In may of 2016 I decided to commit to producing a new 3D render daily for a year. I had been putting off getting familiar with 3D for a long time and this seemed like a great way to force myself to get comfortable with it. So far I’ve made it 294 days, and the end is finally in sight. The technical knowledge I’ve gained has been invaluable. Though the philosophical lessons I’ve learned have been what stands out most. The following are a few of my favorites.

300/365

JUST START — “ya know I could really use another coffee before I get moving on this.” “mmm I’m just not really feeling inspired.” “I’m kinda hungry, let me eat something to fuel up.” These probably sound a little familiar. Everyone experiences mental resistance when it comes to completing tasks. Whether it’s cleaning the apartment or working on that client project, there’s that little voice in your head explaining all the ways you could avoid it. It’s your job to control that voice. When you feel the resistance acknowledge it and understand that now is the time to start. Then go ahead and open up that project file. HARDWORK BEATS TALENT — I’ve never been someone who felt very confident in my design skills. To be honest for the longest time I thought it just wasn’t my thing. I had resigned myself to being the technical person. Someone who could help others who were more artistically gifted. Creating these dailies has shown me otherwise. I am by no means a prolific designer but the improvement I’ve seen in less than a year has reinforced my belief that hard work trumps talent. Those who are willing to dedicate more time to there craft will always be one step ahead of those relying on natural talent. DON’T TAKE IT PERSONALLY — if you’re posting work online inevitably someone is gonna hate on it. They may actually have something to say, perhaps you can learn from there critique. The key is DO NOT TAKE IT PERSONALLY — PERIOD. Learn from it if you can but move on to the next project. Remember you’re just moving forward leaving the haters in your wake. PERFECTION DOES NOT EXIST — nothing is perfect. A project is never finished, it is only due. Put your heart into your work, strive to make it the best it can be, but learn to let it go when the time is right. Honestly most days I post a daily I think “this kinda sucks” but I have faith that next weeks work will be better. THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS TO MASTERY — if you’re looking for a shortcut to getting good at creating you’re going to be disappointed. Sure you can make quick strides, but in order to truly reach mastery of your craft you will have to dedicate decades of your life too it. By mastery I mean the top 5% of people working in your field. Doing this daily project has shown me how quickly I can learn when I put myself to the task, but more than anything it has shown me how large of a gap there is between me and those I look up too.

290/365

If you want to check out some of the work I’ve produced so far check out my instagram @taylor_kenny