On The Last Few Months

A LOT HAS CHANGED. It always does, inevitably. I cut my hair, then grow it out again. I gain weight, then lose it, then gain it back again. I lose touch with people, then reconnect. My room becomes a landfill of laundry and my life seems to be just as chaotic. But as things come to a close, it opens up a space to breathe; even just for a minute, even if its just enough. It feels like that now but this year is not over yet. 

二兎を追う者は一兎をも得ず
He who chases after two hares won’t catch even one.

It’s hard to concentrate when your focus is split in all different directions and when there are only so many hours in a day. If you’re like me, you’ll have a long list of desires in life, especially when you have a deep and profound appreciation for what it is that you do. I always used to think I’d be a designer and that was the only thing I would want to be. But I’d be lying if I said there weren’t times that I seriously doubted my future in that. At my age, that’s probably not a good thought to have, given that I’ve already spent countless hours and dollars to invest in the promise that I’ll have some dream job somewhere in greener pastures. 

So what’s holding me back? The choice is literally in my own hands right? I, for one, am a firm believer of sticking to your guns, even when the going gets tough. I believe that you should see things through, even if it causes you the most harrowing of pains. You owe to yourself to NEVER half-ass a dream that you set your heart on from the moment that you truly knew that it’d make you happy.  And so it goes —

“Nothing worth having ever comes easy.”

It matters to me that I don’t quit. Even just a bit of progress at a time is all it takes, as long as I see it all the through to the (hopefully not bitter) end. This entry is just as much as for you as it is for me; because 10 years from now, when I’m kicking back in an home that I am more than happy to pay for and I’m working a job that fulfills me to no end, I can gratefully say that it was all worth it. 

Things You Might Like to Know About Me

You might be wondering who I am, or what interests I keep personally! I don't often speak of myself unless somebody asks me to, and I figured whoever reading this is probably curious about myself and about the things happening in my life..

My name is Michael Nguyen and I am a Vietnamese American graphic designer, for the most part.. My interest in design started when I was given my sister's old MacMini and I decided to create small bits of digital art in my spare time. Then by college, I already knew my way around a few of the Adobe programs and that I wanted to carve out a path as a designer and a creative.

During my academic years, I picked up digital photography and from there, I fell in love with it instantly! Currently, I shoot with a Nikon D3300 (the first camera I personally bought for myself) and a Minolta Maxxum 7000 which I picked up to start shooting and developing film. I consider myself a bit of an amateur still, but everyday is an opportunity to improve (even if it's on my iPhone 6s)!

Now, I moonlight as a chef while I attend school full time. In addition to that, I am planning a huge move from my home of South Florida to Los Angeles, driving the whole way there from Florida and exploring everything that there is to see!

Hopefully the next time you visit this space, you'll see more of my work and what I do!

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About 'Glyph 6'

I don't exactly know what the name Glyph 6 means to me besides it sounding cool. One of the worst parts of bearing two common names in two different cultures is that it's absolute hell to find a good domain name! Especially when your interest in graphic design, it's imperative (in my opinion anyways) that you snag a professional, yet interesting still, domain name for your business or portfolio. 

I remember when I first entered my name into the URL followed by the '.com' and expecting to come across an error or 404 page. My young hopes were dashed by someone with a poor taste in design and style. The site, which is STILL ACTIVE, seems to be stuck in an era as old as I am. If there is any consolation to this, it'll probably be that the site is pretty easily navigable, though I can't guarantee the same for mobile users... 

There is a quote on the header of the site that reads:

 

“Do your best this time. Do better next time.”

 

I guess that applies to me. Whoever he is, he beat me to the punch. So now I gotta shrug it off and just 'do better next time.' And that's what this site is attempting to do. I am at that same point as he was when he made that site, taking my first steps forward to make something of myself and my craft. 

With that said, Glyph 6 is a sort of brand name still in development. I don't know what will come of it or whether I will keep the name. Honestly, I don't advertise my site as much as I could or want to, partially because I'm still apprehensive about the name and having to fumble around with a half-assed explanation. I'd be mortified to appear like an absolute child when I tell another professional I picked the name because it sounded T0TaLLy CO0l & RaDD!!

Yeah. 

But in a couple of years, I'll make sure I 'do better.'