Mike Lenhart (bio)

It's always nice to be referred or recommended by a client or colleague to a nice, juicy project. It's also nice if that referred project is the right fit professionally and also fits in the work pipeline. I was contacted by a large local arts organization to bid on a project that entails designing and developing one of their entities' complete season branding and collateral. This would include brochures, posters, programs, and advertisements. It's an extremely large job.

I had the briefing meeting with the client and felt pretty good and competent, overall, about the whole thing. As the project requirements and prospect of my little studio taking on this whole thing started to sink in, however, I started freaking out.

Can I really do this? Do I have the skills required? Am I going to make a fool out of myself? Am I going to bite off more than my little studio can chew? All of the insecurities and anxieties that I, as a sensitive designer, go through, started surfacing.

Wait a minute!

What if I do a kick-ass job? What if this project places me and my little studio at the next level? What if I become King of the Design World? Yes, I am an extremist at times, too. Regardless, there's no need to freak out, on one hand, or put myself on a throne, on the other. I have to look at reality. It's still in the bidding process, for God's sake. I might not even make the cut.

This little episode has taught me a few things - (1) that maybe I am good enough professionally to be referred to others; (2) I don't need to freak out when the prospect of a dream gig actually comes my way; and, (3) the world is not going to stop spinning if I get this job or not.

The process of this whole thing is a great experience and I will do my best as I go through it, one step at a time. If I remember to breathe and look at reality, this self-inflicted world of drama tends to go away. Cutting down on the coffee may help too.