Getting Up
Getting up in the world of web design is a lot like getting up in the world of Graffiti. It takes guts, patience, timing, talent, and lots of hard work. At their core, the two disciplines share a lot of similar traits.
It may seem like a stark contrast to a lot of people out there.. but the similarities are striking to me. This site focuses on graffiti art and web design, this article might help shed some light on why this all makes so much sense.
It takes Guts
It takes guts to write graffiti, obviously… you have to run from crazed cops, jump barbed wire, hide in ditches, etc. but why would it take guts to write HTML? Hmmm… well, maybe it has something to do with throwing yourself at the mercy of the world. I have a lot of talent and a lot of great things to show and say, but my site barely has anything in it yet, this is my second post…. So how does a person overcome that fear? The fear that their site won’t be seen, that they won’t be linked to, and that eventually the site will be once again re-tooled in another vain attempt to build something that people will visit and maybe even talk about. Well, that my friends takes Patience.
Waiting for Visitors is like Watching the Paint Dry
Without a doubt, getting up in either web design or graffiti is something that requires patience. You can’t just expect that your name will spread like wildfire… chances are it won’t. The first time you design a site, or paint a piece, most likely it won’t be seen. People don’t stick around unless there is really something there that draws them. People don’t recognize just because you have talent; it takes staying power in this game to win.
You’ve got to be in the right place at the right time
I’m waiting… Where are they? Where are all the people that aught to be visiting my site? Well, just like hitting a wall or a trainyard at just the right time… making a name in web design takes timing. I’m hoping that people will want to see what I’ve published… but if it isn’t to their tastes, or not relevant to anything else that they regularly comprehend, then it doesn’t matter how much care and time and patience and blood and sweat and tears I’ve poured into it… no one will visit my site. I guess that’s not nearly as bad as getting busted for trying to paint at the wrong time and place, but… it still really sucks.
The skills to pay the bills
Can said skills pay the bills? While I’m patient and waiting to see and working hard to give something to see, it seems worthwhile to mention that even if you have all other ingredients of the complete package, if you’ve got no talent then you won’t go far. This can be said for lots of things in life and graffiti or web design are no exceptions.
Putting in the work
You really can’t go far without working hard either. Putting in countless hours is what it always takes to succeed at any skillset. Web design or Graffiti art take years to get good at, and decades to master. It’s really that simple. People can always look and see where your time went… it’s not rocket science to everyone out there, in fact I think most people can see. The better you get the faster you get… but the whole culture of design and artistic taste and technological breakthroughs can absolutely leave you in the dust. You have to work to stay on top of your game. You have to know what the latest technologies are and you have to know what the latest styles are. Graffiti art doesn’t really experience a whole lot of technological breakthrough… but all the same you have to keep elevating your style because other people will always get out there and come up with something more creative and more dynamic to keep peoples eyes popping.
In Conclusion
I’ve got guts; I can take rejection. I have patience; I can wait my entire life. If I’m not mistaken I think I’m in the right place at the right time… though… how can one really be certain of that? I know that I’m talented… the question is really am I talented enough, and I guess that depends what you need a hand with. As for my final point in this article, I’m working my butt off! Can’t you tell?