My mentor is Adam Ant - stick with me on this one. Like me, he trained as a designer and uses his aesthetic sensibility to drive his work.
By reinventing himself after his first band split up, he showed me that when members of your team leave, no matter how good they may have been, you can still turn that to your advantage.
The most important lesson to learn from Adam is that 'ridicule is nothing to be scared of'. Never be afraid to try new ideas or stand out, and never compromise, not even in the face of Armageddon (oh no wait, that's Rorschach from Watchmen).
There was another, less fortunate lesson that Adam taught me - no matter how talented you are, when you're always willing to explore new ground you will find that some things are best left to the experts. His single Ant Rap is a case in point.
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Me & My Mentor
Ian McNaught, marketing design manager, Pearl & Dean
