“The old adage ‘Just keep shooting’ is overplayed. Of course I’m going to keep shooting. But how does a guy who doesn't have the budget for a $2k printed book and a $4k trip to NYC to maybe get a meeting with a few agencies move on to bigger clients?”
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Image by Eugenia Loli
What a Spiritual Creative Recovery Course Taught Me About Writer’s Block
“Creativity, like love, had to be romanced, not bullied into submission. The Artist’s Way would teach me that kindness was the only way. A part of me worried that it wouldn’t take, or worse, it would and I’d lose my angsty edge.”
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Asking Not Asking #5: Feeling Used & Confused
“Now this artist solely references the follower’s work. Together they've begun migrating my audience away. This is affecting my visibility, my bottom line, considerably; this also negatively impacts our shared agency's numbers.” … I need to determine what I can personally do aside from ‘keeping my head down and working.’
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Photo by WNW Member Julie Glassberg
How Not to Get a Job in the Creative Industry, Part 3: The Interview
I'm here to tell you what you need to do to not get a job. This advice is coming directly from a bunch of Creative Directors and Recruiters on WNW. They told me very specifically what annoys them, what makes them skip portfolios, and what nixes applicants right away.
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Dear Burnt Out Art Director...
Remember how hard you worked because of how excited you were? You are more than capable of channeling that same excitement, ambition and dedication towards shifting the tides of your career towards something better suited for you.
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Asking Not Asking #4: All Out of Love
The money and perks ad agencies offer come at a high price: crazy hours, high stress, and the expectation that you’re available for work 24/7. Plus, I’ve never been to a retirement party in advertising.
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Asking Not Asking #3: Exhausted
“But I feel like somehow I can’t move forward. Did I not work hard enough? What can I do to make this situation better? What should I do when the uncontrollable things (in regards to the current political climate, law reforms, etc) affect so much in my life?”
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WNW Member Michelle Kondrich
How Two Freelance Creatives are Turning Advertising into Altruism
Creatives & philanthropists Tiffany Appleton and Kirstin Roquemore started their own type of freelance business model. One that turns every print ad, script revision, and 92-page pitch deck into an act of altruism. This long-time creative duo just finished building a school in Nepal and are working on a second one in West Africa. Meet Freelanthropist.
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Asking Not Asking #2: Mid-Life Freelancer
“I have had many achievements that I never imagined I would have as a professional photographer over my years practicing my craft. But now as a mid-career artist, I am looking on the horizon at my life as a freelancer and I ask, ‘Did I choose the wrong life?’”
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Illustration by Allison Filice
A Mixtape from Allison Filice for Relaxing into the Cosmic Flow
“If you attempted to control every aspect of your creative career, it would look very different than if you allowed some unknowns to guide you along your path… I put together a mix of songs that help transport me into the cosmic flow. Have a listen and hopefully you’ll find yourself relaxing into a wonderful current of your own. I promise you won’t float off into the abyss.”
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Asking Not Asking #1: Lost At Sea
“The last couple of years have been strange for me. The best way I can think to describe them is that I've been slowly drifting out to sea, further and further away from the energy and curiosity and creativity I’ve been known for my entire life. Instead of daydreaming, I stare off blankly into space. Instead of spending my weekends reading and writing like I used to, I spend them cleaning the house, doing crosswords, and napping. I don’t have the desire to be creative.”
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Illustration by Jack Teagle
Feeding the Art Monster Inside: On Being an Artist with a Full Time Job
“Art is hard. It’s hard whether you’re doing it full-time or not, but it’s also a big part of who you are… Shed your romantic ideas of who gets to be an artist, reconnect with why you started in the first place and bring that into your life in small, deliberate ways.”
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Introducing Asking Not Asking with Coach Tina Essmaker
We’re launching a brand new Magazine column with Coach Tina Essmaker. Each month, Essmaker, a creative life coach who came to know the creative community and landscape intimately as co-founder and former Editor-in-Chief of The Great Discontent, will respond to letters submitted by our Members. Learn how to get involved.
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Illustration by WNW Member James Clapham
401 (Yay!) How to Save Your Creative Future
The days of company pensions are long gone and we’re staying alive longer than ever. There is no doubt that we need to save aggressively for our retirement so we can afford to live when we can no longer work.
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Illustration by WNW Member David McLeod
How Not to Get a Job in the Creative Industry, Part 1: The Portfolio
You've probably heard all of the advice there is on how to get a job in the creative industry. So I'm here to tell you what you need to do to not get a job. This advice is coming directly from a bunch of Creative Directors and Recruiters on WNW. They told me very specifically what annoys them, what makes them skip portfolios, and what nixes applicants right away.
Read MoreA Portfolio Redesign Will Help Clients See You How You'd Like to Be Seen
Creatives are experts at exporting their creativity, but often forget to apply those skills to their own brand. WNW Member Ngaio Parr was no exception until recently, when she committed to redesigning her studio's portfolio site. “"Everything outside of the actual work is such a steep learning curve!”
Read More10 Things You'll Quickly Learn Starting A Creative Studio
MA'AM, an NYC creative studio that just turned 1, offers up 10 lessons they had to learn off the cuff. If you're looking to start your own studio at some point, this piece will give you a head start.
Read MoreWhat It Takes to Work at Work & Co: Meet Co-Founder Joe Stewart
Work & Co's Founder and Design Partner Joe Stewart tells us how Work & Co was born from wanting to get his design hands dirty again, and the internal trust that exists with having agency leadership learning and building alongside you. Joe also offers great advice on what it takes to work there, as well as what he looks for in prospective hires and their creative portfolios.
Read MoreHow to Lose Your Mind Finding Your Next Freelance Job
My mind has always been a fair-weather fan, cheering me on when I'm producing wins at work. "You're so smart, Nick. A stable genius I tell you." But at my first mental fumble, he turns on me. It doesn't matter if I've given him two Super Bowl spots. Or that I'm a great dad. Or that I'm happily married. To the fair-weather fan in my head, I'm a failure.
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