By Avery Matteo, Staff Writer
Walking into the Saxby’s Headquarters on 23rd and Chestnut felt like being dropped into a modern, sprawling office space that only exists in television shows. I was here to attend Create Philly on September 26th, an event for Philadelphia-area college students to gather valuable knowledge and insight from a panel of creative professionals.
I arrived ten minutes before the event officially began, surprised that the third floor office was already packed with students from nearby universities. Most were wearing business-casual clothing, drinking coffee, and excitedly mingling with the people around them. The space is impressive and especially conducive to such buzzing socialization––with white brick walls, stylish lights hanging from the ceiling, and uplifting phrases framed by minimalist, cloud-shaped wall hangings. The pre-event atmosphere felt simultaneously electric and composed, with an unquestionably palpable “ambitious millennial” energy swirling throughout the room.
Eventually, we all settled into our seats, and the event kicked off around 5:30pm. Moderator William Toms spoke briefly of his own role in the community as co-founder of REC Philly, a creative agency with a vision to provide local creatives the access, tools, and contacts they need to thrive in their artistic endeavors. Toms then introduced the three panelists, all of whom have pursued careers in the creative industry.
Sabina Fletcher holds the prestigious title of Creative Director at Comcast. Mark Kuhn is the CEO of Oat Foundry, an engineering design studio in Philadelphia that builds unique products for brands and companies. Lastly, Marissa Le flits between two professional realms––a content strategist at UBIQ by day and a DJ by night. The panelists may have pursued different career trajectories, but the themes intertwined with their personal messages often aligned to provide widely applicable advice to those interested in creative work regardless of the capacity or field.
There was a wealth of conversation surrounding three particularly salient topics: the flexible and rapidly evolving creative economy, the importance of taking advantage of Philadelphia’s rich creative community, and navigating doubt and imposter syndrome as a young person trying to break into the industry.
First, Fletcher detailed the non-linear nature of her career, working at a jewelry store and various other companies before acquiring work experience at big businesses. Le worked at an Apple store for a few years, which taught her to pay attention to how nuance plays an integral role in how a brand is perceived. Kuhn stressed the importance of hiring people who are smarter than you, as well as the necessity of embracing change.
As the conversation shifted gears, Toms interjected to speak about how the Philadelphia creative community has shown up for him in meaningful ways and urged us to cultivate––and hold onto––similar relationships. He ensured that we would leave thinking about the value of the tight-knit community in Philadelphia, with its multitude of opportunities for learning, growth, and creative development.
The panelists spent a sizable amount of the conclusion tackling the realities that come with self-doubt––something that the audience appeared to relate to, given the near-constant nods of agreement. Kuhn expressed the frustration and insecurity associated with spearheading a startup that tanked several times before flourishing, but described how his failures gave way to one of his most beneficial lessons––learning to reach out to those with valuable expertise. Now in a CEO role, Kuhn is able to say, “Experienced people like helping inexperienced people, because we were inexperienced at one point.”
Every panelist added their own nuance to the broader discussion on doubt and imposter syndrome, but Marissa’s blunt and hilarious answer put everyone in the room, regardless of age or experience level, on exactly the same footing. Her message to everyone in the room who has ever felt untalented, inexperienced, or unable to do a creative job justice?
“No one has any idea what they’re doing. None of us.”
Image credit: Campus Philly, Facebook
