Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Mark Omlor. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Mark, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?
For me, keeping creativity alive starts with giving your mind variety. You can’t be too rigid in your ways or you start giving yourself excuses to stay in a monotonous pattern. Listen to different genres of music in a day, explore new spots in your city, try a new hobby – there are many ways to break a mundane that cycle that have helped my creativity a lot.
I’ve also learned that creativity stays healthy when you stay healthy. An active lifestyle is one of the best gifts you can give your mind. By challenging yourself physically, you learn how to overcome blockages mentally. This pattern helps you problem-solve better in all parts of life.
Of course, you can’t overload your mind either. You build up mental strength the same way you build up physical strength – gradually. When you feel you’re at the edge of your mental bandwidth, give yourself permission to take a break. Over time, you become more tapped in to yourself. You understand what your limits are, and you can set boundaries easier.
By giving my mind variety and maintenance, creativity is kept at pretty good level.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I have been a graphic designer professionally since 2015, and I’ve specialized in logos and branding for the last 3 years. I saw 2020 as an opportunity to grow my business and establish a stronger presence online. Once the world started opening up again, I took many of those relationships offline and developed a network of clients and referral partners.
There are two things that excite me most about my work:
When you design a logo and a brand identity, you’re not just making something that looks cool. You’re shaping how a company is seen and remembered by others. Every piece of real estate that company touches has that branding, so it makes the design process both intentional and engaging.
And, like all creatives, I’m constantly learning more. New trends, new techniques, new ways of approaching a problem – there’s always something out there to improve how I do my work.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The most impactful for me have been networking, consistency, and overcoming ego.
Having a strong portfolio is important, but that only gets you so far. Design has a business side like any other industry. I know the phrase “It’s not about what you know, but who you know” feels played out, but it’s true. You need to identify the people that can help you create opportunities, whether those are client projects or just referrals. Make these people your friends, come into the interaction outcome-independent. When you leave a good impression, they’ll be more inclined to send work your way.
Building a brand as a creative is a job in itself. Whether you’re posting content or talking to new leads, you need to be putting yourself out there every day. Those skills needs to stay sharp just like your design skills. Track your progress and your goals, whether you use software or just the notes app on your phone. Progress has to be something you can measure, otherwise you’re going into every day blind. Once you stick to these brand-building tasks long enough, they become habits ingrained in your mind.
The biggest steps in your professional journey come when you learn to get out of your own way. Swallow your pride, ask for help, make the uncomfortable decision – whatever it takes to get yourself in a better position. If you let the right choice stay in your head for too long, hesitation will talk you out of it. You can’t let time pass and rob you of the chance to get to your next goal. Speaking from experience, the hard choices are the ones we make the most if we want to grow.
Leaving Ohio, building up my business, growing my network from scratch – those all happened when I decided that a greater life was worth a little discomfort.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
Each of my parents gave me a piece of advice that I carry with me.
My mom always told me to only focus on the things I can control. She has always been a calming force in my life. From childhood angst to uncertainty in my college years, my mom was there for me. She never enabled anxiety, but encouraged me to calmly plan for whatever life threw at me. Because of all this, I’m compelled to keep my emotions in check and make more rational decisions.
My dad taught me to apply myself in everything I do. It seemed silly at first, but I know now that how you do one thing is how you do everything. Looking up to him, I saw that discipline and consistency are the things that shape your reputation. That you can’t be outstanding in one area of life without wanting to be outstanding in all of them.
Contact Info:
- Website: markomlor.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mark.omlor/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-omlor-7365ba22/
- Other: https://www.behance.net/mark-omlor
