Recently I have watched a show on Netflix called Abstract: Art of Design. It is a “docuseries” about renowned designers and artists, taking a deep dive on their lives, their design processes, and beginnings.

This could well be a series of articles on this series which is also my reflection on what I watched and how it could relate to our professions not only in the design world but also in other professions.

Behind every endeavor you do today is a correlation of a small spark in the past

I know this sounds cliche, but everything really started out as a thing in the past that you like or are passionate about, whether you know it intentionally or not.

Back then, Ralph’s fascination with cars and automobiles really got to him at an early age. He would watch shows like “The Dukes of Hazzard” and would often make deals with his parents to watch it in exchange for done homework. He would not focus on the characters but would focus on the cars in the show.

The things with these small sparks are what usually drives our professional careers. Sometimes these would carry on but sometimes it wouldn’t which goes on to my next takeaway.

I know this sounds cliche, but everything really started out as a thing in the past that you like or are passionate about, whether you know it intentionally or not.

Take risks, and accept that no one will tell you that they like what you do or will be doing

A big hurdle in Ralph’s life is getting his father to say yes to pursue his passion as a potential profession. As Ralph puts it, his family members who are migrants from Haiti does not have the luxury to pursue any career paths that were seen as romantic and artistic. In his Father’s view, pragmatism comes into play when taking professions into consideration.

Initially, he decided to delay this action as he pursued college instead which he dropped out in a short amount of period.

Ralph on the other hand, with the help of his aunt and his brother, inspired him to write and send his portfolio of sketches to Chrysler Motors, which is a big brand at the time.

This was a bold move for him but was a success as Chrysler was impressed by his portfolio and replied to his letter and were thinking of considering him in a job in the company.

Inspired by history (and a bunch of movies made), we could see a pattern of people who are successful- Get inspired with things from the past, do something consistently and progress over time. But sometimes the missing factor in all of these is taking that giant leap and turning these things into reality. As a matter of fact, sometimes we need the help of other individuals around us who would push us to do it.

Pursue your passion, but don’t let others down

The thing with pursuing your passion is that it is twofold. You must be good at what you pursue or at least see the potential in yourself, and you must not let others down when pursuing your passion.

In a practical side, your passion should not disrupt your basic responsibilities (e.g providing for your family, spending time with your kids, etc.)

On a more emotional side, you should not let down the people who accepted you to pursue your passion in exchange for what they think is best for you.

In Ralph’s case, his father was never into his taste for design in automobiles. He eventually accepted Ralph’s decision. Ralph ingrained into his mind that he would not let his Father’s hopes down and he programmed to himself that he would be successful in his chosen endeavor.