For many designers, the canvas is a primary battleground—chosen long before they fully understood its weight. For others, the lure of quick opportunities pulls them into the field almost by accident.
But there’s another group of designers who enter the world of creativity for reasons beyond love or money the fated ones like Michael Festus.
data-start=”414″ data-end=”771″>Left suffering a major hip injury, former BK Häcken player Michael Festus turned to design as a healing outlet. Today, whilst healing, he spends his days learning the principles as best as he can, fully aware that design will always remain a secondary discipline for him.
His notion of design as a secondary career, yet still rewarding contradicts the popular notion around the NGD universe that design is an all or nothing field and should be treated as a primary source of income but Michael’s story holds a different view and in the following questions reveals why design can be a secondary career and yet rewarding.
5 questions With Michael Festus
1. Tell us about your life before graphic design?
I actually got into graphic design during a tough period in my life. I suffered a major injury to my left hip joint that took me out of play for about 11 months. During that time, I needed something that could keep my mind active and still allow me to express myself creatively. That’s how I discovered graphic design. What started as a way to cope and stay productive slowly grew into a real passion, and it’s been a part of my life ever since.
2.Which career would you rather pursue perpetually
If I could choose a career to pursue for life, it would still be football without a second thought. Football isn’t just something I do,it’s a part of who I am. It has shaped my discipline my resilience, and the way I see the world. I live for the beautiful game,I dream it, breathe it, and carry it with me in everything I do. for me football is purpose. It’s the one path that ignites my passion, challenges me to become better, and gives me a sense of fulfillment nothing else ever has. It’s not just a career I want, it’s the life I choose.
3. Is design a distraction currently?
No, design isn’t a distraction to me at all. Football remains my primary focus and the career I’m fully committed to. Design is simply a creative outlet, something I do during my free time that helps me stay mentally sharp and balanced. It doesn’t take away from my game if anything, it complements it by giving me a calm space to recharge. Football is still the center of my journey, and design is just a healthy passion that supports me, not distracts me.
4. Since engaging in design how has it made you a better footballer?
Engaging in design has actually made me a better footballer in ways I didn’t expect. Design trains my mind to see possibilities, to pay attention to the smallest details, and to think creatively under pressure, all of which translate beautifully onto the pitch.
It has given me balance. When I design, I find a calm space that resets my mind, and that mental clarity shows in the way I play. It’s also strengthened my discipline and focus, because managing both passions requires intentional effort.
So in many ways, design hasn’t pulled me away from football, it has refined me. It has shaped my mindset, sharpened my vision, and made me step onto the field with a clearer head and a stronger sense of purpose.
5.What is the biggest challenge with managing design and your football passion?
The biggest challenge in managing both design and football is finding a balance between two passions that stretch me in different ways. Football demands discipline, consistency, and physical commitment, while design asks for creativity, focus, and quiet mental space.
But instead of seeing that as a limitation, I see it as a privilege to grow in two different dimensions at the same time. Learning to balance them has taught me resilience, intentionality, and the power of managing my energy with purpose.
Yes, it can be challenging, but those challenges have shaped me. They’ve helped me become more disciplined, more focused, and more in tune with myself. Balancing design and football hasn’t just made me better at both, it has made me a stronger, more complete version of myself.
Can Multiple Passions Be Rewarding?
Having multiple passions can be daunting. There’s the reality that for anything worthwhile to be created, all energy must be concentrated on a single point.
In research by Benjamin Schellenberg and Daniel Bailis, students with multiple passions had higher happiness scores than those without, proving that having multiple passions in life truly contributes to a more fulfilling and joyful experience.
But here’s the deal — don’t expect from a secondary passion what a primary one offers.
Designers like Michael have picked their lane — design as a secondary career, not a primary source of income —and the benefits are rewarding.
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Michael isn’t seeking to earn a $100k deal through an MTV contract.
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Michael isn’t trying to build a financial life on design.
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Michael is wholly content with being able to use the basics of graphic design to create amazing products without needing to market them.
In this regard, design as a secondary career wins.
But if design as a main career is your intention, then you’re best sticking to design as a primary path and taking steps like : mastering the basics of design like typography for a rewarding career, learning pricing strategies and become a pro at building strong client management skills so each client becomes a lifetime partner!
Each career can serve to fulfill a rewarding financial life and a recreational one.
Choose what it is. Stick with it.