The old school mentality of having to go to college or university to learn something is – well – old school. The internet has brought about so many learning opportunities that even us – the younger generations – have trouble comprehending and keeping up with it. Parents want their kids to get educated. Everyone gets that. It?s a bragging thing. ?Our son/daughter studied to become a doctor? has got to be the most proud parent sentence ever.

Having a degree and certificates on top of it will help them land higher paying jobs, right? Yes and no. If you want to work for the man, yes. You probably need some kind of qualification to be able to get the job. If you want to become self-employed and build a name for yourself, having a fancy degree may not be as critical. What matters most is your hustle. This is especially true if you pursue something in arts – like graphic design for example.

There are plenty of college courses teaching people how to become graphic designers, and people graduating from these classes are told they are now experts in their fields. They may be book experts but not necessarily experienced. Experience comes with time. The best graphic designers I know have spent many hundred hours learning their craft. It doesn?t happen overnight. It takes months, years, sometimes even decades to get exceptionally good at it. So what does it take to become a good graphic designer? Practice. Lots of practice. Without it you?re pretty useless. Sure, study the field of graphic design and learn how others do things, but it is practicing that makes you good. And what better way to learn then to get hands on experience and learn as you go? Trial and error has got to be the best teacher ever! Example: I outsource most of my graphic work – except my ecovers (I use an eBook cover creator for that).

Here is why: Anyway, I used to outsource ecovers as well, but with time and practice I managed to create fantastic looking ebook covers myself. So why outsource them? My point is this: It didn?t just happen. I didn?t wake up ?good at making ecovers? One day. It took a LOT of practice. So what makes a great graphic designer? Practice. Lots of practice!