About
Form & Future began as a journal of curated interviews for new designers in 2012. Fear and doubt are a normal part of the artmaking process. Creative people are quick to forget that our doubts about making work are not unique to us.People who do creative work fundamentally share anxieties, fears, and hopes. The designers we interview have been through the beginning, and they all got through it in different ways. What they have in common is that they did not quit.
"What separates artists from ex-artists is that those who challenge their fears, continue. Those who don't, quit. Each step in the artmaking process puts that to the test."
– David Bayles & Ted Orland, Art & Fear
fueled by Relentless Optimism
Form and Future is formed, organized, written, and designed by Laura Winn, founder of Let’s Work Studio in San Francisco. She is a new designer who embraces challenges.
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Seeking mentorship has been an integral part of my practice since I was just starting out in graphic design. Learning from those with more experience helps me feel less alone. Fifteen plus years in, I am far less shaky about my own creative process than I was when I began this project.
If you’re just beginning to pursue a creative career, I think it’s important to know that you don't have anxiety because you're a beginner. You have anxiety because you do creative work, and feeling uncertain is a huge part of the creative process. There will always be a part of you in the work that you're making, and sharing that with the world is scary.
Everyone who makes creative work has to come to terms with how to continue making work. The comforting truth is that every person you look up to, every person who makes the work you want to be making, has been you at one time. Experience does not make fear disappear.
You learn how to deal with fear directly, and then you fold it into your creative process. Every mistake draws you deeper to your craft. Embrace your missteps, and keep going.