QUICK NOTE: I apologize for the lack of posts recently - I've been buried under work (good for the wallet, bad for the blog). I'm back to my regular workload for the moment so look for lots of great posts coming your way again!

I'm a Colorado native and I love to snowboard (although now that I live it Nebraska, it's been a little longer than I'd like since I've shredded some fresh pow). I've had an idea for a long time to write a post about things I learned while snowboarding that apply to the freelance design and business world.

Try New Things

When I first learned to snowboard, the crashes came frequently. It's just part of the learning process. I remember one instance when I was laying in a pile on the snow and some little pro rider kid came by and sprayed snow all over me while I was down. I was pretty mad but there was nothing I could do - I wasn't good enough to catch up to him. In snowboarding, as in freelancing, when you fall you've got to decide to get back up and keep at it. The point is, everyone has to start somewhere. I'd love to do more with video animation eventually - I have no formal training in the arena right now, but neither did the best person in that field at some point.

Bring The Right Gear

I learned quickly that having the right gear is important, not just for looks, but for warmth (jacket & pants), speed (light board) and entertainment (music player). The better the equipment you have, the better your experience will be. My first snowboard was a no-namer brand (Oxygen). It was a heavy thing that was hard to turn and carry. When we started C McConnell Design, I was designing on an old Dell that was extra slow when it was new. Now we've upgraded to awesome state-of-the-art Macs and life is good. It's a process going from start to finish. The right design gear is within reach for anyone if they want it bad enough - you might just have to make some sacrifices to get it, but it's worth it once you finally do.

Learn from Others

I think one of the best ways to improve as a snowboarder is to watch other people who are better than you in whatever area you want to improve - in the half-pipe or terrain park or even just carving through the back-country. I think the same principal definitely applies to freelance design as well. There are tons of great freelancers out there with videos and tutorials you can learn from and improve in whatever area you want to get better in.

Conclusion

To sum things up, don't be afraid to try new things, otherwise you might get stuck on the bunny slope, and make sure to bring the right gear - it doesn't matter, until it does. Last of all, learn from others and don't think you're the coolest person on the "slope". We can all learn something from someone, even people you'd never peg as trendsetters.