This week, two people with different backgrounds came to me with the same quiet question:
“I’ve done well in my current field. But I want to shift into something more creative. Something that feels more like… me. How do I start?”
One’s been in tech for years and now wants to make documentaries.
The other’s a respected finance executive itching to build a podcast.
Different lives, same crossroads.
And a question I’ve heard dozens of times from artists, founders, and professionals ready to evolve:
How do you earn credibility in a new creative field—without starting over from zero?
You’re Not Starting Over. You’re Building Sideways.
When you move into a new field—especially a creative one—it’s easy to feel like an impostor.
But here’s the truth:
You’re not “starting over.”
You’re expanding.
Everything you’ve done until now—your taste, your work ethic, your instincts, your point of view—comes with you.
The only thing that’s missing?
Proof of work in this new space.
Not proof that you’re brilliant. Just proof that you’re in the game.
Embrace that making progress on this front is not linear–it’s not a ladder. It’s a jungle gym.
Skill Comes From Shipping
No certification, diploma, or podcast course can replace what happens when you actually start delivering things.
Want to learn to write?
Write five blog posts a week.
Want to become a podcaster?
Record ten episodes—then toss the first three.
Want to be a filmmaker?
Make a short film on your iPhone and publish it.
It’s not about waiting to feel ready.
It’s about building momentum before you feel legit.
The people who break through don’t wait until they’ve mastered it.
They get comfortable delivering the work before it’s “ready”, drip by drip.
Credibility Is Earned in Public
“How do I let others know I’ve earned this new skill?”
Answer: Show your work.
Not just the shiny parts—the messy drafts too.
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- Post your process.
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- Create open projects.
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- Write in public.
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- Design in public.
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- Learn in public.
Because in creative fields, credibility isn’t claimed—it’s demonstrated.
And the most magnetic thing you can show is that you’re doing the work, not just talking about doing it.
Together Is A Shortcut
Here’s what no one tells you:
The fastest way to grow isn’t to hustle harder.
It’s to build with others.
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- Start a group project.
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- Organize a creator circle.
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- Host a local meet-up.
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- Pair up with someone else learning a new, similar craft.
It might feel inefficient. But it’s everything.
Because visibility doesn’t just come from publishing.
It comes from community.
From the people who remember you because you created the space where they felt seen too.
This type of leadership is beyond a title. It’s momentum you share with others.
Want to be seen as a creative leader?
Start by creating the scene.
for the Multi-Hyphenates
You’re not wrong to want to evolve.
You’re not flakey for wanting more.
And you’re not alone if you don’t know where to begin.
The path isn’t to prove yourself.
It’s to build yourself into the kind of person who ships frequently, learns, collaborates, and invites others in.
That’s how you make the leap without losing the ground you’ve already earned.
Take This With You:
Pick a project that lives in your “next chapter.”
Then share one real thing about it every week with a small group of trusted people—for the next 6 weeks.
A sketch. A clip. A quote. A question.
It doesn’t need to be perfect.
It just needs to be visible.
That’s how you stop waiting to be “ready.”
That’s how you start building what’s next.
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