Graphic design is not my passion.
At risk of self-sabotaging, let me explain...
Branding and graphic design is not the only thing I do, let alone the most important thing in my life. I am a full human being, and have lots of other passions. (Crafting, magic, music, herbalism, baking…)
I'm not "obsessed" with my design work — which goes against a lot of hustle culture dogma about how online entrepreneurship demands "passion" and "shouting it from the rooftops."
I only just put together that this creates a massive disconnect in how I show up for Swail Studio.
If I'm not obsessed with this project, is it worth sharing? If this offer is not my life's purpose, how do I write 100 emails/posts pretending that it is? If I’m not thrilled to my core about this, should I really be doing it?
The truth is that I don’t “live and breathe” brand design, and I never will.
However… I'm pretty fucking good at it. I enjoy and care about it deeply enough to make a sustainable living out of it.
And it happens to make my clients a ton of money.
I'm eclectic, and so is my work. I love combining my passions, experimenting and innovating. It's what sets my work apart from vanilla/meh designers.
If graphic design were my passion, I would have kept working with big agencies, creating work that is seen by the entire world. I have peers and friends who have gone this route, to great success and happy lives, pumping as much cash as they can out of corporate machines (as they should).
But I opted out of that timeline on purpose, because I prefer to work with business owners who also have wildly varied passions...
Who prioritize creating work that adds real value to the world, not just making as much money as they possibly can...
Who deserve the full benefit of great design and branding, but usually don’t have the time, energy or interest to worry about it.
Graphic design may not be your passion, but having your brand "figured out" for you leaves a lot more room for your actual passions.
The more thoughtful your brand is, the more people want to be a part of it. And the more they will PAY to do so.
In capitalism, where marketing is required to run a business, branding is a necessary and powerful tool. But your brand doesn't have to be your all-consuming passion.
Design and intentionality is powerful. A well-designed life is a joyful life. A well-designed experience is a memorable one. A well-designed brand is an easy “yes” to purchase from.
Even if I don't treat my profession as a brand designer as my life's purpose, I still see it vastly improve the businesses, and overall lives, of the clients I work with. And that's a far more solid foundation than passion alone.
Want to launch a fresh new brand this Aries season? Now is the time to get started ;)
Check out my signature service, Brand Actualization.
Or, if you want to skip to the fun part, book your consultation here.
