I have an incredibly hard time finding professional advice pertaining to the industry I work in. Both my parents and most my relatives have traditional professions in medicine, education, or business. Art school instructed me mostly in the technical aspects of being an animator. But, motivating yourself when you’re feeling defeated, dealing with long hours and heavy workloads, interacting with your co-workers…experience is the primary teacher. When you’re on your own, you’re never sure if what you experience as a young creative professional is normal because you may be surrounded by lots of people with experience, who have been doing it for a long time. And you occasionally question if you made the right decision, especially when your work or project isn’t turning out the way you wanted. It’s tough starting out with little experience, lots of ambition, and more to prove.

Every once in awhile, I find some open, honest advice like the video above. (Thanks to 43 Folders) Although Ira Glass of This American Life works primarily for broadcast, the experience is still applicable to anyone who works in a creative field. It is wonderful that more creative professionals are documenting their conclusions drawn from experience, observations, and lessons learned online. It gives inspiration to us kids, who are no longer shielded by academia’s umbrella, to pick ourselves up and keep marching on.