Typos are evil. They are the bane of a graphic designer’s existence. As I sat there in class, my heart went out to my fellow student. He was chosen to present his project to our client. We had all worked so hard this year on our campaigns and Mike had won. It was really good. He had spent a lot of money in printing his pieces to look as professional as possible. As he was doing a warm up presentation in front of our class, someone noticed it. A misspelling in the HEADLINE! It was on every piece because of the copy/paste tool we all know so well.
I struggled with the same typo issues. I knew that stomach-wrenching moment after the project is printed and the evil typo is found. It was at that point, I realized that graphic designers were visual and that this was not just an issue I dealt with but that is inherent in our profession. Why? Well, what I have been able to figure out during my experience is that designers see in shapes. Once the word is created, it ceases to be a word and becomes a shape. After that discovery, I would inform my clients of this “weakness.” Typos had me convinced that I wasn’t good at writing.
Fast forward many years and I began my Full Sail online degree program. I am stepping away from my graphic centered career and going into internet marketing. This involves a lot of content creation. During my freshman and sophomore years in this program, I discovered that I can write and I am pretty decent at it. I am creative and I love the marketing aspect of my craft. This is a key ingredient for effective content creation on the internet. Typos can be dealt with software and careful proofing.
With this new confidence, I began blogging. I launched some articles on my LinkedIn page that I had set up. Within a year, I had launched my blogging site called New Reality News. As with any business venture, a lot of time and thought has gone into this new creation. This provides a valuable learning tool for my classes at Full Sail. You gain a deeper knowledge when you apply the principles you learn to something you are personally invested in.
I discovered through my Full Sail journey that typos happen to everyone, even professional writers. It is part of the challenge and does not define whether you have a talent for it. I have a very creative mind and I have come to realize that my talents extend to the written word. Typos are an evil nuisance but it shouldn’t stop you from entering into the world of writing. It is the creative juice behind an article that gives it substance.