As fall is approaching, I've been working on my presentations for Circles Conference and Phoenix Design Week. There's something incredibly valuable about regional creative spaces. It was these events where, early in my career, I found the most value, found it easier to connect, and was able to build a greater sense of belonging with others like me. It was where I built relationships with peers who helped me get hired, where I got inspiration to make my work better, or developed perspective for my portfolio and career path.
But let's be real — getting there is half the battle. Our inner voice might say:
"I won't know anyone. Going alone is terrifying." "I suck at networking. I'm so awkward." "I'm an introvert, it's hard to put myself out there." "So many talented people will be there. I'll feel like an imposter."
Here's the secret: You're not alone.
Many folks who attend feel the same way. I know because I'm one of them. We're creatives, not sales pros. And even the most confident among us — people with a hundred thousand followers, the designer with the big name clients — show up with these same fears. The important thing is to show up, be yourself, and be open to new people and new experiences — even if it means just breaking out of your normal routine for a day.
We're over halfway through the year, so my advice would be this: make it a goal to plug into your local creative community and go to at least one event before the year ends. If you're a designer near Dallas or Phoenix, I hope you will join me (and our Texas and Arizona teammates from Focus Lab) at Circles or PHXDW. In fact, come find me and I'll be your ice-breaker and first conference friend. Because that's how we build this community — one brave hello at a time.
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As a bestselling author-illustrator with clients ranging from Target to Anheuser-Busch, Andy J. Pizza knows the joys and headaches of being a creative. His weekly podcast, Creative Pep Talk, dives into and helps wrangle some of the inevitable stumbling blocks and self-doubts we go through. If you feel like you're on a Hamster Wheel of Death, a Creative Pep Talk may be in order.
