Navigating career:
Experiencing depression
Experiencing depression
About 280 million people in the world have depression. It’s a condition that can occur suddenly and gravely affect a person’s life and work. While it’s not easy to open up about this experience, three design aces are here to share their personal stories of depression and finding a way out.
About 280 million people in the world have depression. It’s a condition that can occur suddenly and gravely affect a person’s life and work. While it’s not easy to open up about this experience, three design aces are here to share their personal stories of depression and finding a way out.
My harshest phase of depression hit me early in my career when I’d been working full-time for an agency for five years. I was young and needed experience, so I got in where I needed to be, but I’ve always known deep down that I am someone who needs to work for myself.
Being in control of my own personal brand and purposefully working with brands I actually believe in and can have a substantial impact on has helped me break away from this reoccurring cycle of depression or burnout. There are many things to consider when you decide to become a one-woman show, but for me, this step was necessary to find value in my work again.
To any designers battling through the woods right now: try to step back, sit down and work out who you are as a brand and what makes you different from the sea of designers. Just like with a brand identity project we take on, we need to set one for ourselves so we can spend more time working on the projects that we want rather than have to. Through this process, you’ll begin to see your purpose and positioning as a designer within the industry, which will help attract clients who are aligned with your approach. With this foundation set in place, you can spend more time working on the projects you love whilst also getting paid properly for them. But most importantly, don’t be afraid to say ‘no’ or take a break. Your mental health is always more important.
My harshest phase of depression hit me early in my career when I’d been working full-time for an agency for five years. I was young and needed experience, so I got in where I needed to be, but I’ve always known deep down that I am someone who needs to work for myself.
Being in control of my own personal brand and purposefully working with brands I actually believe in and can have a substantial impact on has helped me break away from this reoccurring cycle of depression or burnout. There are many things to consider when you decide to become a one-woman show, but for me, this step was necessary to find value in my work again.
To any designers battling through the woods right now: try to step back, sit down and work out who you are as a brand and what makes you different from the sea of designers. Just like with a brand identity project we take on, we need to set one for ourselves so we can spend more time working on the projects that we want rather than have to. Through this process, you’ll begin to see your purpose and positioning as a designer within the industry, which will help attract clients who are aligned with your approach. With this foundation set in place, you can spend more time working on the projects you love whilst also getting paid properly for them. But most importantly, don’t be afraid to say ‘no’ or take a break. Your mental health is always more important.
Carla Palette:
A Brand identity designer and Art director currently working in Berlin. Whilst being a part of an agency earlier in her career, she learned she needed to work for herself to feel fulfilled.
Carla Palette:
A Brand identity designer and Art director currently working in Berlin. Whilst being a part of an agency earlier in her career, she learned she needed to work for herself to feel fulfilled.
We at Hey have a special hour for sharing feelings: if we all understand why someone feels bad, we can empathize with them better. They might have the flu, insufficient sleep, or just a bad day. We’re all humans in the end.
When I had depression, I told my team about it because they needed to know that one day I might not be at the studio or might need to work fewer hours. Being transparent with a team that can understand and help you is the only way to overcome this illness.
Verònica Fuerte:
Speaker, Lecturer, and Mentor; Founder & Creative Directress of Hey studio. She experienced depression, got through it, and introduced time for openness and compassion in her design studio.
Verònica Fuerte:
Speaker, Lecturer, and Mentor; Founder & Creative Directress of Hey studio. She experienced depression, got through it, and introduced time for openness and compassion in her design studio.
Many years ago, I was working as a graphic designer at an agency and felt miserable. I remember this period as a really bleak one. The job was good, and we had interesting clients, but the atmosphere in the office was toxic. It wasn’t only me who was suffering, my colleagues also felt low. We even used to joke about it.
The first time I thought about quitting this job was on my very first day, but my family and friends told me to hold on for a couple of months at least. I stayed, which was the right decision because the experience allowed me to build my portfolio and get better jobs afterward. But in the course of that year, I became very desperate. I suffered not only during the week but also during my time off, after work, on the weekends, and on holidays.
Everything changed when I quit the job and told myself I would never work in an unhealthy environment again. Probably, my experience wasn’t a real clinical depression but a normal reaction to a hostile office atmosphere. But still, if you struggle with depression, you should seek professional help.
Anina Takeff:
Illustrator and Designer based in Berlin and Sofia. She got depressed over an uncanny work environment and changed the job for the sake of her health.
