Always be your own creative boss.

To find your true creative voice you have to take control of the situation. You have to be you.

Even if you are working for someone else you still own your personal creativity.

If you're a painter, paint for you.

If you're a musician, make music for you.

If you're a writer, write for you.

If you're a fashion designer, design for you.

If you're a photographer, take photos for you.

If you're a filmmaker, make films for you.

If you're a graphic designer, design for you.

If you're an illustrator, draw for you.

If you're a creative in advertising, create ideas for you.

Why?

Because if you're truly passionate about your creativity and you put all your energy, heart, and soul into what you do others will see it and they may very well like it too. Passion is infectious.

When you do what you love and love what you do it shows.

And don't be creative in the hope of fast accolades or applause. If the work is good, and you put everything you have into it then those may just come as a result. But don't be disappointed if that doesn't happen early on. It's about doing the work you want to do. That's the most important reward. Be patient, focus on the work first, give it time.

Creativity born from your own passion, not someone else's, is the best creativity.

This does not mean you should not work under a 'creative boss' in a creative company to make a living, the pay from that work will fund your true creativity, the creativity you will still have with you once you leave that job, and the next, and the next. Or maybe, just maybe, you will leave that job with the money you saved and do what you truly want to do, so there will be no 'next job'.

Here is a great interview with the artist KAWS, a renowned street and contemporary artist from New York who started off working in an animation studio drawing the character 'Doug'. As he says about his job in the studio - 'It let me paint, it put money in my pocket...having a steady check allowed me to think about other things'.

Now I am not saying you can't learn from someone more experienced than you in a job, on the contrary, as you grow and develop you should be a creative sponge, soak up anything and everything around you, take it all in, keep the good bits, find inspiration wherever you can, it is invaluable. Some of the greatest painters worked as assistants under other painters but found their own voice, the same with aspiring photographers, sculptors, and so on.

But what if your 'creative boss' has no love for your own personal creative work and dismisses it? So what? Who made that person judge and jury over your creative life? They don't own your creative mind, body, and soul. They only own about eight or so hours of your day, let them have that while you get on with being creative you in your own time. If they don't support the work you do outside and don't buy into why you're doing it then to be honest they are not much of a true 'creative boss' or leader.

And just imagine that maybe one day you'll be having a gallery show and you see your old boss who dissed your personal work now admiring a piece of yours on the wall and he or she enquires as to the price, with a smile just say - 'It's not for sale'. Either that or quadruple the price.

Rodd

I'm a Creative Director / Writer / Strategist / Thinker and a bit more. I work with clients/brands directly and with agencies and production companies. I also teach creative thinking and idea generation to groups and individuals. You can read more of my LinkedIn musings here. You can also find me on Twitter,  Instagram and on Facebook. Or drop me an email – [email protected]

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