Alana Hyatt

I realized as a child that I had a talent for drawing that not everybody has. I would get compliments and give my friends drawings, and there was this idea that formed in my head that I could be of service and provide something that made them feel good and special. It started simply by handing out little drawings in elementary school, and I've worked my way up to doing art full-time on a grander scale. I've learned from others through their mistakes, which has given me a boost to layer in workflows, processes, and best practices. That put a fire under me to stay passionate and curious. I'm sort of a mesh of all these different people I've met throughout my lifetime, their mannerisms, skills, talents, and personal ways of doing things. I see myself as a storyteller and a people person. Being of service has helped me bond with others and build meaningful relationships by offering solutions they might not be able to do on their own. I'm a problem solver who doesn't take no for an answer. I just don't restrict myself and keep experimenting, which is what has gotten me to this point. I crack the joke that graphic design is like playing Tetris for me, constantly moving things around, resizing, coloring until it just snaps into place. The gamification of my career has gotten me far and made it a lot more enjoyable. I celebrate those little wins, those badges and trophies along the way. I live by the quote: no one lives forever, it's about creating something that will. That's my legacy, through my design skills and what I do for other people, those things are gonna outlast me. Everyone has a little piece of my soul, and that's what has really offered me purpose in life.

The most impactful guidance I gained wasn't traditional advice, but lessons learned through experience. One of the things that really stands out in my work history timeline is what I've learned from others through their mistakes. It was very apparent to me to instantly see what I don't like, what I don't want, what's not working. That helped me layer in workflows, processes, and best practices, which gave me a boost to learn things as I do and put that fire under me to stay passionate and curious. I'm sort of a mesh of all these different people I've met throughout my lifetime, taking their mannerisms, skills, talents, and personal ways of doing things. Because I've been self-taught and sometimes figured things out the hard way, I try to educate others to save up-and-coming designers or junior graphic designers time and stress, whether that's tools in a program or how to train your eye. I make sure I don't restrict them in the way I communicate either, letting them know this is an option, not the only way of doing it, but something that's worked for me.

I think the top two things are resiliency and staying hungry for knowledge. First, you need to build some tough skin and learn how to separate your craft from who you are. If you get constructive criticism or negative feedback, you have to learn to not take that personally and essentially level up every time by learning and pushing yourself to problem solve. You have to be resilient, strong, and have emotional intelligence. Besides that, just stay hungry for knowledge, because just because someone graduated school doesn't mean you know everything. In the field, putting your hands on the clay, you're gonna learn so much by actually working with people. There are so many different categories someone could fall under in design, whether it's industry type or the position itself, so being hungry for knowledge offers versatility. Competition-wise, you're gonna stay fresh, and that's what's gonna help you stand out from the crowd. Half of it is talent, the other half is who you are and your personality. Be yourself, let your personality shine, and blow people away with the continuous elevation of your craft. Experimenting has gotten me to this point, I wouldn't be here if I wasn't constantly experimenting. Gamification of your career will get someone far and make it a lot more enjoyable. Try to get those badges and trophies along the way, those little wins. When you accomplish something difficult, like a long project or many revisions, you've reached the final boss, so congratulate yourself and then keep going, because it never stops, there's no ceiling.

I see a major opportunity in leveraging technology while still staying true to the integrity of the art. Balancing innovation with authenticity remains one of the key challenges in my field. As I rebrand myself, the work has become more personal compared to when I was focused on helping companies achieve success through their own rebranding. I've rebranded three companies, and the fact that I'm rebranding myself right now, it's come full circle. This shift allows me to blend my expertise with my identity, creating more meaningful and impactful work. I'm currently looking for a position where I have more of a leadership or stronghold on the way things are executed regarding strategy.

Collaboration is huge to me. You can't go anywhere by yourself, and even through the challenges and difficult people you have to work with, there's a lot to learn from those types. I value building meaningful relationships and getting along with others. Passion is really the best word for keeping me motivated, or I should say inspired. I've learned that inspired is from within, while motivation is external, so I always try to keep myself inspired. I don't compare myself to others. You can look at others to see what they're doing and get inspiration and ideas to be better or do better conceptually, but comparing yourself will only hold you back. I'm competing against myself every day and no one else. I truly believe that everyone has something to offer, and I embrace my uniqueness. It's more than just a job, it's really a work family. No matter where you end up, whether it's one-on-one with clients or for whatever corporation, you gotta look at everyone as a fellow teammate and not competition. For unwinding, I spend quality time with my loved ones and time outdoors. I'm in Arizona, so I'm fortunate to have beautiful weather year-round. It's good to get out from behind the computer and get outside and take a breather. Most importantly, I prioritize rest. I think with the late-stage capitalism that we're in, everyone feels the need to hustle and grind, and that's a toxic mindset that's not sustainable long term. Gauging your worth based on how productive you were in a day will fluctuate, so on the days that you feel super tired or spent, listen to your body, tune into that, and shut down your brain. Sometimes there's too much going on, too many programs open, so you gotta shut it all down, walk away, and rest. Meditation is huge for me. I'll sit on a rock under a tree and tune into the sound of the water fountain gushing, and next thing you know, 10 minutes has passed. I find something to focus on, a sound or feeling, something neutral, to ground myself. I also spend time with animals, petting them, because they benefit just as much as I do.