When designers say that they’re self-taught, do you know what they really mean?
We think that these self-taught designers learned everything by themselves, no one helped them, no one taught them anything, and they didn’t seek guidance from anyone.
In reality, it’s quite the opposite.
Self-taught just means that a person didn’t follow a regular pattern of going to a design school, learning from the teachers within, and getting a degree from there.
Instead, these designers learn from online tutorials or courses, workshops, books, articles, mentors, peers, and even from their failures and surroundings.
But they definitely learn from someone.
That someone could be a Youtuber, an author, a colleague, an entrepreneur, or anyone for that matter.
Remember, one cannot learn anything by staying in a silo.
So in short, self-taught designers learn from all the sources other than a design school.
The only difference is that self-taught designers figure out their own path based on the bits and pieces they gather from countless sources.
This isn’t easy.
Facing uncertainty and difficult situations is never easy, but it’s the fastest way to a successful career.