When you start. You will suck.
That's ok. Cause everyone starts here.
But, you're in luck, because that big gap in front of you
from where you currently are
to where you want to be. ...that's an opportunity.
to learn, to improve your craft, and to be a little bit better than yesterday.
Take those first steps but be prepared,
cause the journey ahead is a long one.
In fact, it's endless
There is no final destination there is no roadmap,
there's just progress...
a pursuit of curiosity, and creation.
Staying motivated and trusting the process
is a difficult thing to do.
So what does it take to pursue a creative career?
How can you stay relevant,
and continue to grow in the long run?
Hello, I’m Matthew Encina.
Recently, I reviewed all of my old portfolio work.
Going way back to 1998 up until now.
From when I was just starting my own creative journey.
to working for big clients,
on some pretty amazing projects.
Whether you’re just starting out,
Or are struggling to push forward,
I’m making this video to share the big lessons I’ve learned along the way,
To help you navigate your own journey as a creative person.
Lesson 1
Start before you’re ready.
Anything worth doing takes a lot of effort
and along with it, comes risk.
The challenge for most of us is that we’re risk-averse.
And we look for all the reasons why
now is not a good time to pursue our next big idea.
In 2014, I pitched an idea to the band Coldplay,
that I'd design an
interactive music video for their song “Ink.”
At the time, I really had no clue on how to make it.
I was nervous, cause I had very little experience
in interactive design.
And I almost pulled out of the project because,
for a moment, I doubted my ability to deliver.
But I jumped in head first, and I believed that I could
figure it out.
My resourcefulness kicked in.
I called everyone in my network. I did a lot of research on the technology.
And a few months later,
I created my first-ever interactive music video.
Had I closed up and avoided risk, because of fear and doubt,
I would’ve missed out on one of the most
rewarding projects of my life.
That “Will figure it out” mentality,
I believe, is our superpower as creative human beings.
We can see possibilities, where others cannot.
And can come up with novel solutions to challenges,
when we’re in a pinch.
When you have an opportunity in front of you,
Have confidence in yourself.
Start before you’re ready, and push yourself beyond your comfort zone.
Cause when you do,
you’ll grow beyond your current abilities, and you’ll surprise yourself.
You’ll realize how good you really are.
Lesson 2
Failure is not the end.
It’s a lesson to your future self.
Failure sucks. It’s embarrassing,
and demoralizing.
and can bring your life to a screeching halt if you let it.
In 2007, right after graduating college,
I decided to start a design studio
with my school mates.
Life was good. Jobs were dropping in our lap.
We were working with cool clients, doing the kind of work we loved.
Then in 2008, the housing market crashed
in the United States, and brought the global economy down with it.
The phones stopped ringing.
We stopped getting clients.
And I realized everything I didn't know about running a business
– especially in tough times.
Our business became a burden rather than bringing us joy.
So with a heavy heart, we decided to close our doors in 2009,
and say goodbye to our little design studio.
Obviously, I’m still here. And while that experience left a deep scar on me,
it was a humbling lesson that I'll remember for life.
It taught me that I’m not invincible,
and that there will be challenges that will appear in front of me,
that I won’t be prepared for.
That experience revealed many gaps in my skills and knowledge that I wasn’t aware of at the time.
But those became the things I worked on in the following years of my career.
If you’re experiencing failure right now,
just know, you’ll get through it. And you’ll be stronger after it.
Be willing to accept the situation and learn from it.
And when you fail, ask yourself:
Knowing what you know now, what will you do differently in the future?
Because the more you can embrace change,
the more resilient you become towards the challenges life will throw at you.
Lesson 3
Things will add up.
Nothing is a waste of time.
If you asked me when I was 13, what I wanted to do when I grow up,
I wouldn’t have been able to answer you.
If you asked me today, what’s my big master plan, I still wouldn’t have an answer for you.
The truth is,
my career has been all over the place, without a real plan for anything.
It was a lot of intuition and improvisation.
Sometimes I took jobs out of necessity,
and other times I intentionally chased things that piqued my curiosity.
In high school my first job was taking customer orders at a local pizza shop.
I think that experience laid the foundation of giving good customer service,
which prepared me for dealing with client relationships many years later.
In college, I changed schools, I changed majors.
And I’m glad I did because I ended up finding a very fruitful career in advertising.
Designing, animating, and directing commercials.
Throughout my life, I spent hundreds of hours playing video games.
Never in a million years would I have thought that would lead me down a path of actually working on them.
I also explored many mediums and tried a lot of things.
I took up photography to learn how to use cameras.
I created short films to scratch my itch for my storytelling and editing.
At the time, many of those pursuits didn’t amount to much in the short run.
But looking back, I can see that all of those experiences have added up to the person I am,
and the work I do today.
I would've never imagined myself as a person creating videos on YouTube.
I never planned for it, yet every experience and pursuit I’ve had to this point, has prepared me for this.
I think we all get anxious sometimes thinking about the future.
Contemplating if what you’re doing right now is going to pay off?
But Steve Jobs said it best in his 2005 Commencement speech at Stanford.
I’ve always trusted my gut and followed my curiosity.
This has allowed me to discover things about myself,
and the world around me.
So I encourage you all to do the same.
Don’t settle. Chase what you love.
And remember, every chapter in your story will add up.
None of it is a waste of time.
And these are the most valuable lessons I’ve learned, looking back at the last 20+ years of my portfolio work.
If you’re interested in watching the full review of my portfolio work from high school till now, I’ve links for you in the description below.
I’d love to hear from you too.
Let us know in the comments below what has been the biggest life lesson for you.
What’s helped you grow and sustain your creative pursuits so far?
If you enjoyed this video, and want to support us,
Consider checking out our courses and resources on the futur.com.
Every purchase there helps us create content for you here.
I’m Matthew Encina. I’ll see you in The Futur.