucky opportunity to start building this new segment in my career at Pow. Not only did they take a chance on someone making the transition from print to digital but they gave me room to grow and projects to gain experience. I have to say, this transition has been terrifying and humbling (hello imposter’s syndrome) but so incredibly valuable. I jumped into a new area that I feel like I’ve just scratched the surface on and I’m getting comfortable with being uncomfortable.
Then the pandemic happened and we know how that’s going. I am already person who manages a lot of anxiety and Emotional Agility was great for helping me decouple from my anxiety and depression. It reminded me that these are just my emotions and not who I am. I’m also thankful for that anxious/excited jolt of energy I get from new experiences. Maybe it is courage, but I like the term fear walking better.
Find more of my animations on my Dribble account