cringe often

2009, high school me on the left.

Remember what you were like in high school? Immature, awkward, questionable fashion… the list goes on. Looking back, you also probably treat those days with a certain fondness, and realize how far you've come. You can treat personal growth similarly.

When examining your own personal growth, a good intuitive measure of how much you’ve grown is how you react to old work. If you cringe, that’s a good thing! This happened to me a few days ago when I opened an old Sketch file. “Why did you design this? Why is the header so big? This is awkward spacing. Are you a designer, Andrew?” What seemed obvious to me now wasn’t so apparent back then; the gap — and the knowledge gained — becomes noticeable over time.

I sometimes wonder if master artists or designers cringe at their old work, especially in mediums that are more “ingrained” in time. Did Frank Lloyd Wright cringe at Hollyhock after Fallingwater? What did Michael think of Thriller after Invincible?

As creators, we’re always evolving. Isn’t that exciting? And scary…

I’m looking forward to cringing at this post in the near future. Thanks for reading.

Posted from London at 11:37 PM BST, 08/19/2018