13 Pieces of Advice All Aspiring Creatives Need to Hear
Whether this is the year you quit your day job and launch your dream company or you’ve just started exploring what your passion might be, there’s no hard and fast path to success. Heck, there’s no single definition of “success,” either! We’re sharing advice from the wildly talented makers who know this best. Scroll on to read priceless advice from creatives across every field — coders, designers, artists and more — and get ready to feel inspired on this very merry Makers Monday.
“Just do your thing. It can be so easy to get caught up in what others are doing or compare yourself to who’s doing things bigger or better. But I find when I focus on challenging myself and trying new things, then I feel satisfied with my work and I don’t worry about comparisons as much.”
2. Jenna Rainey, Watercolor Artist, Mon Voir
“Don’t waste your time feeling incompetent. Art is more about the experience and journey than it is impressing others. Once it becomes more about impressing other people, you completely lose who you are as an individual and a creative.”
3. Deeana Garcia, Founder of Avenue Dee
“Absorb all you can from the experience of making and sharing what you create with the world. Even when you may run into something that’s hard to grasp or doesn’t come naturally, embrace it. You are exercising your intellect and developing an acumen that will be useful in so many aspects of your life. As long as you continue to learn, you can’t go wrong.”
4. Jessica Pezalla, Designer, Bramble Workshop
“Set aside time for photography of every single project, even if it will be professionally photographed. Document your work with as much care and consideration as you put into making it.”
5. Allison House, Designer
“If we’re always looking at other people’s work, we’ll end up with a blank piece of paper. It’s easy to tumble down that inspiration-seeking rabbit hole — I speak from experience! — but our best ideas will often show up when we’re in the zone and making.”
6. Amina Mucciolo, Founder of Studio Mucci
“Make what you like! Make what you want to see. I ALWAYS start there. There are so many people in the world that there are bound to be many that will share your interests and appreciate your creative perspective, so just be yourself.”
7. Nur-E Gulshan and Nur-E Farhana Rahman, Founders of Knotty Gal
“Don’t ever stop. Whether you make what you make professionally or you make for your own personal fulfillment, don’t stop for too long. It’s good to pause and recharge, but always get right back to it. It doesn’t have to be the same type of project, or considered “useful,” or “beautiful” or even “good.” What matters is that you create and always allow yourself to continue creating, because it often feels like chaos and destruction surround us, so to create is a beautiful gift we give to ourselves and to the world.”
8. Francesca Greggs, Founder of Lemonwood Imprints
“You have to be fearless enough to find your own creative voice before anyone will listen to it. I see a number of talented creatives sacrificing their originality to align with an on-trend or overdone aesthetic. Any project is an opportunity to push a boundary and make a unique statement, and it’s okay to fail. You just have to trust that you’ll pick yourself up and do better next time.”
9. Eunice Moyle, co-founder of Hello!Lucky
“Turn off your self-critical voice and just be in the process. Don’t get caught up in comparing your work to other people’s. Whatever you make is unique to you — and the point is to make it as ‘you’ as possible, not to imitate. That said, once you’ve made something, it’s great to step back and critique. The key to being creative is to have no ego — it’s about the process (which is messy and iterative sometimes), and everything can always be tweaked and refined, so don’t be afraid to try something a few times until you get it right, and to toss out drafts that didn’t quite work.”
10. Courtney Sims, founder and designer of Matterial Fix
“Take it one day at a time. Sometimes the long-term vision, growth rate, money, five-year plan, etc. get in the way. We are only guaranteed one day at a time, so create in the moment. And most importantly, don’t compare your beginning to someone else’s middle. Feeling behind really stifles creativity and joy.”
11. Sarah Jones, founder and CEO, Miss Jones
“Look for your niche, work yourself to death, listen to constructive feedback and don’t believe anyone who tries to convince you it’s a bad idea.” (Photo via @missjonesbakes)
Read more: Why We Weren’t Sad When This Employee Quit
12. Liesl Pfeffer, photographer, weaver + jewelry maker
“Love what you do! Success requires dedication, perseverance and confidence. You need to love making work so much that the studio is the place you would rather be when your friends are off having fun at the beach! There are also financial sacrifices, and you need to be resilient, flexible and innovative in the ways you make money and fund your professional activities, like artist residencies and mounting exhibitions.”
13. Courtney Pilgrim, Founder of My Friend Cort
“Shake the demons. Stop listening to the voice of doubt you have about your ideas or what you want to do with your life and career. Figure out just what you want to do and what makes you happy and pursue it with all your might! Make a plan, set goals and get to work.”
What is your favorite piece of advice? Let us know in the comments below!