The Tech Artist’s Creed

Repost of my most recent from altdevblogaday: http://altdevblogaday.com/2011/08/26/the-tech-artists-creed

Last month we started a thread on tech-artists.org about creating a tech artist’s creed.  After several weeks of back and forth, we finally came up with something we could all agree upon.  Here it is:

I am a Tech Artist,
Every day I will teach, learn, and assist,
And build bridges between teams, people, and ideas.
I will observe without interrupting and mediate without judging.
I may not give exactly what you ask for,
But I will provide what you need.

I am a Tech Artist,
I will approach every problem with mind and ears open
To my colleagues and peers across the industry.
I will solve the problems of today,
Improve the solutions of yesterday,
And design the answers of tomorrow.

I am a Tech Artist,
I am a leader for my team,
And a standard-bearer for my community.
I will do what needs to be done,
I will advocate for what should be done,
And my decisions will be in the best interest of the production.

My goal for the creed was to have the community come up with a code of ethics and standards for tech art in general.  We are a diverse group and there are as many specialties as there are TA’s.  So it was necessary to create something widely applicable, but still meaningful.

My hope is that we can hold ourselves to, and judge our actions against, this creed.  I think it says everything vital about what a tech artist should strive for.  I know I have not always lived up to it, and I want my fellow TA’s to call me out when I do not.  I expect that other tech artists will share that sentiment.  I want to keep pushing our craft forward, bettering ourselves and our community, and I think this creed embodies that.

So, a short post today because so much brain power and effort went into those words above.  They are not mine alone (or even primarily), they are those of the tech-artists.org community which represents and advocates for the tech art community at large.  I am just fortunate enough to have the honor and privilege of posting the creed here, on behalf of an amazing and incredibly creative group of people.

So read it over, tell me what you think, and if you have something to suggest, suggest away- the creed should continually grow and evolve just as our role does.