One thing I care about more and more the longer I stay in this industry is this. Don’t be a dick to junior creatives. Seriously. Be the person you fucking needed when you were that age or with that much experience.

I get a boat load of messages. Portfolio feedback. Career advice. People saying their head’s fried, they feel behind, or they’re questioning whether they’re even good enough to do this shit at all. And I reply to every single one. Not because I’m some noble mentor figure or a pastor, but because I remember exactly how brutal that stage is.

When you’re starting out, everything feels stacked against you. You’re broke. You’re comparing yourself to people with ten years’ experience on Instagram. You’re refreshing your inbox like a maniac, hoping someone, anyone, gives you a break. You’re told to “just keep going” without anyone actually telling you how. It’s fucking rough.

So yeah, if someone reaches out sincerely, I’ll give them my time. Because advice from someone who’s been lucky enough to work on real brands with real companies can actually help. Not because it solves everything, but because it reminds people they’re not stupid or weak for finding it hard.

What really pisses me off is how arrogant some creatives become once they get a bit of experience. Suddenly they’re “too busy” to reply. Or they act like helping juniors is beneath them. Like they’ve ascended to some higher creative plane where empathy no longer applies. Get over yourself and get in the sea. You weren’t born senior. You didn’t fall out of the womb knowing how to art direct, pitch, or explain your thinking without shitting yourself.