As the summer winds down, the leaves start to turn, mums shop for the kids’ school uniforms, and large groups of uncertain freshers are making their slow shuffle around the town and its pubs.
There’s a palpable feeling of anticipation in the air. And it doesn’t matter how young or old you are: this back-to-school sensation can trigger a desire to learn new skills, challenge yourself, and take your craft to the next level.
At the same time, though, you might think: ‘Why should I bother? I spent all those years studying to get into my career. Now I’m doing nicely; why should I make the extra effort?’
Reasons to study
The simple answer is that – as everyone experienced in the creative industry will tell you, in this profession – learning never stops.
Continuous learning is ultimately the only way to stay relevant in an environment where new trends, technologies, and techniques emerge regularly. In short, there’s no ‘one and done’. You constantly need to think about expanding your skill set, creative knowledge, and horizons.
But that’s not in itself a bad thing. It’s not like being back at school or uni, where you’re told what to learn and when to study. You’re a grown-up now, and you can decide what areas you’re most interested in and how you’d like to learn. Do so when you’re in the mood.
That means you should enjoy the process and get a sense of personal fulfilment out of learning new things. And you’ll probably see the benefits pretty quickly, too, as you’re rewarded by employers or clients who see the value in your newly expanded skillset. As graphic designer Amy Harding, says: “My never-stop-learning attitude has been more beneficial to me than any specific software skill.”
But there’s a potential problem. How do you drive yourself to learn new things when you already use up most of your energy in your day-to-day work?
Well, here’s one thing that should provide some extra motivation right now. The threat of AI.
Staying ahead of the AI curve
Let’s face it: AI – and most specifically, generative AI art – will put many creatives out of work in the coming years. As Simon Case, founding partner of Chromatic, says in this interview: “The big agency networks are not telling the truth about what’s going to happen. They don’t want to admit there will be big fallouts and many very unhappy people. Just as Macs replaced typesetters, photo retouchers, and all of those old skills in the past, AI will replace people and have a huge effect.”
In fact, if you’re an illustrator, in particular, generative AI is already a clear and present threat to your earning power, as we discuss in this special report. And as technology improves, it’s likely that designers, animators, photographers and other visual creatives will also find AI eating their lunch.