My name is Caleb Faulkner, and I am a UX designer. I am a UI designer. I am a motion graphics artist, and a graphic designer. I am a video game enthusiast, PC builder, and car tinkerer. I am an American patriot, gun owner, truck driver, and front end programmer. I am a music producer and a pianist.
What am I not? A writer. So why am I here?
I like to dabble. The phrase “jack of all trades, master of none” calls me out in a very personal way. For the longest time I had no idea why I am like this, why I can’t seem to settle on one area of life to specialize in. But, recently, I’ve started to understand more about who I am, and why I’m so driven to learn.
After my time at undergrad, I struggled to understand where to go next, and why. Almost a year later, I came up with a simple solution that helped me to pinpoint my goals. You’ve probably been told to do this before, and it doesn't work for everyone, but it has helped me view my future through a much clearer lens. I wrote a mission statement. When I drafted my first real resume at the end of college, I attempted to write one, but it was very surface level, and seemed like I was just trying to say “please give me a job I need one.”
It read as follows. “I am passionate and driven to use my skill, consistency, and professionalism to create efficient, quality motion graphics, 3D, and graphic design.” Kinda pathetic right? It pinpoints what I do, but not why I do it.
Here’s my new one. “My goal is to experience and accelerate the progression and advancement of human society.” Now that’s quite a departure from the previous, wouldn’t you say? What led me to make such a drastic change?
The new one is very broad. It could apply to almost anything. I did this for a very specific reason. I considered adding “through design” at the end, but that would just put me right where I was before, begging for attention in a new industry. That’s not why I’m here.
The first part, “experience AND accelerate” is the most important. It covers work AND play. Things I’m passionate about inside AND outside of work. I can experience advancement through things like video games, technology, and travel. I can accelerate said advancements through my work in design, development, or whatever else I end up doing. This statement does not pigeon hole me into design. It works no matter what I end up doing. But it helps me decide what I should and shouldn’t be doing. Recently, my dad asked me if I love video games so much, why not try to work for a video game company. My answer was simple. I would love to, and I wouldn’t refuse a job at one, but its not my top priority because it doesn’t fit my mission statement in my view. Making this change gave me a new perspective on why I’m on planet earth.
So why am I here here? Like, on Medium, here. I want to document my experiences in the design industry, and wherever else life takes me. There is no genre for my work. Just, whatever I feel the need to document.
I am a travel enthusiast. I am a football player. I am a Mac user, and a Windows user. I am a PC gamer and a console gamer. I am a Photographer and an anime enthusiast. I am a student and a professional. My name is Caleb Faulkner, and I am whoever I want to be next.
