Topic:
Creative Mentorship
Year:
25 February 2026
If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my creative career so far, it’s that playing it safe gets you absolutely nowhere. No risk, no reward isn’t just some motivational poster shit. It’s real. And most of the time, it’s uncomfortable as hell.
At university I was a bit of party animal. First taste of freedom living away from home and I absolutely ran with it. Probably too much. But the second I got out and realised I actually wanted a creative career, something switched. The drive kicked in hard. I emailed over 100 design agencies with my portfolio and painfully personalised cover letters. One replied. One. That one studio took a chance (Thank you to my mentors Ezio and Anna Burani of QNY Creative), and suddenly I was moving to New York with coppers in my pocket that couldn't cover a bagel in Manhattan.
My family sacrificed a lot so I could do that. Proper sacrifices. And that pressure could have easily made me play it safe. But risk is what got me in the room in the first place. If you want something big, you have to be willing to look slightly insane going after it.
Then comes the next lesson. Instinct.
When I was a younger creative, I’d design something while thinking, this feels a bit off. I’d send it anyway. Every single time, without fail, the feedback would come straight back on the exact thing I knew was wrong. It was like self-sabotage dressed up as productivity. Over time you realise that little voice isn’t anxiety. It’s instinct. And it’s usually right.
The same goes for clients. Earlier in my career I’d bend over backwards to please people. Scope creep, extra work, last minute chaos. Smile and nod like a good little designer. Now if something falls outside a quote or doesn’t feel right, instinct kicks in. You call the meeting. You explain it clearly. You hold the line. Confidence comes from trusting that gut feeling and backing yourself when it shows up.
Steve Jobs said, “Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become.” Slightly cringe when you see it on Pinterest. Absolutely true when you’re in the middle of a creative career wondering what the hell you’re doing.
Risk gets you the opportunity. Instinct keeps you there. Doubt is normal, but if something feels wrong in your gut, it probably is. If something feels right but terrifying, that’s usually where the growth is hiding.
Back yourself. Take the risk. Trust your gut.
It knows what it’s doing, even when you feel like you don’t.
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