I don’t know if it’s this way in every industry, but it seems designers are quick to seek advice.
It might be our nature as creatives to crave validation and guidance. Insecurity tends to come hand in hand with sensitivity, a required ingredient for creativity.
While I share many opinions about design, career and productivity on this blog, it’s my hope they are not seen as advice (unless a reader requested it directly). Real advice requires an understanding of the person, their circumstances and the context of their lives. Any advice given without that information is reckless.
Reading about other people’s perspective is valuable. We find comfort in knowing our experience is universal or expand our worldview learning about someone else’s experience. An article might inspire or validate us, but that doesn’t mean we should apply it directly to our lives.
People tend to state their beliefs and values as truth. But what’s true for one person is not true for everyone. Instead of taking someone’s thoughts as advice, take it for what it is: one opinion.
Even advice from our dearest loved ones should be taken into consideration only. Other people, no matter how well they know us, are influenced by loads of bias and self-interest. If we blindly followed the advice of everyone who offered it, especially everyone on the internet, we would be running in circles of contradiction.
