Why your story is the best thing in your portfolio

Image Credit: Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash

Maybe you’re not getting the callbacks you want right now. Maybe you think your lack of experience is holding you back, keeping you from reaching your goals, or making it impossible for you to move forward on your creative career path.

Well, think again. 🙂

Have you ever stopped to consider how your non-design experience is actually an ASSET to your future?

Let’s look at a few legendary creatives’ backgrounds as prime examples to see how their past shaped their futures:

➡️ Bob Ross was a drill sergeant with the U.S. Air Force for 20 years, where he specialized exclusively in TRAINING OTHERS to do things quickly. He was also stationed in Alaska, where the incredible landscapes (happy trees?) captivated him and were committed to his memory. 🎨

➡️ Bill Blass was in the 603rd Camouflage Battalion in the U.S. Army––where his highly-trained unit exclusively handled VISUAL DECEPTION DESIGN––before beginning his very notable, and highly lucrative multi-decade career as a fashion designer. 👗

➡️ Retta Davidson enlisted in the U.S. Navy as one of the 5,985 women joining the ranks with the 900,000 men. Four years laters, Retta worked as one of the first 10 female animators at Disney Studios, clearly UNAFRAID OF COMPETITION in a very male-dominated industry. 🎞

It’s important for us to recognize the value of our personal creative stories, and how they set us apart from the competition. Our past experiences shape us into the creative people that we are today, and they don’t hold us back unless we let them.

The best way to use this to your advantage is to focus on how the things you’ve already done make you UNIQUELY QUALIFIED for the job you want 👍

For example, if you’ve worked retail, you probably have experience in customer service, cash handling, and finding creative solutions to customer problems. If you’ve been a waiter or waitress, you likely have experience in multitasking and problem-solving in a fast-paced environment. If you’ve ever been a coach or mentor to a team, you know how to motivate and encourage others to reach their goals.

Take a moment to think about what you’ve done in the past and how it can help you move toward the future.

And don’t forget to highlight this in your portfolio – it’s the key to showing employers that you’re the perfect fit for the job!

Be sure to include relevant experiences, stories, and examples that demonstrate your unique abilities. Show them that you’re not just another applicant – you’re the one they’ve been looking for! 👀

In the end, your story is the best thing in your portfolio. It’s the thing that makes you stand out from the rest and gives employers a good reason to hire you. So don’t be afraid to let your past experiences shine! ⭐️