How I Got To Where I Am (Part 1)
I started this Medium account to practice writing while documenting my journey to becoming a successful freelancer. For my first real post, it only seems fitting to write about how I got to where I am now before writing about the present.
To ensure I don’t slip into a cover letter, I’ve laid down some rules for myself:
1. I will not look at old cover letters while writing.
2. I will write not about accomplishments but about feelings and decisions.
3. I will be at least a little vulnerable.
Let’s go way, way back. To elementary school, when I never really had an answer to the question “what do you want to be when you grow up?” I know I sometimes said “an artist,” but I think I had a sense that this wasn’t a “good” answer. I certainly pursued art, taking painting and ceramics classes outside of school, but by middle school, I didn’t see art as a career anymore.
Luckily, my parents were supportive of any and all interests I had. My mom probably wanted me to be a biologist like her: she taught me a lot about the natural world. My dad probably wanted me to be a computer guy like him: he taught me a lot about computers and how to use them. But I don’t remember ever feeling pressure, not even to get good grades. Looking back, I think my parents just wanted me to always be learning. I think that’s a good way to be.
However, I had a natural drive to get good grades. One reason for this was extreme shyness and introversion. Not having a lot of friends makes it easy to focus on academics. But I think the more important reason was my affinity for structure. (This is challenging me as a freelancer, and I will definitely devote a future post to this subject.) In general, I feel most comfortable when I have structure in my life, because I have an inherent desire and ability to optimize my output within structures. And within the structure of school, grades are the metric for success, so I saw no reason to not strive for the best grades.
In 8th grade, I decided to apply to Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology (TJ), an extremely-high-performing public magnet school in Fairfax County, VA. Some TJ students feel intense pressure from their parents, who may have placed them in preparatory programs starting as early as first grade. But again, I had none of this. It was entirely my decision to begin a process I would later learn was much like applying to college. (TJ admits students based on academic record, teacher recommendations, and an admissions test, with an acceptance rate between 15% and 20%.)
I got in! But TJ classes and textbooks were also college-level, and I soon stopped getting straight A’s. Given what I just said about grades, this probably doesn’t make sense. But you have to consider the difference between perfection and optimization. As David Cole of Quora writes,
Design and its component practices are like any other craft: you can always develop a deeper familiarity with the minutiae, asymptotically approaching mastery. But this is a process with diminishing returns. Would you rather carve a door 1% better than you did last year, or learn how to build the rest of the house in the same amount of time?
I was not interested in getting perfect grades, I simply wanted to optimize my outputs within the structure of high school. Achieving perfect grades at TJ required so much time and effort that academics became a process of diminishing returns. So instead of doing homework during lunch, I played Magic: The Gathering with my friends. Instead of going to study halls during free period, I created an environmental club and learned how to play bridge. In essence, I was optimizing my outputs to both academics and my newfound extracurriculars and social life. I never restricted my learning to classes—the social learning I needed to do to succeed in life was finally possible for me, so I took full advantage of TJ’s environment of acceptance. It changed my life.
As I progressed through high school, I never really latched on to any subjects. Biology, chemistry, math, physics, english, history… I did well enough in these classes, but never felt compelled to pursue them in a serious way that would build expertise or lead to a career. And TJ was definitely a career-oriented place!
Eventually, I took an art class called “Computer Graphics.” It was intriguing! I learned the basics of Illustrator, Photoshop, and making digital art from scratch. I followed up with Computer Graphics 2, as well as [film] Photography 1 and 2, which I really enjoyed. These were my first forays into something I could see myself doing for a living.
But the real breakthrough that led to my eventual career in graphic design was an anthropology course. Our big final project was an ethnography — each student had to become a participant-observer in a “cultural” group they were not a member of, and write about the traditions, practices, and activities of the group.
I chose to join Threshold, the literary and arts magazine at TJ. (This may or may not have been because my crush was a member.) I began attending literature reviews, during which the submissions staff would read and discuss the poetry and prose contributions of students. But after the ethnography project was done, Threshold staff asked me if I wanted to join the magazine’s design team. I guess I did a good job on the “participant” part! I agreed, and they told me we would meet the following semester to lay out the magazine.
Part 2: How my high school lit mag helped me choose my path.
I work as a one-man creative agency for small businesses, nonprofits, and individuals — doing design, photography, writing, you name it! I blog about my self-employment journey to help other freelancers at www.ericdalecreative.com. Celebrate or commiserate by clapping or commenting. Or send me an email to collaborate!
