hi!!
Tomorrow, Wednesday, it’ll be a week since my new website went live!
Have you seen it yet?? Go check it out!!! It’s nabiu.studio
It still needs to be finished, though. There are two pages with no content yet, which I’m working on. For me, it was important to get the site out asap, and this way I can also create a sense of urgency to finish it.
I’m writing this on the same day it’s published, which is unusual. I always write on Mondays. But yesterday, I was not feeling too good physically (period). Mentally, I was tired, unmotivated and had absolutely no idea what to write about.
Toward the end of the day, as usual for me, I got a bit more motivated. I read
‘s new letter and thought to myself, “hell, I can just talk about what I feel/think right now”. It was a bit too late to write the whole thing, but I made some notes.(I also keep a list of ideas for future posts, but I haven’t yet felt like writing about any of those)
What came to mind yesterday was that I felt like I was “falling behind” career-wise, and how taking a different path than what’s standard is turning out.
I’m 21, and almost everyone I know that’s my age just finished a degree or is about to by next year. I’ve chosen a different path, I study at an online university, where you go at your own pace (you choose however many subjects to course each semester) and so you can have more time to do other stuff.
It’s great, it’s not for everyone, but it’s definitely for me, as I cannot wait 3–4 years + a couple more years of free internships, to finally jump into a career.
Only problem is, I now feel like uni is getting in the way.
The degree’s name is translated to “digital design and creation”. First year, you learn the basics: colour, composition, design principles… It’s exciting, you learn a lot and design a lot. And then toward the end, you specialize a bit, there are courses like illustration, animation, packaging… It’s fun again.
Right now I’m in the middle, and most of the subjects here have nothing to do with design. Well, they do, but you don’t design in them. They’re kinda like filler subjects, like “visual culture and new media”, “storytelling”… I know, they don’t sound that bad, in fact they sound interesting, but taking the courses, not so interesting.
So yeah, as a summary, uni is not fun right now, so I have to get through it, and then it’s hopefully fun again, and then it’s finished.
I just feel like I’m learning much more on my own, outside of uni. In uni, the contents are outdated, and I don’t even actually design, so I don’t feel like I’m learning much.
Every time a new semester starts, I ask myself which option to take:
Taking as many subjects as possible (4-5), so I can finish the degree already, but not have time for my
businessbiznus or have no time for general life and burn out in the process while having no money.Taking fewer subjects (1-2), have more time for work and do more of what I enjoy, but finish the degree by like 2028 (exaggeration).
Lately I’m doing an in-between, I take 3 subjects. And I try to put in a bit above the minimum of work to pass, so I can have time for what I care about.
Anyway, the new semester starts tomorrow. And, of course, I have mixed feelings. For one, I’ll be able to have Adobe again, but the subjects are meh, but I’m a bit excited. And I’m also a bit scared of having no time, burning out, and ending up not even wanting to do what I like to do, outside of uni.
But this is the best option, and I definitely want this degree (or, you know, piece of paper), especially since I’ve dedicated so much time, and I’m 60% done. But it just feels so “ugh” to know that I still have to do this for 2 more years. And I’ll be 24 by then. A full on woman who’s closer to 30 than to 18.
But then I think, well who the fck cares when I graduate, I can’t make it happen right now, so I might as well try to enjoy the process, right?
Alphabet Superset: I haven’t drawn anything. I’m doing all 3 (b, c, d) this week! That should be fun!
I might do other posters this week as I have a couple undeveloped ideas
I’m working on the website DIY kits part about customizing the websites, it’s more work than I thought
I’m not sure what the next website template should be for, the first one was for photographers. What next? 🤔
I want to ask, would you like Framer tips/tutorials from time to time? I don’t think most of you are into Framer, or web design, for that matter. So maybe it’s not too interesting for you…?
Be completely sincere!!
It was my mom’s birthday the other day. And since we are all away from each other, my sister and I made her this “digital birthday card” in the shape of a website, check it out 😂
idk how to make the gif not suck in quality
This epic interior design crossover:
Do you ever feel like you’re falling behind?
For creatives: Do or did you go to uni? Was it worth it?
What website do I create next?
Thanks for reading! I appreciate you! <3
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Thank you for she shoutout! That’s so cool!!! 🫂
I went to uni and studied English language, history and linguistics. I did 3/4 years and dropped out in the third. I couldn’t take it anymore, my mental and physical health was in a bad place and I wasn’t happy. I decided to walk away from university and leave it on hold until I felt like returning, I haven’t yet and don’t think I will. I enrolled to university because I wanted to be one of the smart kids and finally be in the same cool group as everyone else.
After I left university, I slowly found myself after a lottttttt of therapy and work which led me to create Pomelo, the Book Club and slowly find my own path. I’m still on the path finding myself, but I feel like I’m a little bit closer every day.
I was behind for most of my life but now I think I’m on a complete different path that can’t be graded in the same way so I don’t feel scared by it anymore.
I went to college for "civic communications and media" and only got to take 1-2 design classes. there was a lot i could apply, but i am in a similar boat of feeling like im falling behind for spending four years at a liberal arts university instead of practicing design. and now it feels like im playing catch up to gain the tangible skills for all that i want to do (i.e. struggling to teach myself code and playing in photoshop all day). so, yeah. relatable ! way to go on the site!!