A little manifesto if you will: as creatives we are often this Swiss army knife of talents. To be able to exist in the creative working world today, you can’t really get by with only one set of skills. I’m an art director AND…I am also a photographer, a writer, an editor, a researcher, a forever student. The list goes on and on. And still there are always more skills to gather and there will always be areas you are lacking in when it comes to applying for a new job.
At the end of the day, I want to learn, collaborate and create. I want to work with people who know more than me, who know have a whole different toolbox of talents. I want to work in industries I’ve never worked in and in categories I’ve never created for. But trying to get hired when you haven’t done these things yet sometimes seems near impossible. Why do we only reserve teaching the unknown to junior creatives? If you want to make a shift across sectors as a senior, do you have to start back over at the beginning?
I long to call in those willing to take a chance. Hire for the potential and possibilities. I spent seven years at Leo Burnett working on a major CPG brand doing everything from packaging, to email, to direct mail, in-store, web, directing photo shoots as well as being the photographer on set. However, I worked on a limited brand that came with restrictions which means there is a whole other side for me to still learn. I would love to dive into more social, content creation and TV work. I’m looking for that place and person to take a chance on me. That doesn’t see the deficit in what I haven’t done but can see the possibilities of all the things I can create when given the chance and training to do so.
Note: Unless the work below is specified as agency work, it is conceptual. Having to put most of my work under a password means getting to show less of my skills. So for now I’m keeping the conceptual work to showcase the artistic, photoshop side as well as creative thinking and problem-solving.
