#7: Stop being a selfish designer

There was a period when I had a tough time letting go of control over my projects. I wanted to handle everything so I could say, "I did that!"

Most creative projects are done by a bunch of people: creative directors, designers, art workers, photographers, retouchers, and so on. I felt awkward explaining which parts of the project I actually worked on. It didn't sound impressive to me.

It was only when I started managing a small team that I realised the creative power of a team is significantly more powerful than that of just one person. I went through a process of letting go of my ego (well, at least some of it) and focusing on the work above everything else.

Now I love a collaborative process in my professional work. For me, that means sharing ideas openly. Letting the team use each other's ideas as jumping-off points for their own creative exploration. This attitude has led to some truly amazing work—stuff no one person could have done alone.