Five years ago I was bugging people for advice on how to break into the creative industry. Now I’m the one getting bombarded with the same questions.
I was searching for some idiot-proof method, some infallible technique for success. Today I know that does’t exist, but somewhere along the line I found the knowledge I needed to get started. What was the advice that stuck with me?
Delving back five years is no easy task. It feels like a different lifetime – Derek Fisher was hitting big 3s for the Lakers and Kurt Warner was still throwing TDs. It took me several hours to distill old notes and distant memories into a single piece of advice that helped launch my career. I found it in my old Moleskin notebook, written in all caps.
"JUST MAKE STUFF"
Cliche? Probably. Anticlimactic? Maybe. But let me explain. Making stuff is the best way to prove your expertise. It’s a universal way to stop talking and start showing people what you’re capable of. Here are a couple of examples:
I want to be a Photographer
Take a ton of photos. Start a photo blog. Organize an art show for your best work. Make stuff.
I want to be a Writer
Write a ton of pieces. Establish a voice on social media. Start a blog. Write guest posts for friends. Make stuff.
It doesn’t matter what you want to do. The idea works for almost everything, creative or not. Making stuff will help you reach your goal. But, be prepared for a grind. Followers don’t come easy, great photos don’t take themselves, brands don’t start big. It’s a time commitment, but if you stick with it and dedicate yourself to constant improvement, it will happen.
Talk is cheap.
Just make stuff.
- R