A Story of Growing as a Designer While Traveling
The biggest fear came true — I started to write the article, while I’ve never believed it’s my way of telling the plot.
Let me draw what I want to tell you, ok? But not this time. The story I want to tell you is about my personal experience and the conclusions I’ve made these days.
To begin with, let me introduce myself — my name is Ludmila, I’m UX/UI designer working in this sphere since 2013. Recently, I quit my job at Tubik studio and went to travel for a month. While for someone it may be a usual length of vacation, for me it was a totally different case as nine times out of ten my vacation lasted no longer than 1,5 week.
You might already read a bunch of articles telling the importance of traveling but here is my personal vision and I invite you to discover it.
1. Every day in trip is completely different and fills with dozens of situations you don’t experience in your daily life.
Changing the environment for a while we face new challenges. Our trip might start reaching the destination and if it’s another country we may find a different language that surrounds us right at the moment we cross the border. Whether these people understand your language? If English is your native language you’re a lucky fellow as in many countries people at least somehow know it and will try to answer you. But you can never be sure that you’ll understand people in any situation and it’s a part of the experience.
During my trip, I’ve met a guy who has been traveling for 16 months in a row (unbelievable, isn’t it?). He told me he had been in Ukraine, my native country, and there he felt completely different feelings. Most of the signs he saw every day are written in Cyrillic. The same is in cafes and restaurants menu. As he mentioned, it was precious for him to be in the real surrounding that doesn’t try to be too tourist-oriented but to show life as it is.
2. You overcome barriers without even implying about them and it makes you bolder and stronger.
One of the destinations in my trip were Azores islands — the paradise place you can learn many times and still find the hidden spots and new emotions. Seeing the amazing and wide-ranging nature, feeling several times of year just in one day you barely will be able to stay in one place for a long time not wanting to look at what is next. At least, in my case curiosity always wins.
And here I am, standing in front of the information block about 7,7 km walking trail, surrounded by the strong fog. The big announcement says «Before starting the walk always inform someone about the trail you will take and when you intend to start it”. Hmm, but I’m a solo traveler. So I started my walk without informing anyone, met a few people in the beginning and then there was emptiness. No one around. Instinctively you feel that everything will be good, but still such kind of situation doesn’t happen in your daily life and some fear grabs your body for a moment. But when you complete the road, you feel unbelievable emotions of reaching the goal and win. And the next days you get new situations to overcome.
3. You meet people with completely different life experience and you get to know them.
Through our daily life, we’re mostly surrounded by people we know, our family and friends. If you usually work together with other designers, to solve the problems or to get the feedback you receive the answers from one perspective. You see almost the same way of life day by day. You know how these people use their smartphones and which applications are the most used according to your friends. As a result, it’s just a small society around you.
When you’re on a trip, you meet lots of people with a completely different background from all the parts of the world. You discover their life attitudes. Quite often you meet other fellow travelers who are open-minded and you can easily spend an hour or two listening to their stories and telling yours. For me, it’s a very inspirational experience that helps to be empathetic. Isn’t it a skill we’re all thriving to reach on the UX stage while conducting the research with personas? And don’t forget, you meet the real people, not fictional ones.
4. You awaken your talents.
As you are on a trip, you get free time without switching to work questions (ideally, of course). Thus, you have the ability to spend some time developing your hobby. Many people choose photography, the brave ones diving, the curious may attend the culinary class. One of my main hobbies is urban sketching, «See the world one drawing at a time» is its’ slogan. What is the magic of this movement?
Whether you’re a professional artist or a beginner you discover the world by capturing the specific moment on the paper. You draw on location, it helps you feel it, observe under any angle and see what’s going on here.
This time I was lucky enough to attend the Urban Sketchers Symposium in Porto, where more than 800 people met together to learn new techniques and to spend good time together. I got lots of feedback on my artworks and saw the way people support each other. It’s incredible. As I follow the philosophy that being a designer you need to have artistic skills, this hobby for sure helps me to evolve my craft.
5. You recharge yourself.
You may not leave all your worries behind as it can take years but you will definitely be filled with fresh energy. Each small victory makes you happier, each day you discover something new that brings positive emotions. The trip itself is already a victory and an achievement in your bucket list. Answering the common question «Where do you take inspiration?» one of the main points will be traveling, simple as it is.
Quitting the job you had been working for a long time giving all your energy and love isn’t the easy step in your life. But somehow you feel the moment and realize there is no way back. In this case, traveling is the best thing to take a break and to know oneself.
Filled with new energy I’m ready to face the challenges and to continue the personal and professional growth. And maybe thanks to this experience I dared to write the story? Who knows. I wish everyone to find the opportunity to have that kind of travel that enrich you and bring new ideas.
Thank you for reading!
UPD: Right in a year from this publication, I’ve written a brand new story where I express my thoughts and ideas on the whole year of traveling and work, welcome to read—10 Reasons Why You Should Become a Digital Nomad. 10 Obstacles You’ll Get on Your Way.
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This story is published in Noteworthy, where thousands come every day to learn about the people & ideas shaping the products we love.
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