Picture this: you’re at an event, a meetup or just talking to friends… you’re having a great conversation, listening to some killer advice and tips about the industry and you feel rude pulling out a sketchbook to jot notes down, so you resort to memory… and then you get home and realize that your memory sucks. Yeah, it happens to all of us.
It’s the reason I started my Works in Process podcast. I was having those conversations but couldn’t remember it all. I didn’t want to remember only the work; I wanted to remember the behind-the-scenes stuff too! So what better way than to record it. This is what Works in Process is built on: conversations with creatives to discover why and how individuals work the way they do.

So when I was asked to put something together for the Emerge blog, all I needed to do was look back at my episodes. I’ve pulled five quotes from WIP episodes that I feel work for emerging designers. These are things we all have and will continue to struggle with, being creatives. I share these #WIPwisdom quotes to remind emerging designers and myself that we are not perfect but we are also not alone. The creative profession is very forthcoming with its shared abundance of knowledge — we all want each other to succeed. I hope these pieces of wisdom — combined with my point-of-view as a designer and educator — provide some guidance as you forge your own path to becoming a seasoned creative.
Thanks EMERGE for allowing me to share these tidbits beyond my podcast. OK enough of me. Here’s some #WIPwisdom…
Sparked by my guests talking about…
- Having Self Doubt
Lisa Pertoso: Learning Designer, Writer, Comedian - Becoming too confident
Nick Misani: Designer, Letterer, Lover of ornament and decorative arts - Moving past a creative block
Justin Teodoro: Artist and Illustrator - Learning as you go
Eli Neugeboren: Illustrator and Educator - Having a side-hustle
David Soto: Graphic Designer, Hand Letterer, Forever a student
Originally featured on the AIGA Emerge Blog. A Works in Process x AIGA Emerge collaboration.