21 Years, 21 Lessons: About Success & Failure As a Creative Immigrant

I have lived so many lives in the 21 years I lived here in the US. All of them on various temporary visas. That makes for more than half of my life and I am still here. There are big and small victories and plenty of exciting stories and some heartbreaks too. But the main force that fixed the course of my life and my career has been immigration. Everything in some way or another has been driven by the fact that I was born in Istanbul and came here on a student visa when I was 18. It didn’t help that I pursued a creative career — an industry that runs on freelance.

I know I don’t have all the answers but I have learned a lot of lessons along the way. Most of them are pretty universal. My story, on the other hand, is one of a kind. Us immigrants, we tend to shy away from voicing our stories because we are afraid of how it will effect our status. Here’s to hoping that telling my story will help someone else like me in their journey.

Join Serra for a chat about her career journey as a creative immigrant and hear about life and work lessons she picked up along the way.

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Lesson #1: Dream Big

I grew up in Istanbul Turkey with dial-up internet and MTV Europe. Challenges hit early on. I needed a scholarship to study in the US and it is very hard for foreign students to get them. I was not an A student either. I was writing poems in science class, chasing boys and daydreaming about designing film posters when I grew up. I was told the odds were against me but I still tried. I not only got into two pretty good schools, but I also won scholarships. I chose Tulane for a variety of reasons, mostly because the financial aid package was the better one. Despite all the negative factors, I ended up in the US because I didn’t give up.

Lesson #2: Culture Shock is Real

I arrived in the US in August 1998, at 18. In New Orleans, Louisiana. There is culture shock and then there is culture shock in the south. Like any 18 year old, I thought I was the shit and let me tell you, I certainly wasn’t. I did not fit in. Not with the sorority girls, not with the other foreign students or the art kids or the nerds. Not being fluent in English didn’t help either.

It was only years later when I ran into a kid from my undergrad art class and he said “your English got so much better” that I realized that it was so much worse than I thought it was.

It’s ok to feel on the outside at first. Expect that it will take time to fit in and that you will always be different. Embrace the process of discovering a new way of life. It’s hard but it brings incredible growth.

Lesson #3: There is a Silver Lining in Every Rough Patch

Not making enough friends because I didn’t even understand how to fit in left me with a lot of free time. So I studied. I studied so much that I was awarded more scholarships than what I started with. Not bad for a girl with average grades in high school.

Not having access to graphic design, I discovered printmaking. I knew I wanted to go into a commercial creative field but Tulane was all fine arts. I was fighting for ways to learn about graphic design when a lovely advisor named Carol Pizer told me about printmaking. She told me that is was a graphic form of fine arts and showed me her daughter’s prints hanging in her office. It truly has changed my life. The foundation of ink and paper still influences my design decisions today.

Lesson #4: Always Find Something to Learn

Living in New York was a dream come true. I did a summer internship at Graj+Gustavsen in junior year. That summer of living in the city was a dream. So moving to New York for a job as soon as I graduated was incredible.

G+G was an amazing place to work at. I learned how to make immersive presentations, handmade books and all about brand strategy. I was groomed by senior designers and the creative director. Even with all that, there was so much more knowledge out in the world waiting to be grabbed. I took Continuing Education classes at SVA.

All of that experience, everything I learned from how to glue fabric to walls to designing every second of the client experience at work, programming to typography classes at SVA, all together got me ready for grad school, helped me thrive there, and I still depend on those practices today.

Lesson #5: Be Your Own Advocate

It was a dream alright, but it wasn’t all perfect all the time either.

One of the terms of the job offer was that I would not be paid a salary that would sustain a living in New York City. I was lucky enough to have the support of my family to get started so I took the job. I worked my ass off. I had so much to learn and I was eager to do it too. No task was too small. I made beautiful handmade books but also picked up clean shirts for the creative director when he spilled his lunch.

When it came time to ask for an H1 visa, the minimum salary requirements created friction. After some resistance, G+G agreed to pay the minimum required for the application.

I am eternally grateful to have had the opportunity to stay and will always, always credit that G+G has set me up for life.

That said because my salary increased beyond what they wanted to pay initially, I did not get a raise for 3 additional years I worked there. In retrospect, I didn’t know any better to ask for one, either. I should have asked. It was my first job. I was too shy and scared to ask for anything — in case it jeopardized my status. I should have been my own advocate. Instead, I grew resentful and stopped trying. It was time to move on.

“I didn’t know any better to ask for [a raise], either. I should have asked. It was my first job. I was too shy and scared to ask for anything — in case it jeopardized my status. I should have been my own advocate. Instead, I grew resentful and stopped trying. It was time to move on.”

Lesson #6: Know When to Move On

When you see the growth slowing down and you are no longer invested or appreciated, showing up for the job every single day will kill your spirit. You will notice when a relationship, whether as friends or romantic or professional, has run its course and that you have out grown it. I was very young so I responded by being angry. But anger is a good motivator. I started interviewing for other jobs and applied to grad school. I didn’t exactly know what I wanted, I just knew there had to be more I could accomplish. Art Center in Pasadena had a Media Design Program — now named Media Design Practices. I didn’t exactly know what I was looking for but I knew there was more. I got a job offer from an agency in New York and an acceptance from Art Center. I left for California in summer of 2006.

Lesson #7: You are Stronger Than You Think You Are

Art Center was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. It’s amazing how the human body adapts to rough conditions. I didn’t sleep for two and a half years. It showed in my face. I look older in photos from ten years ago than I do now. But I made it.

Coming from New York, I thought I had a thick skin. It turns out my whole life I interacted with people who one way or another pushed me to be better without competing with me. I saw what ugly competition between ambitious people is like for the first time. It took me by surprise but I learned how to handle myself with other people who are not cheering me on.

Then there is living in LA. As cliche as it sounds, there are LA people and NY people and I definitely belong in the latter. I had to learn how to drive on the LA freeways a little late in life, when I was 26. I had to figure out left turns at intersections, overnight parking permits, and oil changes. I hated how isolating it was to spend most of your day in a metal box every day just to get places where other people are.

Art Center is the hardest thing I have ever done. Not surprisingly — it’s also the most rewarding thing I have. I didn’t just learn skills, I grew as a more independent, confident, and compassionate individual. And I made friends. I made lifelong incredible friends. Things will get tough. Keep at it. You will not only make it, but you will thrive.

Lesson #8: Don’t Shoot It Down If You Are Not Offering a Solution

It was in the middle of a group critique and I didn’t even notice what I was doing. That is until the instructor, Lisa Nugent, cut me off and told me to stop shooting everyone’s ideas down if I did not have anything constructive to offer. Getting called out like a kid in a playground in front of your peers as an adult was shocking. It hurt my ego but also made an impact.

Ideas are delicate stuff. People sharing them put themselves out there and it’s easy to shoot them down. Negative comments only serve to kill the creative process if not offered alongside constructive guidance. Foster a growth-driven environment when commenting on others’ work and ideas. You will not only be a better person for it but you will end up with better outcomes for your work.

“Negative comments only serve to kill the creative process if not offered alongside constructive guidance. Foster a growth-driven environment when commenting on others’ work and ideas. You will not only be a better person for it but you will end up with better outcomes for your work.”

Lesson #9: It’s Not a Quantity, It’s a Deadline

A few weeks before graduation, I asked my thesis advisor Sean Donahue if I had done enough work on the thesis to satisfy the graduation requirements. I was nervous and was ready to be done with it. He said, in his usual casual manner, “It’s not a quantity, Serra, it’s a deadline.” In that one short sentence, he defined the ultimate creative struggle, that if left to our own devices as creatives, we will keep on creating. It will never be done.

The more you make the more you generate ideas on what to make. It’s what you do before the deadline that matters.

Lesson #10: Mingle! Don’t Just Stick To Your Own Kind

I cannot stress this enough — hang out with people from all kinds of backgrounds. I know it’s easy to stick to your own kind and hangout in your native language but it keeps your world small.

First, I would never have gotten this fluent if I only stuck to my people and spoke English only when I had to. Second, choosing to live here in the US, I chose to live, for lack of a better phrase, in a melting pot of cultures.

I made all kinds of friends from all over the world. The common thread that brought us together wasn’t where we were born. It was that we ran into each other at some point in our lives because we all strive to experience more, to do more, to connect, to inspire and be inspired by each other.

Lesson #11: No is a Blessing

Rejection doesn’t mean you’re not good enough. It only means that opportunity wasn’t meant for you. You will find where you belong. One of the biggest interviews I had after grad school was set up through a connection I made on a random New York moment with the head of Edelman Digital who turned out to be an Art Center Alum. I met so many people in that interview which made me think, “Hey they’re investing so much time, I have a real shot at this.” But I didn’t get the job. I was devastated. They told me my portfolio and experience were too analog to work in a digital-focused department. That same analog approach that relies on bringing paint and paper into the digital space is exactly why I got the job at my next interview, at BlackBook Magazine. And it turned out to be everything I ever wanted. A job that leverages my Media Design degree, a publication on print and iPhone (in 2009, this was a big deal), a focus revolving around defining what mattered in pop culture and city life and putting it out into the world on the latest technology platforms. It was a way better fit for me than Edelman would have been.

“If left to our own devices as creatives, we will keep on creating. It will never be done. The more you make, the more you generate ideas on what to make. It’s what you do before the deadline that matters.”

Lesson #12: Luck Has Everything To Do With It

After graduation, it took me a little bit of time to find a job. As someone on a temporary visa, I only had 12 months of working authorization, OPT. I worked for a friend who had just started her design business while I took some time recovering from grad school. I kept saying that I was taking time to put my portfolio together. Let’s be clear, I made a website overnight every semester at Art Center. I knew that I was taking longer than I should and I was worried about missing opportunities. Then something incredible happened. My department in the entire school was the first one that qualified for an extension on the visa. STEM adds 18 months to the OPT to make sure the learning experience doesn’t get interrupted. I was the first one at Art Center who was awarded the extension and it came in just in time. A whole year and a half that didn’t exist before was mine. Pure luck.

Lesson #13: Be A Fucking Pleasure To Work With

I borrowed these words from the book Work Party by Jacklyn Johnson — they say it so perfectly. I have always believed that you have to be nice. The creative weirdo stereotype will only get you so far. Be nice to people. Make an effort to get to know your coworkers. Even if you think they suck. Even if you don’t have much in common. I had to get along with sales people who walked around like they owned the place, developers who named their room the cave (hence were a little like cavemen) and designers who thought they knew it all but didn’t know that you can’t design websites in inches. Despite all of that, I tried to connect with people that I worked with. Some of the connections I made turned into lifelong friendships, some into future work opportunities and some into unconditional help when I started my own business. Everyone you meet along the way matters, so be nice.

Lesson #14: Missed Opportunities Will Happen

Sometimes you will do your best work, believe in the project wholeheartedly and it will still fail due to things outside of your control. I was the only designer working with the development team at iconic magazines. I put out BlackBook and Vibe on the iPad. When Spin Media acquired Vibe, I had the opportunity to do the same for Spin Magazine. The acquisition was handled awkwardly. Management was disorganized and so hard to pinpoint whose call it was to publish Spin on the iPad. After months of fighting for it, I finally got the green light and started working with the editors. We had multiple issues of the magazine in the app store when I realized the sales team didn’t even know we had iPad editions published. In media, when the sales people don’t sell ads, the product dies very quickly. Despite all my efforts, the project failed because the communication within the company was non-existent. It still breaks my heart to this day that we had the opportunity to bring these cultural icons of music to new audiences and connect with younger generations. We missed the opportunity.

Lesson #15: Oops! Luck Works Both Ways

Remember those extra 18 months I got? Well, that is the good kind of luck. I had also terrible luck along the way. When I was working at VIBE, after painfully long delays, I was able to convince the CEO to start my green card application. We successfully completed the first step of the application, PERM. Before we could complete the second step, VIBE got bought out by Spin Media. Unfortunately, my application burned in the process. It was about the nature of the acquisition and not about whether or not I deserved it. That is still something that hurts when I think about it. Spin Media promised that they would start it again but they never did. When it was made clear to me that they had no intentions of restarting the application, my whole world crumbled. Having exhausted all 6 years of my H1 allowance, I didn’t think I had many options. All out of luck.

Lesson #16: There Is More Than One Way And You Have Options

I always thought I would collapse into a coma but survival mode kicked in. I called everyone. I asked everyone to help. I kept fighting. My first PERM attorney was a powerhouse lady who told me I needed at least $350,000 to apply for an E2 investor visa which I didn’t have. One of my friends said that that wasn’t true, that I could do it for much less. He put me in touch with a friend of his that had opened a restaurant with E2. I called that guy’s attorney and he said I could do it with about a third of that. People will say you can’t do it. Lawyers will say you can’t do it. Find different people. Ask other lawyers. There are some solid lines in immigration but the system is designed to foster opportunities so there is room to explore and evolve. There is more than one way and you have options.

“People will say you can’t do it. Lawyers will say you can’t do it. Find different people. Ask other lawyers. There are some solid lines in immigration but the system is designed to foster opportunities so there is room to explore and evolve. There is more than one way and you have options.”

Lesson #17: It’s OK To Feel Lost For A While

I got the visa approved. Everybody in my life was cheering except me. I was struggling with what it meant to run a business, to be an entrepreneur. I am an artist, not a business developer, not a sales person, and definitely not human resources. Everybody said “You have an amazing opportunity in your hands! Go thrive!” All I saw was that I had to figure out how to run payroll and sell my services. This wasn’t the plan. I was supposed to get my green card and be a creative director at a major but edgy agency with a six-figure salary and paid vacations. It took a long time to navigate and own all of this. I wasted a little bit of time to get my bearings. But I did it. I had to. I was lost for a while but I figured it out. It’s just a matter of time.

Lesson #18: Your People Will Come Through

In the early days of trying to figure out how to sell my services and get clients, I sent out an announcement about launching the company. I sent it to every single person I knew, and the reaction was incredible. I had made lifelong friends and earned the respect of my peers. Those bridges I built along the way, they came back with projects. They came back to connect me with people who would have projects for me. It’s incredibly rewarding to see people who worked with you in the past coming back and choosing to work with you again.

Lesson #19: Failure Is A Kind of Success

I call myself an accidental entrepreneur. Life shoved me in this direction. I was resistant at first but little by little I figured it out. I took control. I took a little time to get my bearings. I did well then I didn’t then I did well again. I am still working on it and learning but even if the end of Lumens and my E2 becomes inevitable, I wouldn’t call it a failure. I grew so much since I started this entrepreneur journey. Everything I have become is why I can plot my next steps and take charge. I know what I want now. I didn’t know before.

Lesson #20: Nothing Is The End Of It All

Reroute and reassess. This relentless need to live here started feeling like a prison towards the end. I felt cornered and didn’t see the next steps for the last two years. It is no way to live. To move forward in life, I had to change the narrative from “New York or nowhere” to “where else in the world.” It turns out there are other options out there. I learned about an opportunity in the UK to be a freelancer. When your backup plan is London, it feels more like an exciting possibility. Letting go of this mentality of operating out of desperation to stay here allowed me to move in the direction I feel passionate about. I started seeing more opportunities of how I can stay.

Lesson #21: Embrace Uncertainty

What now? I don’t know. I am working on surviving on my current status, exploring possibly changing it — again or moving on! Anything can happen. It is scary. I have so much anxiety about the future. But also have so much hope. I spent a lot of time giving up before the end was even in sight. I had to do a lot of work on myself to change that perspective. Now I can honestly say that the opportunities are mine to create. I don’t know where I will be and what I will be doing when the 21 years become 22 or 42 . I am excited to find out.