When dealing with typography or any design related task, I tend to get lost in the details. I love the details and typography is mostly about paying attention to the little things. Given that many people don’t even realize that you can change the typeface in MS Word, paying attention to typography seems very detailed oriented.
Life becomes hard as a typographer. When you discover the typographic passion, train your eye and start to see all the typographic flaws in the world. After a while you have to learn to be forgiving again. And start to distinguish between if it really matters.
Being lost in the details mostly can result in perfectionism. Which mostly prevents you from putting things out. I have to fight this every day. Feeling like a fraud writing about type and details and also not getting everything “right”, forgetting about things, having way too many typos, in German and English.
But better done than perfect. Better published than on your to-do list. Better impacting people than bugging your mind. Better saying something stupid than holding yourself back.
Just go out there and make it as good as you can right now. Right now regarding your abilities, your time or the value you give it. It’s okay. We all learn, we all evolve. We all are dissatisfied with our own stuff. But we create, and that’s all that matters.
Nice little article! I do a lot of layout and design of workbooks, questionnaires, interactive PDFs for small business owners. I find myself constantly correcting copy for spelling errors, etc (they do not have the budget or time for a copywriter or editor. But I do not get paid for this and while a little correction makes me look very competent, a lot wastes my time when I should be making money. It’s a good reminder that we all need to do our best and not fret the details…too much.
Thanks,
C
I feel you, Connie! Had similar experiences in the past. My solution now is teaching other people typography 🙂 Jokes aside, it still occupies some time on my side to correct those details, but at least I’m happier then. And that’s basically a good thing.
Speaking for myself, I haven’t noticed too much in the way of typos, and your English is much better than my German. Also, I appreciate both your information, and your sense of humor. To find that this is a font-friendly site and ot is safe for (most) fonts is a nice bonus. ?
PS – why pay a copy editor or correct mistakes on a site as long as people still keep buying? The only things that are corrected are those that make it harder to get your money.
Well, on sites not made by people like Oliver.
Thank you, Dexter, appreciate it!
Also, it is not a good look to have typos in a post about everyone else making mistakes. Please make the following changes:
“To find that this is a font-friendly site and it is safe for (most) fonts is a nice bonus.”
My apologies,
Dexter