The days are gone of “the piece of paper” that qualifies you for having skills to get a job. Your abilities to create high-quality content is what gets the companies and studios to invest in you. This doesn’t mean to bypass “school” or education. There are so many new platforms and styles of learning—degrees, certificates, classes, courses, mentoring, coaching, and more. Which is right for you? Which is most direct? Which will deliver the most impact vs the cost?
Working as a professional creative and leading teams, I found one common thread among creative individuals (and myself too)—we don’t know what’s next for us in our career. Most just “feel” like they need to move forward or have to leave a job for whatever reason. On the job issues like poor management, unorganized processes, unhealthy environment…people have negative experiences that are created by the leaders, not the company. That is another story for a later blog post though.
The point is that you want a change, but you don’t know what is next. You just look for a job, sometimes just “any” job, or a job that you wish you could have, but aren’t qualified for. In order to achieve your dream career, you have to consciously make a plan to design it with your goal in mind. Many of us are lost, confused, and frustrated. That leads to procrastination and you get stuck. You certainly aren’t alone. It happens to everyone.
You need a goal. You need a plan, and you need clarity. Clarity is what’s missing and clarity brings motivation.
There are two things you can do to help get clarity and accelerate your career journey. You can learn a skill or you can get a coach. Doing nothing returns nothing. So if you want to grow, you have to choose a direction.
What is the difference between training and coaching?
If you think of your creative field as a sport, you can approach personal growth in the same logical way. You can train in the field or you have a coach in the field.
For example, if you train yourself to run and dedicate yourself to it, no doubt, you’ll become a better runner. You’ll gain more distance, speed, endurance, and enhance your cardio. I have recently taken this challenge, and I never, ever thought I would run, ever. Now I do.
Anyways, the same theory applies to your craft. For example, sketching, painting, animating etc. the more skills you learn, and the more you practice them, you will become better, faster, and more consistent.
Training is learning a burst of specific knowledge to transfer skills. This is usually conducted in a group setting, like a class, where you follow a recipe that you apply to your work. Rinse and repeat. The more you do it, the better you will become. Pretty simple theory if you are dedicated.
Coaching on the other hand is more personal, it is guidance for your big picture. Usually one on one, with a plan that focuses on your long-term development that brings deeper wisdom. It is used for creatives who are serious about their career and want to move up or switch jobs or careers, but aren’t quite sure how.
This involves dedicated growth from a trusted and experienced individual to guide you in sessions that aligns with your goals. For example, how does an artist grow into a Creative Director? Is that part of your plan? This process is more than taking a class in sketching. It is more than just being on a job for a really long time. It is more than getting better at a software. It encompasses many skills, practices, psychologies, and experiences.
Training is great. I love to learn. I still take online courses, workshops, and read to better my personal skills. However, does bettering my sketching skills warrant a higher-level job that pays an extra 20K? Nope.
I didn’t really start seeing big shifts in my career until I got a coach. It was life changing, and that is when I found clarity towards my goals. I learned that my passion was to help artists lead better lives, and help them obtain their dream job. Do you work hard? Are you are talented? You deserve to have your dream job.
Enter Chimrius.
This is the purpose of our Discovery call. We’ll have a discussion and reveal your frustrations, challenges, and celebrate your successes. We will identify what is next for your career.
We’d love to talk to you, book a Discovery call today, and let’s get you that clarity!
