Early in my career, I used to stand and present work. Not because anyone told me to do it, but because standing up feels like the right posture for someone who pretends to know what they’re doing. I performed with a confidence I hadn’t had before, and I suspect most people in the room could see it.
This memory came to mind when we asked creatives on our community platform The Studio what they struggled with early in their careers that now feels easier. Their responses were candid and generous. It’s a reminder that the special loneliness of early life is universally shared.
Imposter syndrome. Say no. Pricing works fine. Get in front of the camera. Know where you fit in. Pitch ideas to a room full of people who might hate them. If you are in any of these situations right now, keep reading.
The weight of showing confidence
Daniel Poll, founder of Noramble, describes this fear with an honesty that most people will find familiar. “The biggest issue for me was talking to clients and coming up with ideas,” he recalls. “It’s a big part of the creative business. I hated it, maybe because of imposter syndrome, but mostly because I was afraid of clients hating the ideas. Luckily, that never happened. It’s one of those situations where you have to get uncomfortable in order to feel comfortable.”
That last line is worth writing on a sticky note and putting it somewhere you can see it. Discomfort does not indicate a problem. That’s a sign you’re doing it.
Photography student Kirsty Hepworth is still overcoming this hurdle. “My current challenge is to get in front of the camera and promote myself on social media,” she said. “I’m not perfect at it yet, but I managed to post a video on Instagram of myself talking to the camera, so that’s progress. You have to go through some discomfort before you get comfortable.”
In short, the willingness to appear imperfect in public is the main lesson.
Learn that no is a complete sentence
Many people who participated in our discussion mentioned the inability to say no. This is not surprising. When you first start, every project is like a referendum on whether you deserve to exist. It feels reckless to turn down a job. Postponing the briefing felt dangerous. So you say “yes” to everything and wonder why you’re frustrated.
Graphic designer Stew Calladine (who, like me, once felt he had to stand up and present) tells a typical story. “I’ve always been a ‘yes’ guy,” he recalls. “But now I’ve learned how to say no and put my mind where I don’t believe something will work. It’s all based on the research, data and insights I’ve gained over the years.”
Marketing professional Denise Strohsahl echoes his experience. “It’s hard at first to say ‘no,’ or better yet, not say ‘yes’ to everything, but it’s definitely worth doing better,” she said. “That includes saying no to clients who aren’t a good fit. Not to mention staying firm on my downtime, office hours and rates.”
Graphic designer Janis Jekabsons offers a keen perspective from working in the industry for more than 15 years: “In the early days, rejection was very difficult,” he admits. “You’re hungry; both literally and figuratively. You’re chasing new horizons, building a portfolio, and your stomach is growling. So the fear of abandoning projects is real. You’ll end up taking jobs that cost you less than the actual work cost.
“A huge turning point for me was working with a web developer who had a strict mantra: ‘Free or full price. No in-between.’ It bothered me. Now, my default answer is ‘no’ unless the project is 100% ‘yes.'”
However, how soon you feel confident enough to do so varies from person to person. For example, photo retoucher and creative artist Sandrine Bascouert recalls the particular complexities of becoming a freelancer in the UK after working in France.
“I needed to present myself with a new, more thoughtful business mindset, using another language and other cultural norms,” she recalls. “But equally, I was immersed in a different mentality in the UK and learned to stand up for myself more, where you could be creative but also treat it like a business and no one would turn a blind eye to it.”
Looking for meaning beyond the work itself
Not every struggle in your early career will be about confidence. Innovation expert Nicholas Pettit describes something more existential.
“For me, in the beginning I found it hard to find meaning in what I was doing other than earning a paycheck,” he explains. But lately, he’s found it rewarding to help colleagues and team members expand their knowledge and ways of thinking. “That’s been my main motivation for going to the office for the past six years. Not looking at management reports and performance, but how to make my colleagues and team members happier. It makes me happier, too.”
Art director Matt King’s mentality has also changed over the years. “Early in my career, I had an artist complex,” he recalls. “Everything I did, I poured my heart and soul into it, which brought me very high highs and lows. I got to learn business and realize that I had a deep gift for connecting with people. Now, that’s where I get a lot of joy: the design is so good because the connection is sound.”
Know where you really fit in
Of course, we can’t ignore the impostor syndrome in all this. Illustrator and pattern designer Annie McGee describes the slow process of establishing herself as a professional. “I had the skills and I loved the job,” she recalled. “But there’s a persistent little voice that says illustration and pattern design are things that other people do professionally. Not little old me.”
For her, the change in mindset happened gradually. “I stopped treating my practice as a hobby that I hoped someone would notice and started treating it like a business that I was already running,” she explains. “It’s very obvious in hindsight, but this shakeup changed everything. It turns out you don’t wait until you feel ready. You just start and the confidence will work itself out somewhere along the way.”
Bottom line, whether you’re staring at an impossible brief, dealing with a difficult client, or lying awake in bed wondering if you’re actually good at it, take heart. Everyone quoted here has been like you at one time or another. They get by by doing things, saying no, sitting down, and acting imperfectly in public. You will too.
