As a rule, I usually avoid calling myself things such as ‘designer’, ‘writer’, or ‘illustrator’ because I don’t like pretense. I am usually so critical of my work, in both quantity and quality, that to claim any these titles sometimes seems like I’m trying to fool people – myself included. But, I’m learning – albeit slowly – that I can regard myself as these things even though I might not be the absolute best within these fields.

All of us are still learning within our chosen occupations – whether we’ve been at it for two years or twenty. That’s a roundabout way of saying that no one’s perfect, and I shouldn’t beat myself up for thinking that I ought to somehow be better than I am at any given moment. Likewise, I’ll be fair to others and not make that expectation of them either.

Certainly, we all need to continually strive to improve – there’s nothing that says that we shouldn’t. But, as I’m coming to understand, it’s okay to not always be ‘the absolute best’ just so long as you’re actively on the learning curve.