3 Lessons That Changed My Creative Career

Career

I spent eight years as a creative director in advertising, then I quit my toxic corporate job to start a business that spreads joy.

Now I’m doing something new. I’m launching an Ask Me Anything series where I answer your biggest questions about creativity and help you build your V1—your version one, your brave first step.

This series is the lead-up to my new group coaching program called Creative Reset, but we’ll talk more about that later. For now, let’s get into today’s question:

What’s one piece of advice you wish you had when you started your creative journey?

I couldn’t narrow it down to just one. So here are the three biggest things I wish I knew when I committed to being a creative professional. My hope is that these ideas will inspire you to build your V1, and remind you that you’re more ready than you think.

1. Everyone is making it up as they go.

Seriously.

We like to believe that everyone around us has it all figured out. But the truth? Most people are just doing their best with the information they’ve got—improvising, adjusting, learning on the fly.

That includes your boss.
Your boss’s boss.
And yes, your boss’s boss’s boss too.

This realization changed everything for me.

For a long time, I struggled with self-doubt. I knew I was smart, talented, and capable—but I would still get stuck wondering: How do they always seem to know what they’re doing?

And then it hit me:
They’re just making it up as they go.
So why can’t I?

Let me tell you a story.

When I first became a creative director, I was working at a small social-first agency. On my very first week, both of my copywriters were out of the office. And suddenly, I was responsible for writing copy for twelve different clients—social posts, blog articles, even video scripts.

Here’s the twist:
I had always seen myself as a visual creative director. I had never led from the writing side.

So what did I do?
I panicked for a second. Then I sat down and wrote the copy.

Because the truth is, I had already written a ton of copy. I had run my own magazine in New Orleans for years. But for some reason, I didn’t believe that experience counted in my “real job.”

That was a mistake.

Your past experiences are valid. You can translate them into new challenges. You don’t need permission to use your own talent.

When I say, you are smart, you are capable, you are powerful, I’m saying it to myself too. We’re all just figuring it out. And the ones who succeed? They trust themselves enough to try.

2. The easiest way to be seen as a professional is to dress the part.

What we wear is a reflection of how we see ourselves.

I grew up as a classic nerd. I had knock-off JNCO jeans, dragon button-ups—you know the vibe. 🐉

But when I started working professionally, I noticed something:
People in junior roles dressed one way—t-shirts, jeans, sneakers.
People in leadership dressed differently—button-ups, clean silhouettes, more intention.

So I made a decision:
If I wanted to be seen as a creative director, I should start dressing like one.

Eventually, I built a sort of “uniform”: white poplin button-ups, dark jeans, and brown moccasin loafers. It made getting dressed easy. More importantly, it helped me feel confident and grounded, especially when I was doing speaking engagements or high-stakes meetings.

Now, I’m not saying you have to wear what I wore. But I am saying this:

Find your “bad bitch outfit.”

Find the clothes that make you feel like the boldest, most creative, most confident version of yourself. The version of you who takes risks, speaks up, and goes after what you want.

Because that version?
That’s the one who changes your life.

3. Your biggest breakthroughs come when you stop asking for permission.

We’re trained—especially in corporate settings—to ask for permission before taking action.

“Can I solve this problem?”
“Can I try this new idea?”
“Can I go after this dream?”

Let me be real with you:
You don’t need permission to build the life you want. Especially when it comes to your creative ideas.

If there’s a problem, solve it.
If you have an idea, make it.
If you have a dream, chase it.

It really is that simple.

So many of us are sitting around waiting for some boss, mentor, or stranger on the internet to validate our dreams. But that’s wild, right? Why would you need someone else’s permission to do the thing you were made to do?

If you got the idea, that means you’re the one who’s supposed to bring it to life. Period.

Start the business.
Make the art.
Build your V1.

And if you’re ready to actually make that happen, I want to help.

Join the Creative Reset

I’m launching Creative Reset, a three-month practical studies group coaching program where we bring your ideas to life—together.

We start by mapping out your next steps. Then we meet every other week to workshop, troubleshoot, and grow. You’ll be surrounded by a small cohort of creative people who are building their own V1s, just like you.

You’ll learn from me, and from your peers. You’ll get unstuck. You’ll move forward faster than you thought possible.

Because when creative people support each other, magic happens.

If this sounds like what you’ve been waiting for, you can learn more here:
👉 socurious.co/creative-reset

This is just the beginning of the series—I’ve already got 15 more questions queued up. But I want to hear from you too.

Got a question about your creative career?
Leave it in the comments. Let’s build your version one—together.

—

You are powerful. You are capable. You are smart. And you’re allowed to make it up as you go. ✨

How to find your creative voice

Uncategorized

For years, I felt stuck—like I had ideas but no clear creative voice. Sound familiar? Then I cracked the code and developed a simple framework that changed everything.

Your creative career isn’t broken; it just needs a reset.

I spent seven years as a creative director in advertising and tech, but last year, I walked away from the corporate grind to help creative professionals like you reset how they live, work, and play.

Plan Your Creative Sprint

I love the simplicity of making 30 first drafts in 30 days because it helps you learn rapidly and iterate faster. But you also have to pick a hyper-specific goal you want to achieve in that time span.

For example:

If you’re a poet, write 30 poems in 30 days.
If you’re a digital artist, create 30 drawings in 30 days.
If you’re a content creator, commit to making 30 videos in 30 days.

Now, I know you’re thinking, this isn’t sustainable for the rest of my life, and you’re absolutely right. I’m not expecting you to make content every single day forever. Social media platforms would love that, but the goal of this sprint is rapid growth.

The best way to grow quickly is to commit to a specific period of time and follow through with your vision.

Finding Your Creative Voice vs. Making a Final Product

Finding your creative voice isn’t about creating a polished, shareable product. It’s about giving yourself the freedom to explore. You’re defining what you can create and building a system for making things you absolutely love—at a faster pace.

Think of this as pre-work before immersing yourself in a larger creative project. For example:

A filmmaker could create 30 visual sketches in 30 days.
A writer working on a romance novel could write 30 one-page scenes.

This is about putting in the reps so that when it’s time to do the real work, you already know how.

My 30-Day Challenge Experience

I’ve worked in creative industries my entire career. Outside of my day job, I’ve launched my fair share of creative experiments. One of my favorites was a 30-day illustration challenge when I first got my iPad Pro in 2016.

I committed to posting a new illustration every day on social media. Back then, you could actually grow an account just by posting photos. These days, video is the dominant format, but that’s a conversation for another time.

The results of my challenge were impressive:

I exponentially increased my followers.
I got featured in a blog, which led to my first illustration contract.
That contract led to three more illustration gigs—all from people who either saw my work or read that blog post.

Building an Inspiration File (Without Getting Stuck There)

Start by picking a specific creative focus, then spend two to four hours making a mood board or gathering inspiration. This is important: limit yourself to two to four hours.

Many people mistake inspiration-gathering for actual work, but it’s not. We don’t want to get lost in the clouds.

A Pro Tip on Finding Better Inspiration

Avoid relying solely on contemporary trends. Often, you’ll find more interesting ideas by researching historical time periods, different cultures, or unexpected influences.

Great creative work often comes from merging two seemingly unrelated ideas. Austin Kleon talks about this in Steal Like an Artist, and it’s one of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever received.

Once you have your inspiration, spend about 30 minutes reflecting on what you admire and how you’d make it your own. Ask yourself:

I love the colors in this piece, but how can I use them in my own style?
I like this writer’s staccato style, but I want my poems to be longer.

This differentiation process helps you develop a unique creative voice instead of mimicking others.

Committing to a Schedule

Your creative sprint should fit your lifestyle, but it’s okay to be a little obsessed.

I’ll be honest—one of my biggest fears was that committing to being an artist would ruin my life. And in some ways, it did. But only because it left little room for distractions that weren’t serving me.

Before I committed to my art practice:

I spent about five hours a day scrolling on my phone.
I watched four to five hours of TV daily.

Now, I can barely sit through an hour of TV before I feel the urge to create.

Finding Time in Your Schedule

You might need to do this before work. I know that sucks. But 30 days of intentional focus could change the way you make creative work forever.

When I was getting my master’s degree while working full-time, I structured my schedule like this:

Tuesdays & Thursdays: 6:30–8:30 PM dedicated to creative work.
Wednesdays & Saturdays: Focused on homework.

Breaking your schedule into structured blocks prevents burnout while maintaining momentum.

Productivity Over Perfection

You don’t need to show up every single day, but you do need to be consistent enough to complete the challenge.

Over the years, I’ve done five different iterations of a 30-day challenge. And I’ll be honest—I’ve never completed all 30 pieces. But that’s not the point. The goal is to build momentum, explore your creative voice, and develop a sustainable practice.

So, are you ready to reset and find your creative voice?