How Do You Transition From A Maker To A Creative Director

OK Anthony has areally good question.What skills and/ormindset did youneed to develop totransition from a makerto a creative director?OK, that's a great question.My journey is superweird, but I'll do my bestto answer that question.So long story shortwas an art school.This is pre YouTube pre Vimeomade a bunch of short films,made a website, put themon said website, startedemailing film festivals andeverywhere I could possiblythink of.People saw them literallygot a phone call, said, hey,do you want to be acreative director?Said yes, becamecreative director.This really weird.That's like stupid.And that does not happen.But I was in the rightplace at the right time,had the right opportunities.So I'm just fortunatein that way.But to be honest, Ithink at least the first.A five or sixyears of my career,even though I was a creativedirector and studio owner,we had no business model,we had no financial plan,we had no clear visionas we wanted for whatwe wanted this company to be.I think there is meand me and two buddies.We were just makers that wereput in this elevated position.We're like cool and moneywas flowing back thenand in the industry.So it was fine.I think when I became a real,so to speak, creative director,I'm still working on.That is probably when Itransitioned into workingand working at blind.And I don't even think it wasright away because from whereI was, I came straightfrom school, you know,and just like took the elevatorto the top floor, right?And that's weirdbecause you don'thave any experience working ina real team with a real clientand what it's like, you'rejust kind of put thereand it's like, OK,figure it out, do it.And so really, we were kind ofworking in this creative vacuumfor five years without anycontext of what it reallymeans to run a businessas a creative director.Honestly, we're just trying tomake like cool looking stuff,and that was it.Not the smartestbusiness plan, but wemade great workwhen I got to blind,and I'd known Chris for along time at this point.But when I got to blind,I was like, OK, there'san infrastructure here, youknow, I'm a creative director.I need to think about, you know,the business side of things.So when projects come in,how valuable are they?Will this help our company, youknow, if by taking this job on,am I going to jeopardizeanything at the company?Is this going to hurt anyone?So there is a lot moreto consider and thinkabout how we run this job.We need to run it.So it's profitable.Otherwise, we're goingto lose a bunch of money,and that's bad for everyone.So I think once I got into,I guess, a real studio spacewith people andthere was a lot moreto consider in thekind of grand schemeof the team in the business.And, you know, movingforward, that'swhen I became acreative director.And so in terms of skills andmindset, I think, you know,the kind of goes backto the differenceof the very first questionbetween creative directorand art director.Someone's like mowingthe grass outside.Sorry if that'sloud, but I thinklike the mindset and the skillsthat I needed to learn to make.That jump wasthinking and thinkingmore along the linesof a business, right?So just because a job is reallycool and really interesting.Doesn't mean youhave to take it.You know, there's that kind offighting skill of work whereit's like, really cool job,but like virtually no money.And it's like super boring job.But they have a tonof money, you know?And so you know, that kind ofbeing mindful of that scale,I think, taught me a lot.Also, removing myego from the process.Big one, really big one.You know, I'll say likebefore blind, take a call,take a brief and then pitch anidea and be like, this is it.This is what it needs to be.And if they gave us anyfeedback, any kind of notesor they're like,actually, it's morelike that'd be like up in arms,like, oh, huffing and puffing.Like, how dare they,you know, taintour vision of what this amazingthing is going to be super,you know?Arrogance, yes, is the wordnot a good partner is the way Iwould put it, you know, becauseI guess the difference betweenmaker and creative directoris like, you can't.You can't be self-serving,you are ultimately working,working with a clientwho has a budget, whois making an investment intoyou, and it's your duty,it's your job to help themachieve their goal in the bestway possible within reasonof what you agree to do.So yeah, that's kindof like, I guess,like the biggest,most important oneis being able tothink on that level.And as a maker, Ithink you actuallyshould be thinking aboutthe same kinds of things.You know, maybeyou're not necessarilyprivy to the kind of greaterbusiness side of thingslike we hear in our monthly nut.Are we going to be ok?Kind of thing.But you know, iswhat I'm working onis what I'm designingand what I'mdoing that is that movingthe ball forward, right?Or am I just kindof treading waterlike aimlessly tryingthings that don't reallyhave any substanceor don't reallythey can't really stick toanything in the project,you know?So I think kind of both sideshave to have to think that way.But as a creativedirector, there's.A lot more, a lot more to that.And obviously, youknow, like what?Rachel, I werejust talking about,is there a managerial role too?So I guess thesecond biggest thingto making the jump frommaker to creative directoris you need to distanceyourself from the work.And that's really,really hard to do.It's very easy to just say,hey, you know, just step away.But even to this day whenI'm working with the teamand we're looking atsomething like that's notquite right, if only I couldjust go in there and like,lose them.It's like, no, no, no, I gotto catch myself, you know,and like, I'llliterally kind of like,sit a little further away.So, so I can't Ican't grab the mouse.I can't like do anything,and I speak slowerand I need to stop and thinkand say, OK, try to in language,provide the right guidance,you know, because the worst,the worst thing you can do.And if you've worked ina team, you immediatelyjump to something.You know, having someone justsay, OK, move, grab the mouseand like, do the worklike, that sucks.That's that.That hurts.You're like, whoa, whatam I here then for?Right?so as a creativedirector, by doing that,you're not helping them.First of all, you'renot helping them grow.You're not helpingthem become closerto the project and the ideaand the vision that you have.And you're also not helpingyourself because not you'redoing the work.And what does that mean?And if you know,if you're Chris,you're like, well,how much would youhire someone to do this work?So if you end up workingout for a half hour,then you're like, oh, shoot,I'm an expensive day, right?This is not smart, right?So that's I thinkthat's really important.Being able to distanceyourself from the work,provide the guidance in away that a manager mightand resist the urgeto do it yourself.You know, you've hired people,you should have trust in themand you shouldempower them to ableto produce the best workthat they possibly can.And give them theguidance to do so.