We asked some folks we admire to share one piece of conventional advice they disagree with.

Yvette Taylor | Creator & Founder Of The Energy Alignment Method

Feel the fear and do it anyway ! If you’re feeling FEAR it’s an indication fron your vibration that you are in a resistant energy state. In fact that applies to any negative emotion ! So if you IGNORE the sign and do it anyway it will never manifest into the outcome you want. You must do the work, release the emotion, then get yourself in a place of feeling better THEN you take the action and watch the magic unfold ! Read more>>

Bella Kotak | Fine art photography artist

perfect. Practice makes Progress. It’s this shift in mindset that released me from the grip of “perfectionism”. At some point in my journey I started to feel as though every new piece I shared had to be better than the one before, that it had to be perfect. Well, now I’ve finally realised that this is simply not true, it’s important to just create, make art for art’s sake, to experiment with new ideas, to fail often, and through it all just keep going. Read more>>

Theodore Dudley | Writer and Director

This is controversial, but I hear creators talk about the importance of “just doing it” when it comes to creating, and I think that’s a little short-sighted. There’s a lot of good sentiment behind that idea. but for me, it’s far more important to “look for opportunities to do it.” When you do anything in a vacuum, you compromise the opportunity to get feedback, and so you won’t learn and grow as much as if you were in a team. Read more>>

Olumide | Recording Artist

“Stay humble” – I always wondered about this. In this industry it seems like you have to do and be the complete opposite in order for people to hear you. Now I’m not saying be a jerk, but as they say in Nigerian culture sometimes you really do have to clap for yourself. I remember I took a survey on IG and asked my followers what they meant to them. A lot of them, surprisingly, also responded the same. It’s weird, something I haven’t figured out yet. Read more>>

Clara Aynié | Accessory designer

Something I hadn’t even fully realized myself before working inside the clothing industry is that every garment, every accessory, every pair of shoes, is manufactured. I believe sometimes the processes behind the production of an item, from the generation of raw materials to the finishing treatments, are invisibilized. People are used to products being ready for purchase in shopping malls, but many times they are unaware of all the different steps that had to be carried out in order to fabricate them. Read more>>

Brandon Kazen-Maddox | American Sign Language Artist and Performance Interpreter

Regarding the ASL performance interpreting industry, many people are unaware just how important it is to ensure that Deaf artists, performers, directors and interpreters are represented in the shows that are put on. Representation is pivotal and is both linguistic and cultural. Read more>>

Dominic López | Director & Cinematographer

When you hear about nice celebrities giving gifts on set, it’s not an act of kindness. The union actually dictates that everyone working with a major star be given a Rolex. That’s why I stand with the Local (insert number here). Read more>>

Kesandra Lyman | Wedding Officiant and Bridal Stylist

“Don’t mix business with pleasure.” I’m not sure who coined that phrase but I want to ball it up and toss it out with fondant wedding cakes (gross)! One of the most satisfying things is experiencing the service of someone who finds great pleasure in their work and wants to extend that feeling of delight to their clients and colleagues. I am very lighthearted and generally in a jovial mood. Read more>>

Peggy Lane ORourke | Acting and Dialogue Coach, Actress, Director, Writer and Producer

That you need talent. What you need is DRIVE. I have seen many people with a modest amount of talent far surpass those with far more talent simply because they have the drive and people skills to succeed. You have to WANT IT. More than anything. Approach it like the business that it is. Train, submit, follow up – it can be an 8-10 hour day or longer just pursuing it. You do have to have talent of course, but the organizational side of it is what will get you seen. The pursuit. The chase. The actors I know who are the most successful do this. Read more>>