Shattering Stereotypes

I wanna clear something up. I don’t care for stereotypes. Sure, I am just as guilty of pigeonholing someone into a specific “category” as the next guy. We all are. That doesn’t mean I have to like it.

I am a graphic designer. I have observed a few things in the past weeks and it really bugs me.Maybe I have just been oblivious to it for so long but I had no idea that there was such a specific graphic designer stereotype. There is. Here is a list of reasons I don’t fit it.

• I don’t use a Mac. I use a custom built machine running Windows. While it needs a video card upgrade it serves me well.
• I don’t wear black-rimmed glasses. In fact, I don’t wear any glasses.
• I don’t listen to bands that no one has ever heard of. I listen to a variety of bands but some are quite mainstream.
• The fact that I do 90% of my job on a computer does NOT mean I will will fix yours. Sure I am happy to help friends and family when I can but, seriously, stop asking tech support questions.
• I do not shop at the discount clothing store just so I can look retro and trendy. If ever I shop at a discount store it’s because I’m broke.
• I don’t wear black just to look all “designerly”… damn it… I DO wear A LOT of black… but it’s not to look designerly. It’s because I like black and I’m fat. Black is slimming ya know.
• I don’t run on fuel from Starbucks or the next trendy coffee shop. Really I rarely drink coffee. Crazy but true.

That being said, if any or all of these apply to you then congratulations. It’s not to say you are lame or a bad designer. You just fit what society has already planned out for you. I know several designers that indeed do fit many of these items and they are killer artists, awesome business owners and really cool people. Next time someone tells you what they do for a living pay attention. Don’t assume anything.

I know this post is an open invite for people to bitch and moan about how they are unique (like everyone else) and that’s fine. That’s what the comment section is for.