LAURA JANE

Laura Jane, I am 34 and I am a freelance Creative Director. 

What is it about being a Creative Director that makes you want to do it? 

My first job was at Gap. When I started I was folding clothes in a fashion closet and it was so incredibly boring. I wanted to quit so badly but I had committed to myself to doing it for a year. But then I was lucky enough to go on some photoshoots and the creative director at the time, Suzie Jones, was incredible. I saw her on set and she was like an orchestra conductor. She was bringing all these people together –  hair and makeup artists, stylists, photographers, prop stylists, and talent. I didn’t even know that this job existed but when I saw it in action, it made so much sense to me. I saw her and realized that is what I wanted to do. 

What I love about it is that you are making something out of nothing. It is so collaborative, you cannot do it by yourself. You set a vision and have people bring their expertise and point of view to make it even better than you thought it could be. 

Where do you get your faith from to keep creating? 

Being creative is really vulnerable. I think it is really incredible that creative people are bringing this part of themselves to work everyday. I am a Pisces so I am so sensitive and I really have had to build such a thick skin in the workplace and understand what is good feedback, what is constructive and what is not for me to carry and not mine to worry about. 

Coming up with my own barometer of success has been incredibly helpful. I have learned to be okay with people not liking my work. I think if everyone likes something I make then it is probably not that interesting. You have to come up with your own understanding of what success looks like and let that be your North star.

I find that I feel the most alive when I am making something, it helps me feel more engaged with the world and connected to all of my senses. It helps me process what I am noticing, thinking, and feeling. 

What is the drive behind your work? 

I love creating something from nothing. I have been able to carve out more time for writing since becoming freelance. Having a blank page can be so intimidating, but filling the page with something that came from your brain and your imagination is truly incredible. That feeling is invigorating and it drives me. It’s true magic.

What has your process been like as a creative? 

I think the biggest process for me is turning off the judgment at the beginning. Whether it’s concepting for creative directing or writing, I try to go into a deep dive where I am just in the ideation phase. I remember reading that your mind cannot be in a creative space and a judgemental space at the same time. There is such a deep part of me that wants to be a perfectionist but I have to put that side of me in a different room and be like today is just about creating.

I also try to come from the mindset of acknowledging how lucky I am to be able to do this work. Any day I get to do this is such a gift and I try to tell myself to really enjoy the process. I always get worried that I’m going to run out of ideas. This is something that keeps me up at night, even though it really never happens. That’s the magic of the creative process, you can’t even forecast what is going to come from you the next day. 

What advice would you tell your younger self? 

This is such hard advice to hear, so I don’t know if my younger self would be able to listen to this. I have had anxiety since I was in high school and through my twenties I was so anxious and worried about paying rent but also like what am I going to do in 5 - 10 years. I know this is so hard for me to wrap my brain around still, but if I could shake the shoulders of my younger self I would remind here that the day to day is what life is about. 

Live day to day, taking in every sight, every sound, every feeling – good and bad--and try to put both feet on the ground and be in the moment. Anxiety can really eat at the present moment, like Pac-Man chomping around you. But anxiety is a bullying liar who isn’t even real. And I have found, one of the best ways to combat anxiety, in addition to going to therapy, is to really try to be present. It has increased my ability to live my life. 

What is your biggest failure as a creative director? 

I have previously managed creative teams. Being on a creative team is hard work and I am so impressed when creatives continually show up with new great ideas everyday. There was a period where I did not advocate for my team when I should have and I really regret that. When I really swallowed and digested where I could have been better, I tried to pivot while I was still there. I know I let some people down and became aware of my own shortcomings from it. I find failure to be the most memorable teacher. 

Why don’t you quit? What would you tell a creative who wants to quit?

I don’t know if it is possible to quit being creative. I think it is possible to change jobs or push that energy elsewhere. It’s like a personal style, it ebbs and flows throughout the years. If someone is feeling frustrated, then there is no reason to stick somewhere that isn’t serving you and it might be better to go. Change is a really powerful tool. I am a big proponent of quitting. I think there is such a pressure in America to keep going until you're successful, to stick with the same thing until you’ve reached the top of whatever mountain you’re on. But maybe that mountain isn’t the one you should be climbing. It is okay to open yourself up to different opportunities. 

What do you hope to Create that will continue to Repeat?

I hope to create and repeat safe spaces for people to be creative. Being creative and visionary requires vulnerability and I think it is really hard to do that if you don’t feel safe. 

What are you on the verge of? 

I recently went out on my own as a freelancer and I am excited to see where this chapter takes me. I am buckling up.