Walk or Talk...

So here is the typical cliche... do you talk the talk or walk the walk? In the context that I'm thinking, neither is better then the other. I'm referring to your personality, your passion, and your drive. I think that all of us (not just designers and such but everyone out there) are one or the other.

The question now is how did I stumble upon this revelation. To be completely honest, I didn't. I was talking with a friend after getting home from the cantina and he made me aware of the two types of people. We were talking about how people socialize (network) in any given situation. There are people that can spark a conversation with anyone and make them aware of who they are and what they are all about. Others let their work speak for themselves.

Let's start with those that are the social butterflies (the talk the talk type). They are the kind of people that you place in the middle of a room with complete strangers and when they leave, not only are they friends with everyone but they have hook-ups (not the Martha Stewart kind... legal) for everything you can imagine. You need to get your shoes fixed or your art sold, they know someone who wants to help them out. Everyone could use to have this personal trait but as designers, this is invaluable. I've said it before but your network is the life blood of you career. The more people you know, inevitably the better off you are going to be. People are always looking for design and talking to their friends about it. Your friends are always going to recommend their friends over someone they have just heard of.

For those that don't necessarily fall into that category (which I'm not sure I do), you fall into the walk the walk group. These people are not the most outspoken in the crowd but when it comes to their work, they live, breath, and sleep it. They believe in what they are doing so much that they think their actions speak louder than their words. This category of people relies on their work to grab attention and bring in business. Not a bad way to do things but you need to have patience and time because recognition doesn't happen overnight.

It was interesting to hear what he had to say. My friend is definitely the talk the talk kind of guy and the more I think about it, i would classify myself as the walk the walk type. Both categories are completely capable of networking and being successful. They simply go about it differently. I'm curious what you think about this. Where do you fit in? Let me know what your thoughts are or if you think things are not that simple.