When to be creative, and when to just hit the button and make sure it’s in focus.

Taking jobs purely for the money is one of the hardest paths to navigate as a creative. There’s always a sense of tension because you're torn between staying true to your artistic instincts and making the client happy, even when you know their vision doesn't align with what will actually work. It’s only happened a handful of times for me, but each instance leaves a bad taste because you can tell that the person you’re working for isn’t truly interested in your expertise. They’re just trying to extract something that, deep down, you know won’t succeed.

As a creative professional, I have a strong sense of what looks great on camera, what feels authentic, and who will deliver the message in the best way possible. When someone else leads the creative process, but doesn’t have a good grasp on what they’re doing, it becomes a battle. You’re constantly stuck in this uncomfortable space where you’re compromising your vision just to meet a set of uninspired expectations. The end result is usually something that doesn’t feel like a reflection of your best work, leaving you questioning whether the paycheck was worth compromising your creativity.

At this point, I’ve realized that it’s better to take a normal, non-creative job than waste time and energy trying to make something work when I know it’ll fall flat. If I’m going to burn my creative energy, I want it to be on something with depth and meaning, something that challenges and excites me. I’d rather do anything else than spend my time churning out uninspired projects—like a Facebook ad for car insurance—just because it pays the bills. There’s no fulfillment in that, and I’ve learned that if I’m not able to bring my best, it’s not worth the time or effort. I’d rather pick up trash on the side of the road. Actually, that would make for interesting content.