Why Experience Is Overrated (and How to Learn From Others')
“Twenty years of experience can mean two things: twenty years of growth and innovation, or one year of experience repeated twenty times.”
In the creative industry, we often put experience on a pedestal.
"Five years of experience required." "Ten years in the field." "Senior-level expertise only." But what if our fixation on accumulated years is missing the point?
Let's explore why raw experience might be overrated and how we can accelerate our growth by learning strategically from others.
The Experience Fallacy
Twenty years of experience can mean two things: twenty years of growth and innovation or one year of experience repeated twenty times. Simply accumulating time in a field doesn't guarantee expertise or mastery.
What matters is not how long you've been working but what you've learnt and how you've evolved during that time.
Consider two designers: one who has spent five years doing similar projects with the same tools and another who has spent two years constantly pushing their boundaries, learning from failures, and adapting to new challenges.
Who has gained more valuable experience?
The Power of Intentional Learning
Instead of waiting for experience to teach us slowly over time, we can accelerate our growth by learning intentionally from others.
Here's how:
Study the failures of others.
While success stories are inspiring, failure stories are often more instructive. When experienced professionals share their missteps, pay attention. These lessons are gold—they're opportunities to learn without paying the full price of the mistake.
Look for patterns across different experiences.
Follow industry leaders, read case studies, and participate in design communities. Start noticing the common threads in successful projects and recurring challenges.
These patterns often reveal fundamental principles that transcend individual experiences.
Leverage Collective Wisdom
The creative community is increasingly open to sharing knowledge and experiences.
Take advantage of this by:
- Analysing top designers' portfolios not just for inspiration, but to understand their decision-making process
- Following detailed case studies that break down complex projects
- Participating in critique sessions and design reviews
- Engaging with mentor figures in your field
You don’t need decades in the field to grow as a creative. What matters most is what you learn along the way—whether from your own missteps or the wisdom of others. By focusing on intentional learning and practical application, you can accelerate your growth and create work that truly stands out.
Beyond Technical Skills
Remember that experience isn't just about technical proficiency.
Some of the most valuable lessons from experienced creatives involve:
- Client relationship management
- Project pricing and negotiation
- Time management and workflow optimisation
- Business development and marketing
- Creative problem-solving approaches
Creating Your Own Experience Bank
While learning from others is powerful, you still need to build your own repository of experiences.
The key is making these experiences count:
- Take on projects that stretch your abilities
- Document your process and insights gained
- Regularly reflect on what worked and what didn't
- Share your insights with others (teaching reinforces learning)
The Balance of Learning and Doing
The most effective approach combines learning from others with personal experience.
Use others' experiences to:
- Identify blind spots in your knowledge
- Avoid common pitfalls
- Discover new approaches and techniques
- Validate your own experiences and insights
Moving Forward
Instead of viewing experience as a matter of time served, think of it as a collection of lessons learnt and insights gained.
Focus on:
- Quality of learning over quantity of years
- Active observation and analysis
- Practical application of insights
- Continuous adaptation and growth
The next time you feel limited by your "years of experience," remember that what matters most is not how long you've been in the field but how thoughtfully you've grown—both from your own experiences and from others.
By combining strategic learning with practical application, you can accelerate your professional growth far beyond what mere time in the field would provide.
What matters isn't the years you've accumulated but the insights you've gathered and how you apply them to create better work.
Thanks for reading, and remember—experience is about what you take from it, not just the time spent. Keep learning, keep growing, and never underestimate the power of curiosity over tenure.
Until next time,
—Gary
