Becoming an Expert

I tweeted the other day about wanting to become an expert on too many things, and needing to find one thing to focus on at a time. I'm constantly thinking about my next move and the next thing I want to learn more about, which can be great because I always have something I can be doing. It can also be a burden because my mind is never resting. I'm always on the hunt for either something new that I should set my sights on learning, or learning something I've set out to become an expert in.

The purpose of this post is to let you know what I've learned so far about wanting to become an expert in so many things, and I'm also going to make a personal resolution for future reference.

Here is what I've figured out so far about this problem that I'm having. If you agree or disagree I would love for you to voice your opinions in a comment!

1. It isn't a bad thing to want to learn more things. I keep telling myself this whenever I enter my human version of information overload. The quest for knowledge and continuation of learning shouldn't stop after high school/college/grad school. Knowledge is an asset to your future, and it's so valuable- whether you have paid for it or not. 
2. It's not healthy to become obsessed with a lot of different things at once. This happens to me all the time. I'm reading a blog post, trying to gain knowledge on one subject, and then BAM there's this link into another portion of the universe internet and all of a sudden there's this other thing that you didn't even know you needed to know! Before you know it, you have 5, 6, 7 internet tabs open and you're trying to make sense of it all.at.the.same.time. And... youjustcan'tstopuntilyouknoweverythingthereistoknow. UGH.
3. It's ok if you learn slowly and over a period of time. Heck, if you learn slowly, there is a good chance you're retaining the information for the long haul.
4. The best way to become an expert in something is by trying it out for yourself. I love branding boards. I love the way they look and feel, and I love the idea of filling my portfolio with them someday. But I've never really done one myself, until I jumped into it and made this one for myself! It's not terrible complicated, but it looks great in my portfolio, and has actually gotten lots of views on Behance, and some retweets on Pinterest! My point? Nothing is more satisfying than going out and doing. Stop oohing and aahing over someone else's example and make your own! Someday, after I've completed my 100th branding board, I hope to be an expert.
5. Be resourceful. There are so many places to start the learning process. There are classes like Nicole's Classes, which look amazing. There are all types of blog posts out there, and I bet there are at least a handful for exactly what you want to know more about, and you can trust them because the authors are probably experts (or are at least pretty close!) It's all about clicking every link that looks interesting, and knowing where to look. (Ok, don't go clicking all those interesting links. Some are bad!)
6. You don't have to have a piece of paper to prove that you're an expert. There are so many designers out there that didn't go to school for design, or didn't go to school at all! Don't always be wary of someone without a college degree. If you find someone writing about what you are yearning to learn more about, ask yourself if they seem credible, and if what they say makes sense. Even more than that though, did they inspire you? I tend to admire designers the most if their own work or words have inspired me, left me with a greater understanding, and given me the tools to open up Illustrator and start something of my own.

So, now that I've really thought about what it takes to be an expert, I want to put a plan into motion right now. I need to give my brain a rest and focus on one or two relating things that I could get a really good base knowledge of in a small amount of time. (I'm talking maybe a few weeks) The other things will be put on the back burner for now, until I'm satisfied with my base knowledge. Then, I'm going to gather some resources. This might mean buying a new book. (An actual book that I can keep on a shelf or my currently-nonexistent-desk) Maybe bookmarking, Pinning, or "Evernoting" (heads up Merriam-Webster!) some blogs, posts, articles, and tutorials that are relevant? I can take a class from Nicole's Classes, SkillShare, and maybe even my local community college. And finally, I'm going to act. I'm going to physically take all of what I've learned and put it onto action to create something that proves to me, and maybe other people out there, that I know a little bit about something

But wait... it doesn't end. This cycle will repeat- probably for the entire span of my existence- but it will also continue. The thing about becoming an expert is...

There is no one out there to judge exactly what it means to become an expert in anything. You are an expert when you say you are. But a true lover of knowledge will never be satisfied enough to say they have learned all there is to learn.

For this 1850x1150 Desktop Background, click here, and just save the image to your computer! (The link will just bring you to a photo sharing website- no bugs, I promise!)

I'm eager to know what anyone else thinks about this subject! Thanks for visiting my blog!