A long career in the creative industry can offer wisdom, experience and a broad network of collaborators but it isn’t all plain sailing. I vividly remember in my younger years watching older generations try to figure out how to use a VHS recorder to record their favourite programmes on TV, and am left determined to never be in that situation at work, and to use my experience to make me more adaptable rather than less.
At 48, I’m firmly situated in the second half of my career, and find myself reflecting on the evolving challenges and rewards that come with age. I was inspired by a recent conversation during Unorthodox Blend Live 24 with Mick McConnell, where we talked about age and experience in different ways. The insights we shared in our discussion not only highlighted the intrinsic value of experience but also the urgent need to adapt to the rapidly changing landscape of our industry.
I have a first hand experience from this vantage point but am also very aware of the emergent challenges faced by the younger generation in our field, with the personal development challenge of remote work, and potentially less jobs in our industry as a result of technological advancements.
The advantages of age in the creative industry
Some layers of creativity benefit from fresh ideas, and direct cultural connection but other layers require insight and understanding that comes from experience. As someone who has navigated this industry for over two decades, I have been through a lot (good and bad) and have a take on some of those benefits.
Wisdom and experience
Experience is a commodity that cannot be fast-tracked. Age can give us a depth of understanding, both conscious and subconscious, from years of tackling diverse projects, overcoming challenges and witnessing the cyclical nature of trends. This wisdom allows us to anticipate shifts, perceiving ‘tells’ of industry, projects and people. With this in-built intuition, we can advise younger colleagues, offering a strategic advantage that goes beyond technical mastery.
Professional networks
Over the years, I have cultivated a vast network of colleagues, clients and collaborators. These relationships are built on trust, mutual respect and past successes. The strength of this network comes from time spent with people, from directly working together, and is something that can’t be forced. This network is not just a list of contacts but a community of people who share values, beliefs and are willing to help each other through challenges.
Mastery and patience
Age equips us with the patience and strategic foresight that are crucial in the creative industry. Having been through numerous project cycles, I can better predict potential pitfalls and steer projects toward success. This makes a tangible difference to both the work itself and how we relate to our partners. The ability to see the bigger picture and plan accordingly is especially beneficial in an industry where our creative output has no bounds.
Supporting others
One of the most fulfilling aspects of ageing in this field is the opportunity to mentor the next generation. Sharing philosophies, knowledge and guidance not only helps individuals grow but also helps to ensure a legacy of positivity, ethics and quality in the future creative industry. Mentorship benefits us as mentors as well, providing us with alternative ways of looking at the world and solidifying our own wisdom.
The challenges of age in the creative industry
While the benefits of experience and wisdom are invaluable, ageing in the creative industry also brings unique challenges for us to navigate with insight and adaptability.
Cultural connection
Staying relevant while culture rapidly evolves is perhaps one of the greatest challenges for us older creatives. We don’t live like we used to in our 20s, where we know first hand what is happening out there in the world. Many of us have families, or a more subdued social life and so we need to use different methods of staying on top of cultural changes. Embracing continual learning, staying open to new ideas and interacting with the right channels and individuals is crucial to staying across what is happening in the broader cultural context.
Remote work dynamics
The shift towards remote work has dramatically evolved traditional workplace dynamics. For those of us accustomed to in-person collaboration and mentorship, remote work can feel isolating and less dynamic. This environment makes it more challenging to foster team cohesion and maintain the spontaneous creative exchanges that often ignite breakthrough ideas. People entering the industry now, or recently, may be more native to human communication via digital means.
Work-life balance
As we age, our personal and professional priorities can shift significantly, with most of us having broader responsibilities and dependencies than when we were younger. Balancing the demands of a high-energy career in the creative industry with personal health, family commitments and other interests becomes increasingly important, and challenging. This balance is crucial not only for maintaining well-being but also for sustaining creativity and motivation at work - bad stress isn’t conducive to ideation and creativity. Developing strategies to manage time effectively, setting clear boundaries and prioritising self-care are essential steps to ensure that creativity continues to flourish without burning out.
Emerging Challenges for Young Creatives
With my personal experiences, it is easy to explore the benefits and challenges of my position, but the challenges facing young professionals in industry today are markedly different from those encountered by previous generations. And these challenges are on an existential, industry-disrupting level - if we don’t solve these issues collectively then we’re not protecting the future of our industry.
Navigating Remote Work
While young creatives may be more adept at engaging with technology, and digitally-based socialising, the rise of remote work has introduced significant hurdles to learning and development. Without regular, in-person interaction that supports micro-learning, mentorship and ad-hoc course correction, it is only natural that younger employees may learn more slowly, or may be learning from sources outside of the organisation. The casual, invaluable learning that happens by simply being in the same room is largely absent in remote environments.
Technological Disruption
Young employees are entering a field in which the pace of technological change is unprecedented. They not only need to stay across current and future technologies, but will need to work hard to ensure they are not replaced by them. Budgets and timelines have been contracting year-by-year since I joined the industry, and so it is natural that agencies need to continually build efficiency into their systems. And let’s face it, teaching young people is likely to be far more inefficient than using tomorrow’s technology. For those who do not think holistically about the future industry it will be an obvious choice whether to pay small subscription fees for generative AI technology or recruit a junior.
Building a Network
In a digital-first world, building a professional network can seem more daunting than ever. Because of the lighter nature of digital interactions, younger generations are far more likely to build broader but thinner relationships. There are far less opportunities to network IRL than ever before and virtual networking just doesn’t have the same feel to it.
Working To Mutual Benefit
So it seems that although it can be tough becoming an older person in the creative industry, do we really have it worse than anyone else? Solutions that foster mutual growth and understanding can bridge the gap between experienced and emerging professionals.
Here are some thoughts on what we can do:
Live mentoring
Make sure all projects have a mixed-age team, allowing for a direct exchange of skills where experienced members provide strategic guidance and younger team members bring fresh perspectives.
Flexibility and inclusivity
Flexible work policies that cater to the diverse needs of all employees at different life stages. For younger creatives, flexible hours might support a better work-life balance, particularly for those who thrive under less conventional schedules. For ageing creatives, flexibility could support phases of life, or more complex personal life dynamics that may require adjustments in work patterns.
Sharing moments
Create spaces for shared experiences and learning, such as innovation labs or weekly discussion forums where team members of all ages share and discuss insights, ideas and challenges.
Knowledge and transparency
Flatten that knowledge hierarchy by making organisation knowledge accessible to all employees including resources, tutorials, policies and project case studies. Empower and encourage contributions from all levels.
Make space for young people
Many organisations are still in survival mode since the pandemic. But if we don’t lift our heads up from the problems and think more strategically we will never get out of the hole. Welcoming young employees into our spaces to genuinely integrate their perspectives into the core of our projects and decision-making processes is essential to the evolution of our industry. Taking on an intern or apprentice may seem like a load but maybe it is time.
Conclusion
The fusion of the wisdom of ageing creatives and the energy of younger professionals has huge potential for today’s organisations. By cultivating mutual benefits, we enhance individual careers but also advance the creative industry as a whole. Sometimes looking after yourself is the best way to look after others, but sometimes looking out for others is the best way to look after yourself.
Written by Russell