I'm a 31-year-old motion designer feeling left behind by the new generation. How can I find inspiration and stay relevant in the field when it seems like everyone younger is more talented and ahead of the curve?

I think the key is to not compare yourself to others, I mean, it's easy to get caught up in social media and see all these young designers killing it, but the thing is, everyone starts somewhere, and those designers you're looking at, they were once in your shoes too, they had to start from scratch and work their way up, so instead of comparing, try to focus on your own journey, and celebrate your own successes, no matter how small they may seem.

Another thing that helps me is to explore other creative fields, like photography, or graphic design, or even music, sometimes taking a break from motion design and exploring other creative outlets can help you come back to your own work with fresh eyes and a new perspective, and who knows, you might even discover a new passion, I mean, I've been learning about UI/UX design and it's been really inspiring to see how it can inform my own web development work.

Now, about staying relevant, I think the key is to keep learning, I mean, the tech world is always changing, and if you're not keeping up, you'll get left behind, so make time to learn new skills, watch tutorials, take online courses, attend workshops, and conferences, and don't be afraid to ask for help, I mean, the design community is super supportive, and there are always people willing to lend a hand, or offer advice.

Also, try to stay curious, I mean, don't be afraid to try new things, and take risks, it's okay to fail, it's all part of the learning process, and sometimes the best work comes from taking risks and trying new things, and don't be afraid to collaborate with others, I mean, working with other designers, or even developers, can be super inspiring, and you can learn so much from each other.
Don't underestimate the value of your experience, I mean, you've been in the industry for a while, you have a unique perspective, and a wealth of knowledge, that's super valuable, and don't be afraid to share it, I mean, mentorship is a great way to give back to the community, and it can be super rewarding, and who knows, you might even learn something from the people you're mentoring.

i think its super importint to stay on top of the latest trends and analize whats poping in related fields. You gotta keep up with the new softwares and plugins, or you'll be left in the dust.

If you've been in the game for 10 years, you probly have a ton of experience and a deep understanding of the proceses. That's somethin to defenitly highlight, cuz lets be real, the new gen cant just magic up 10 years of hard work.

But, you cant just rest on your laurels, you gotta keep learnin and expandin your skillset. The new gen might be trendy, but thats easy to copy. I mean, have you seen some of the sick stuff on behance? The graphic design, industrial design, and web design sections are full of fresh ideas and techniques that you can totes apply to motion design. And, lets be real, motion design is all about dynamics, so its the perfect place to try out new things and develop your ideas.

And, oh man, the new softwares and plugins are a total game changer. I mean, we used to have to do everythin manually, but now AI is doin all the heavy lifting. Its crazy how much faster you can work now.

i think its importint to no that the new genaration of graphic designers aint necesarily beter than a 30 year old designer, they just more open to new trends and stuf. They stay up to date with the latest design news, know whats hot and whats not in graphic design, and are more flexable when it comes to changing theyre style.

So, the main task for us old skool designers is to keep up with the times and develop an eye for whats new and whats next. We got a big advantage over the youngbloods - we got experience on our side, and thats somethin that takes time to develop. So, from a practical point of view, its not that hard to keep up with the trends and repeat whats workin.

I get alot of inspiration from them fancy creative sites where all the cool kids post theyre work. You know, sites like Behance - thats like the mecca for graphic designers. I mean, have you seen some of the stuf on there? Its like wow, i wish i could do that! But, you know, with a little practice and patience, i think we can all get to that level.