2023 CAFECITO TAKEAWAYS

MOVE PAST "AUTHENTIC": DEI DOESN'T DIE

Authenticity is a part of everyone, and living in our identities is "authentic" enough. It's time for a shift in allowing your work to speak for itself. Creatives felt that the term was similiar to "checking the boxes", another way of othering experiences, and "authentic & real representation" intentions have lost meaning. It forces BIPOC/HUC creatives to act for an audience as to what "authentic" should represent. The DEl initiative pullbacks and

"fatigue" were swift and impactful, with a decline of opportunities even during cultural moments. Many were alarmed, though not shocked, by clients taking fewer risks and re-hiring the same creatives and asked "What's next?"

Rather than saying how your identity has shaped your work, hone in on the vision you share with the world and what makes you stand out. It will seamlessly incorporate your identity as it's a part of you. For BIPOC + HUC creatives, this can be particularly true when trying to break barriers in your niche spaces. Think of it as a "yes, and" situation. Everyone is "authentic", so define yourself beyond generic keywords of being "X photographer or creative from X" and do some self-exploration to understand what drives your vision. DEl doesn't die, it evolves. Challenge and shift the narrative of "authenticity" while proudly showing your lived experiences to redefine what it means to show our identities, further our craft, and pave the way for a more inclusive and diverse creative landscape.

For AD/CD/PD+PE
Be an advocate by evolving the rhetoric and finding ways to move past "authentic, real people" representation. Open up your calendars and be informed about developments to keep up with what's happening within your creative sectors through collaboration and research. Learn the context and deepen your understanding to gain further insights to move beyond using DEI and authenticity as keywords to define lived experiences. Doing so allows for taking more risks when possible. It will strengthen how creatives talk about themselves, and further build equitable and inclusive opportunities.

THERE'S "AI" IN PAIN & GAIN, WORK SMARTER NOT HARDER

Most, if not all conversations touched on our future machine-sapien relationships. We discussed post-lens, Al creative design, intimidation, and job loss fears with a group mixed with hopefuls and skeptics. As creatives, our input, questions, and concerns are the most critical and should be at the forefront of conversations for regulation for the industry's future. The more we see its impact, the more we can get ahead. Without our input, there will be further marginalization and disparity; causing more pain in the future for all creatives. Al is not going anywhere, so how do we begin to evolve?

A creative's superpower is adaptation. It has been a part of the industry to evolve before digital manipulation. Upskill through new tools and be curious and open-minded to learn. It can be intimidating, but practicality can help improve getting unstuck. Do so by considering how Al can support your business or creative practice. Our roles can feel holistic, but it's a culmination of skills, and Al can automate your systems to get ahead.

Consider its use in everyday tasks: pitches, strategy, ideation, and creative processes. This will effectively evolve the creative industry and, more importantly, increase your ability to get paid as someone who is evolving and becoming efficient while utilizing Al to proactively understand its impact, where we need to continue to ask questions and raise concerns.

For AD/CD/PE+PD
Use Al to your advantage and invest in it to create better creative systems. Create guardrails around its use and develop tools to accomplish more with less. Note: Al works best with humans, so shift the mindset that Al can replace people. We need creatives to bring creative thinking and elevate the quality of the ideas we bring to life. It needs context the same way you would guide the work. Al alone cannot do the job; therefore hiring creatives who use Al will advance your creative arsenal.

SELF CARE IS NO.1 FOR BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS

Building community, mentorship, and relationships requires self-care and awareness. The more you do this with an open mind, the more empathy is built for others. The rapid emergence of grassroots hybrid events, initiatives, & mentorship programs created by industry folks left many creatives desiring to build meaningful connections. High hopes and expectations quickly led many to believe in-person events, workshops, and opportunities would provide immediate paths to success. Still, they struggled to approach others IRL/URL due to feeling overwhelmed. The pandemic heavily impacted soft skills like empathy & patience because of a lack of daily interactions and social media's comfort through instant gratification. If these programs didn't live up to expectations, some questioned the legitimacy of these programs and felt insecure about themselves. Despite good intentions, this reflects the need for self-care boundaries for those leading and those who need to define their goals or intentions clearly, so make sure to set goals and be prepared to know what you're looking for every time you set out to build relationships.

Start by asking yourself: How do you want to show up for your community? What are you trying to find out about yourself through community-building? When networking, set yourself up with tangible milestones like talking to at least one person or staying for 1 hour. Demystify that mentorship is only through programs; it can come from friends, colleagues, and others in your industry and can last from 15 minutes to years to help relieve the pressure. While doing this: check in with yourself and recenter often. Give yourself and others grace because everyone is doing their best. It's our gift (and curse) to express ourselves through our work and deeply feel the process. Doing this will help you lead by example.

For AD/CD/PE+PD: Creatives look up to you, so use your influence and leadership to create safe third spaces to bring people together! Be involved and approachable while building appropriate, transparent boundaries with honest communication that also centers you. Give to the community/mentor and consider time as valuable currency because your voice matters, be it through networking, email, Zoom, coffee chats, or supporting creatives by sharing their work!

Prioritize your mental health and well-being and remember, it's okay to step back when you need to take care of yourself. Do so before you take care of others. Otherwise, you risk projecting and not giving your best self to those who need it.

"WHAT'S GOOD" TENANTS: THE SIDE HUSTLE IS THE REAL HUSTLE

We are living in difficult times-no sugarcoating here. Today's realities of job security for freelancers & creatives in-house were the most sobering, recurring discussions. Many creatives asked about how to sustain while growing professionally as roles evolve. I don't have an answer, but it lives in my head NYC-rent-free daily. Creatives hesitate to be transparent about what makes them money because they don't think they'll be taken seriously there. But not all that glitters on IG is gold bb.

Creatives ranging from emerging to 20+ years in their career shared universal uneasiness that what usually worked for them to grow their opportunities isn't working anymore and that isn't as accessible as it used to be. A short-term solution: bring transparency to the side hustles to heighten awareness of the industry's unsustainability. Long-term solution: the creative industry should acknowledge the reality that creative professions risk becoming extinct. There needs to be institutional-level conversations on redefining high-quality standards, and how to set up resources to support multidisciplinary creatives in a metamodernist world to save & future-proof creative roles.

For creatives & visual directors wondering where to start, do it the “What's Good” Tenants™ criteria.

Want to know if an opportunity is worth engaging? It should have 2 of the following 3:

1- Is the content good: are you learning something worth while or doing something energizing?

2- Is the pay good: calculate your rates, does it work for you or provide a long-term ROI?

3- Are the people good: is there equity, are people proactive, communicating actively, and providing a thriving environment?

For AD/CD/PE + PD:
Think about what is important for creatives now. Minimize taboo through censuses, polls or discussions for creatives to embrace side hustles as an important tool vs. something inferior or non-focused. We must accept that emerging creatives will heavily impact craft, quality, and talent, and many will decide not to become creatives. For those able to influence or create systemic change, bringing creatives in and finding career growth opportunities is urgent.

Bring more awareness to art director, editor, or visual director positions and mentor those interested in multiple creative facets. Reframe to strengthen creative thinking to bring them into conversations that can bring equitable change.

OWN IT!

Fewer opportunities have folks pushing harder to get a competitive edge.

The pressures made them doubt their work and worth when they spoke about themselves or their processes and projects. Many expressed burnout from the stress of pitching themselves, being "on" social media, or trying to find where best to stand out. They feel that a source of income can only come from commercial work and they struggle with how to be more brazen or louder in outreach.

It may be easy to feel like an imposter needs to do more vs. taking what is already in your toolbox and owning it. Rather than starting from scratch every time, champion your voice and brag about what you have already accomplished.

Take action on strengths, screenshot compliments, share metrics, and take ownership of where you've played a role. Think through "negative" space to unblock you (IE: what would *not* have happened if you weren't involved). Rather than attempting to fit what we

"think" our clients want to see, tell the story you want to tell and own it. The strongest creatives can balance sharing their vision and instilling confidence in their clients that they can do the job. I used to think that you could not do both, be true to yourself, and get work, but the reality is that the more confident and proud you are in the work, the more your personality shines, instilling trust in the folks hiring you/meeting you.

For AD/CD/PE+PD:
The world is not on your shoulders, either. Own your vision and provide opportunities for growth and self-development while maintaining transparency within your boundaries. Fuel your creativity through side projects.

Curate, donate to portfolio reviews and provide actionable, objective feedback. Celebrate community wins if you believe- don't fake it. It's an ongoing process requiring consistent effort, empathy, and adaptability. Actively listen, provide support, and foster a culture of growth and experimentation to help other creatives thrive professionally and personally. Owning it comes from within, so lead by example.

THANK YOU!

Thank you always for your support and community building!

This year, many folks showed empathy and I'm grateful for those who applied. I don't have all the answers, nor can I solve them myself, but thanks again, everyone, for being vulnerable, talking about ideas, and keeping it real. Hearing and see how we can keep bringing actionable, sustainable, and systemic change as we evolve for the future. It can only be done by hearing where we stand today.

These conversations provide insights to help folks think about how to make a change even when we're running on empty. It is hope that we will embrace that all is temporary (good and bad).

Conserve your energy because we're in it for the long haul.

Think less about the destination and more about the journey.