People often ask me about what qualifications I have to be a pattern designer... a webmaster...a warehouse manager... a blogger... a photographer... or any of the other hats I wear nowadays.
OK, most people aren't quite that blunt when they ask.
They generally veil their question more discreetly,
but no matter how they ask it, it's a fair question
with a very simple answer:
I have none..... Absolutely NONE!
Based on my resume, there's absolutely NO reason I should be doing much of anything that I'm doing now.
1- No matter what your age, FORGET about what you're actually qualified to do. It's means nothing.
2- Every day that you wake up is a perfect day to learn something new.
3- If I can craft a livelihood in a field that I had absolutely NO prior qualifications for, so can YOU!
4- If you have, or when you do find something that you LOVE to work at, you should be grateful, VERY grateful, each and every day! Whether you're a religious person or not, you should pause every morning and say, "REALLY? I get to do THIS?"
So.... What are you in the process of learning now?
and what would you like to learn next?
OK, most people aren't quite that blunt when they ask.
They generally veil their question more discreetly,
but no matter how they ask it, it's a fair question
with a very simple answer:
I have none..... Absolutely NONE!
Based on my resume, there's absolutely NO reason I should be doing much of anything that I'm doing now.
- I have a BS degree in Chemistry which included one computer course, involving the use of keypunch cards... that's right... keypunch cards! (those of you born after 1975 might need to google this)
- I got one C during my entire tenure in college and ironically, it was in a writing course. I never took another....
- The first time I ever even sat in front of a computer was when the City installed one in my office in 1998. At the time, it was NOT a welcomed sight because in typical government fashion, I received no training... nothing.... not one course. They just told me to start using it and assumed I'd know how. I struggled with it for a month before I realized it was connected to a network. Up until that time, I had never even seen a website....
- Although I've had a lifelong love of sewing, my efforts were limited to clothing and home decorating items until 2003, when I made my first accessory item. It was a wallet from a commercial pattern....and it was so poorly written and the results were so awful, I KNEW I could do better!
1- No matter what your age, FORGET about what you're actually qualified to do. It's means nothing.
2- Every day that you wake up is a perfect day to learn something new.
3- If I can craft a livelihood in a field that I had absolutely NO prior qualifications for, so can YOU!
4- If you have, or when you do find something that you LOVE to work at, you should be grateful, VERY grateful, each and every day! Whether you're a religious person or not, you should pause every morning and say, "REALLY? I get to do THIS?"
So.... What are you in the process of learning now?
and what would you like to learn next?
*********************************************************************************
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AMEN!
ReplyDeleteI recently read a quote that I've been trying to base my life on: "if you don't know, learn. If you already know, apply. If you know and have applied, improve." You hit it right on the head in this post! My dad had a bachelors degree in zoology and ended up heading the post office's telecommunications for NH and VT until he retired. He learned about computers by teaching himself in the basement of a Coca-Cola bottling plant he used to work at back when things were written to cassette tape. You can do anything if you put your mind to it!! Good for you!!
ReplyDeleteExcellent quote Emily. So True.
DeleteThanks Emily! I love that quote, so thanks for sharing it!
ReplyDeleteThank you. That's a lovely start to the day. I would add to that my belief that we are "qualified" by the Universe to do anything that brings us joy. It is so obvious to anyone who's paying attention that what you do, brings you joy and that's why it works. And that's what draws us to you.
ReplyDeleteThanks Diane! I like the thought that we are qualified to do anything that brings us joy. That makes sense to me, so thanks for sharing that! :)
ReplyDeleteGreat post! There are so many ways to learn new things today. I remember the keypunch punch cards and mimeograph machines? I used to type up our school newspaper to print and there was no delete or backspace key to fix your screw ups! Remember when research involved getting yourself to a library? I love YouTube for learning new skills...just finishing knitting 2 socks on one circular needle thanks to a lovely lady who posted a great tutorial. What a positive message you sent out today. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI too have learned a LOT from You Tube videos. Keep up the good work and keep learning! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDelete:)
The President (general term no specific person) of the US many times is not qualified to do everything that is required of them. However they hopefully surround themselves with experts in the areas they lack the knowledge. When We owned our business, we went to the people who were having success in certain areas and got the knowledge we needed. Now there is so much information on the internet, many times, that can be our source of knowledge. Yes I agree learning something new all the time.
ReplyDeleteI worked in the office beside the first comercial computer in our city.,..had to learn to code, and the computer course I went to involved actual programing symbols! And I've been using computers ever since. You Tube is one of the great things about computers now...boy can you have fun learning off of that!
ReplyDeleteBack when my kids finally were both in elementary school - I decided I needed to update my skills. I had taken home ec. of course while in high school myself, and started sewing (self taught) when I was six years old, working on an old treadle machine.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I went to the Anchorage Community College (alaska) and took every sewing, needlework, serger, pattern design, drafting course I could. I didn't take them for a degree and wanted to work at my own pace. I only took corses that worked into my kids being gone to school schedule. So I left after they left for school and was home when they returned. summers I didn't take classes. But I had an excellent set of instructors and learned a lot, including two years of textile class. These classes landed me jobs in commercial sewing. Companies would come to the college and ask for the word to be put out to the best students. Didn't even have to go out and look for a job - it came to me. LOL
Later I moved to Oregon, I had the opp. to take a class in silk painting (loved it). I also took classes in spinning, weaving, and dyeing. I then was hired in another manufacturing job (actually several I went through over those years) but to make a long story a bit shorter, I eventually moved up to production supervisor over the sewing department. Then I moved again to an area where we are now out in the middle of no where. It has been about 15 years now and I haven't been in an area where I haven't found any classes to take but would love to take another level of silk painting, lots of quilting classes and more on color design. I have made my own patterns from organizing bags to other things and keep having people wanting me to publish and sell the patterns, but it seems that I never get around to making the actual pattern to sell. I'm always wanting to start the next project or design something new. We are both unemployed now, so I guess I really should sit down and publish some of my patterns on my etsy shop. (which has been sitting empty for two years or more - lol). I don't know how you find the time to design and publish and still create more things. I just can't seem to fit it all in.
Thanks for sharing Rhonda.
ReplyDeleteWell- don't ever let anyone tell you that running your own business is a 20hour a week job! hahaha
It really is more like a 60hour a week job, but the difference is, that hopefully you're doing something you love, and after all... "it's only work if there's something else you'd rather be doing ,right?
Go girl!
:)
Well-said! I do lots of things that I am not formally "trained" to do, and have learned by observing, doing, reading, talking to others, taking workshops, and generally paying attention and working at learning and improving those skills. I would not discount my formal training, even though it is not in the same "field" as my current pursuits. My education and degree laid the foundation for many of the skills and inclinations that I now use, and, as I tell my kids, "education is never wasted." You can always take what you learn in one situation and apply it or adapt it to another situation, plus the discipline of studying in one area forms habits and study skills that enable one to study and learn in a different area.
ReplyDeleteGood for you!
Sharon A.
I used to do keypunch! Who needs qualifications? Motherhood doesn't come with instructions and there have been quite a few great accomplishments with out a manual!! I have been sewing since 12 and have learned to think out of the box all my life. I designed a towel holder years ago I still use, a tote bag my daughter loves, and my StudioKat purses get rave reviews all the time!! Right now I am trying to design a potholder suitable for seniors with grip problems. I recently moved into a senior living building and that gave me the idea, plus my right hand is a tad weak and I'm thinking of some kind of elastic potholder to stay on my hand. What do you think?
ReplyDeleteHmm- Sounds like it could be a good idea Donna, but I'm always leery of stuff that could have liability issues, so proceed with caution?
ReplyDelete