Disclosure for code switching: this article alternates between Filipino and English.
“Nag-take ako ng exam sa nursing since iyun ang uso samin noon, tapos hindi ako nakapasa sa fine arts, kaya never ko na-imagine talaga na makikita ko sarili ko as an artist. Just as a designer lang.” Says Erika Duran, a graphic designer and a part-time teacher at Mapúa MCL.
As part of our project here at Artist Corner, we’re more than eager to earn the opportunity to have a sit and chat with our professors working in the industry. We hope you might find something relatable or promising here!
Background
Erika Duran is a long time graphic designer for more than ten years, and is also one of our professors teaching graphic design at Mapúa MCL, her enjoyment for graphic design began during her days in high school as a hobby, working on creative projects for school activities.
Becoming one wasn’t in her priorities, never seeing it as a career choice. But upon seeing potential from her parents, she was encouraged to take courses in digital arts and design, then took entrance exams from a fine arts university, but she only saw herself as a designer, not an artist. Merely seeing the moment as unexpected.
Erika Duran’s life as a graphic designer was a dream come true. A thing for her that she enjoyed as a kid is now what helps her to make a living.
Dealing with Burnout
When dealing with burnout, she steps out of her work and does something completely unrelated like playing with her dogs and inviting her parents to go to a mall when she feels stress and demotivation lingering in her. This shows how Ma’am Erika balances her work and life, and it was also by doing this that she avoided being burnt out so much.
View in Industry Flaws
“Flaw in the industry? Siguro yung isa don is… yung designers or artists or graphic designers minsan ano sila eh… Ano nga yung term na ‘yon?” Underappreciated. Ma’am Erika claims that graphic designers and artists are not as appreciated as other professions, which remains to be a long-standing issue when it comes to opportunities in the Philippines under her profession.
Stance on AI
Ma’am Erika is not discouraged and threatened about AI. She stated that she uses it as a tool for her projects to explain a question she doesn’t understand from clients, ask for examples, and for using it to get tips and tricks. Never to simply prompt it to create a visual output from the get-go, which she discourages.
Advice for Aspiring Artists
Ma’am Erika shared the importance of the process in creating, enjoying the growth and not dwelling on criticisms too deeply, saying, “Enjoy lang yung process… wag masyadong damdamin yung feedbacks.” as making mistakes are common in the creative field. Instead of feeling discouraged, take it as an opportunity to continue learning and explore new trends.
What Have We Learned
We learned that it can be quite unexpected to be in this position. As one of the contributing writers to this piece (Figueroa here), I used to be under the programming specialisation under the ICT strand in senior high school, I never saw multimedia arts as a potential career because the industry has been often looked down upon. Additionally, seeing a professional in the industry to not feel threatened about AI gives me some glimmer of hope. I still do wish the bubble pops though, I need RAM...