Nate Williams's Blog, page 4

William Arthur Ward

"The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires."
-William Arthur Ward
More Quotes

Nate Williams is now represented by SNYDER in North America and the UK.

I'm excited to announce that SNYDER is now my exclusive representative for illustration and hand lettering in North America and the UK.

♦ Illustration
♦ Hand lettering
♦ Book cover design
♦ Editorial artwork
♦ Advertising visuals
♦ Packaging illustration
♦ Digital media content

SNYDER is a renowned agency known for successfully matching skilled artists with excellent opportunities.

For inquiries or to see my latest work, please contact
North America - kristina@wearesnyder.com
UK - jolene@wearesnyder.com

Pragmatic Approach to "Building Someone Else's Dream"

Throughout my life, various pieces of advice have resonated with me, appearing and reappearing at different times:

"Don't get good at anything you don't want to do" – Grandpa Vic

"You only have what you can appreciate"

"The journey is the destination" – Title of Dan Eldon's inspiring book

"A grateful mindset unlocks the value in the world around you"

"Whatever the question, nature is the answer"

"May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears." – Nelson Mandela

Grandpa Vic and Grandma Felicia

I often find my past self offering valuable advice to my present self. This process of relearning important lessons has made me realize that progress isn't a straight, upward trajectory. Instead, it resembles a piece of spaghetti – twisting and turning, but gradually heading towards improvement.

Fellow creative Josephine Kimberling posed an insightful question: "As an artist & corporate creative leader too, I'm so curious about your take on 'building someone else's dream'."

Creatives often find themselves in this position. Many who pursue creative careers start with big dreams and passion projects. However, they frequently end up taking on more corporate responsibilities, whether they want to or not. This situation is related to several concepts:

"Hostile promotion": An unwanted advancement that increases responsibilities with little pay improvement or time commitment.

"Plata o plomo": A threatening ultimatum, literally meaning "silver or lead": take this promotion or lose your job.

"Peter Principle": The idea that people are promoted to their level of incompetence.

"Pyrrhic victory": A promotion where the costs outweigh the benefits.

"Responsibility dump": When additional work is thrust upon an individual without adequate compensation or support.

These scenarios highlight the complex challenges creatives face: balancing artistic aspirations with the realities of corporate structures, career advancement, time commitments, financial obligations, and personal responsibilities. It's overly simplistic to claim that any work you don't want to do equates to "building someone else's dream." The situation is nuanced, involving various factors and trade-offs. The key question becomes: How can one maintain creative integrity while navigating professional growth and meeting life's diverse demands?

As a creative director managing teams and complex projects, here are some strategies that have helped me maintain creative integrity:

"Where am I and what have you done with my dreams?": Never lose sight of why you pursued a creative career. Most likely, it's because you have ideas, stories, and passions you want to bring to life. Keep this motivation at the forefront of your mind.

Let your mind wander: Start your day slowly. Before being bombarded with stimuli and daily responsibilities, take a moment to let your mind roam freely. One thought often leads to another, and you may stumble upon an exciting idea that makes life more interesting and engaging. Walks in nature or cities, or sketching at a coffee shop, can greatly facilitate this process.

"Hello” earthling: Remember that we are social creatures. Having meaningful conversations with friends or family members - where you feel connected and understood - gives life purpose. Exchanging ideas and empathizing with each other's triumphs and struggles can be incredibly fulfilling and creatively stimulating.

"Curiosity, Play, Discovery": This has long been one of my personal modus operandi, and many amazing inventions came to life through this approach (e.g., Microwave oven, Post-it notes, Levi's jeans, Penicillin, X-rays, Coca-Cola, Potato chips, Velcro, Saccharin, Play-Doh, Viagra, Silly Putty, Teflon, Super Glue, Champagne).

Curiosity helps you stay engaged, makes the world interesting, and fuels progress.

Play allows you to explore, try new things, connect with people, and often facilitates useful discoveries.

Discovery is often the byproduct of play, where you learn something you can apply to future situations.

Make an impact, but know your limits: In every workplace, I strive to make a positive business impact, advocate for customers, and form authentic connections with teammates—relationships that often continue long after I've left a company. However, it's crucial to establish healthy boundaries that are sustainable. Long-term, these boundaries contribute to greater impact than short-term victories followed by burnout. This is a personal decision, but it's important to know what your limits are.

As the mayfly says, "Life is short." It's important to come off autopilot and self-audit every once in a while. Ask yourself:

What do I remember from 5 years ago?

When do I feel most alive?

What is a dream that keeps popping up in my mind that won't go away?

Navigating the corporate world as a creative professional is a constant balancing act. While it's easy to feel like you're "building someone else's dream," remember that your experiences, even the challenging ones, contribute to your growth and can fuel your creativity in unexpected ways.

By staying true to your core motivations, allowing time for creative thought, nurturing relationships, embracing curiosity, and setting healthy boundaries, you can maintain your creative integrity while succeeding in a corporate environment. Regular self-reflection will help you stay aligned with your goals and ensure you're on a path that's true to yourself.

The North Face: The Young Explorers Journal

A really fun collaboration with The North Face: The Young Explorers Journal. This is something I can definitely get on board with. One of the best things you can do for a kid is to encourage their curiosity. To see more kids' work and hand lettering, be sure to check out https://www.n8w.com/kids #curiosity #youngexplorers

Objects for Humans

I love traveling to different countries where things are done slightly differently. It's a way to see novelty in everyday things. On my recent travels to Mexico, I became more interested in designing everyday objects for people. We are so used to our current solutions that we forget there are a million ways to solve the same problems. I have a lot of ideas for objects that humans use; now, I just need to figure out how to make them.

Rediscovering Discovery

When I was working at Microsoft, I created a zine called "Hola Amiga." This was a respite from 3D CGI art and marketing strategy, serving as a spontaneous playground for curiosity, play and discovery. I have been fully immersed in various corporations for the last decade. Recently, I spent some time in Mexico to rediscover the joy of discovery. I have returned INSPIRED, filled with ideas and excitement to create a wide range of things, including cement sculptures, wooden furniture, ceramics, paintings, and silkscreens. Here is some recent input and output from this beautiful country, Mexico. View fullsize
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Mexico

La Morocha organized a fantastic trip that included a mix of activities. We learned about the Mayans, Aztecs, and other historical aspects. Highlights: cenotes, nature, jungle, animals, beaches, scuba, walking, and small towns.

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"May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears." — Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela has been a true inspiration to me. This quote, in particular, resonates deeply with me at this specific time in my life.

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“The journey not the arrival matters.” ―T.S. Eliot

Prints Available at https://www.n8w.com/quotes

Disney Frozen

It was an honor to work on a Disney Frozen Licensing collection. You should be able to see products in Target with some of these images. Here are a few images from the collection.