Hi, community. How did you get nurtured by getting advice from the ones that are longer in the business? What was the best advice?

Who tickled your creative brain the most?
What was the best inspiration?
What are the most valid points you needed help with?
Did you follow the advice?

Replies6

  • 'Care about a job, but never worry about it'
    That's the best thing my first CD said to me when I was a junior Art Director, which was a ooh a long long time ago now. (cut to old guy wistfully smoking pipe. Which is now of course a vape.)
  • I was particullay lucky and I often think if I'd not had that push as well as the promise of back up, I'd still be assisting her now, all the fun and none of the stress!
  • Exactly that's why I am digging for these stories George.
    I think there are some great CDs/Head of Arts/Bosses that build you up but they are really rare.

    For the last month I am working with a few advertising students to help their ideas... and realised myself that no one really nurtured me before.
    That's why I am about to start a newsletter/post, that monthly nurtures youngsters.

  • I started as a fulltime photographers assistant, badly paid and over worked but there was a studio full of equipment to use at the weekends. When you work so closely with a single person not only do you learn how to do things well there is a huge amount of trust and friendship built up. When I went out as a freelance assistant I targeted one specific photographer to work for and I ended up shooting with her on a weekly basis. It got to the point where she would critique my work and in the end suggested I took the step as a photogrpaher with the promise that if it didnt work out she'd have me back. She then introduced me to nearly every art buyer in town at an awards do i went to with her and as well as too my first agent. I got my first job with Saatchi and Saatchi whilst assisting her and she was more than happy to let me go to a PPM whilst shooting with clients in the studio, and my carreer went from there and I owe her a great deal.
    Now the world has changed and there are very few fulltime assistants but I make a point of meeting people fresh out of college and helping them with advice and work. I make a point of explaining things before, during and after the shoot and hope that they learn from it as well as letting trusted ones use my kit when they get their first jobs in. Its great thing to do and very sastifying. The Association of Photographers used to draw up a 'family tree' of photographers and assitants and it was always very interesting and a clear way of seeing those who encoraged and those who discoraged their assiatnts to move on into photography.

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