My opinion is that you should read this post.

As defined in the Webster Dictionary, opinions are:
a view or judgement formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge.

Who we listen to, associate with, how we consume it, and what we consume ALL lead to a sea and spectrum of opinions. Educating ourselves on topics, clients, project backgrounds, and different tools and design practices will help to inform and shape our opinions. (This goes for life things too). It is important to stand for what you believe in, and equally important to seek understanding from other perspectives and continuous learning from different people, places, and sources. Because if you have tunnel vision, progress and opportunities are often lost.

If we all had the same opinions, and thought the same thing, would art and design — heck, life too — even be interesting? Would we even get anything productive from a conversation other than false confidence or acceptance? Gladhanding and patting one another’s back is great and all, but it doesn’t make you better. 

Why do you “like" the color red for that logo?

Why do you “like” the font for that app that you just downloaded?

Why do you “like" the illustration that your friend created for that book cover?

“Liking” something is not an opinion without words that can back up your surface thoughts. You can throw “likes” and “hates” around like darts tossed carelessly on a drunken night, where you don’t remember too many details cus’ nothing really substantial happened. Throwing around surface words doesn’t get to the deeper, meatier, sometimes hard-to-discuss stuff. Opinions should aim to go deeper than a compliment or insult. You could help someone better a project, or heck, even improve their life.

Next time you find yourself saying “I like that”… take a step back and ask yourself why. Consider the opposite perspective too. Don’t be afraid to have a different opinion than someone else if you can find reason for it. It’s okay (dare I say awesome) to think differently and question things. And it’s okay to change your perspectives and opinions on things as you learn and grow. Being open-minded and humble, yet having opinions is a damn good way to live. I am certainly a work in progress here, but this approach leads to creativity, progress, deeper connections, improvement, compromise, and understanding.