10 Lessons to Help You Build a Successful Creative Career

It’s trite but practice and produce high-quality work. It’s what will get you noticed and make you stand out from all your competitors in a crowded field.

So never stop learning, and remember that professionalism has no limits.

Trust your gut and follow curiosity. It will allow you to discover things about yourself, your desires, and the world around you.

Don’t settle. Chase what you love. And remember, every chapter in your story will add up. None of it is a waste of time.

A desire to be taken seriously early in our career can often inhibit us, but experienced designers remember how important it is to play, as well.

The more joy you put into a project, the more joy comes out. Don’t try to be too serious. Deep into the project and fill it with emotions.

Pablo Picasso famously stated, “Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.”

When you’ve been in the creative industry long enough, you come to realize that motivation won’t be there all the time. You have to try and make an effort to create something beautiful.

This is about getting experience at the beginning of your journey. Make the most of your internship.

Be on time, work hard, be available and be flexible — ready to try new things. This is where you’re earning your reputation in the industry you’ve got your eyes on.

A quality portfolio is a window onto your talent, professionalism, and self-awareness — bloated portfolios dilute your best work.

Hasty portfolios with spelling errors will be ignored — and the standard for self-presentation has never been higher.

People who stand still stagnate. Forward progression is everything if you are to develop a long-lasting career.

Radical shifts in career or projects that initially seem too challenging can be terrifying, but the stock cliche — we regret what we didn’t do in life, not what we did — holds pretty true for creatives looking back on their careers.

Education, training, and logic are essential skills, but our instincts often provide the magic.

The better we get at listening to our inner voice, the better we can harness the power of our instincts. And if you suspect something’s wrong with your design but don’t know what it is, take it apart and start again.