It’s always interesting to go back and look at the work that I’ve done in the past. It’s particularly interesting to look at where I’ve come from, where I currently am, and where I would like to be with my work. There has never been a moment when I’ve thought “this is it, I have arrived, I am the best I can possibly be at this”.
In an ideal world, the best work I’ve ever done should be the last project that I did. Each new project trumping the one before it in skill and artistry and execution. That’s not always true, especially when you are doing work for hire and you don’t always get a project that challenges you after completing a project that you were really passionate about. But there is definitely a distinct pattern of constant growth throughout the history of my work. So, I suppose in general I am heading in the right direction.
The work that I create is constantly evolving. New styles, new techniques, new tools that make new things possible. And to a certain degree your clients evolve with you. It’s easy to become defined by the last project you did. The work that we show to the world is the work that people associate with us. So the frame of reference that new clients have for you is shaped by the work that you have done, not the work that you will do or can do.
It’s an interesting conundrum. How do you help potential clients see the possibilities for the work that you will do in the work that you have done? Doing your own work outside of the confines of a client project can really help.
