We were lucky to catch up with Patrick Milford recently and have shared our conversation below.
Patrick, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Is your team able to work remotely? If so, how have you made it work? What, if any, have been the pitfalls? What have been the non-obvious benefits?
I’m a one-man team so remote work is the most efficient way to do business. The only benefit I could see to having a brick and mortar is having a space to meet clients (and maybe having more wall space for my poster collection!). But the majority of my clients have preferred to meet virtually or via phone, so remote work is best for me. When I first started working remotely, I’ll admit that it was tricky to find balance in my day. I’d find myself slacking off or just being distracted by household tasks. Now I’ve developed a really good rhythm that allows me the freedom to work and get housekeeping done as needed.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’ve been practicing graphic design professionally for over 12 years. For seven of those 12 years, I worked as an agency art director. I loved my time in the agency world, but I started to get burned out towards the end. I had always wanted to try my hand at freelancing but had been too nervous about the inherent uncertainty. But with the support of my amazing fiancée, I decided to take the plunge and start my own studio. That’s how Milford Design Co was born. Since 2021, I’ve been working with clients both big and small to provide them with quality creative solutions. MDC is focused on design, branding, illustration, and animation services.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
I went to UMSL (University of Missouri–St. Louis for graphic design. In order for students to advance to the senior-level courses, they have to pass a portfolio review. All the design faculty looks at your work to make sure you’ve learned lessons from the lower-level classes. I failed my first portfolio review. The review board said they thought I could be a very strong student with another year of coursework. At first I was devastated. I allowed myself a day to wallow, but then told myself not to give up. After another year I passed my review with flying colors and eventually, graduated from UMSL with honors.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
I’ve always struggled with comparing my work to others. It’s easy to fall into that trap in a creative field, especially with the prevalence of social media. There’s so many amazing creatives doing similar work that it can be difficult to not feel like your work is inferior. I’ve improved this behavior by shifting my focus away from others and onto myself. How am I progressing as a designer and a person? If I’m making improvements in both of this areas year over year, then I’m satisfied.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Milforddesignco.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/milforddesignco
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/milforddesignco
- Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/patrick-milford-2200b839
Image Credits
Dave Moore Photography (headshot only)