9 things black and brown creatives can do to mitigate creative oppression at work

i am a creative.  i think creative thoughts. i do creative things. i have creative friends who, like me, work in creative fields. 

we’re writers, art directors, producers, strategists, and designers. 
we’re freelancers, full and part-timers, agency side and in-house. 

and we're oppressed. 

not oppressed like… slave owners and cruel tyrants with bad intentions. i’m talking about the type of oppression that, as iris young puts it, comes in the form of policies and procedures at work — the ones that result in unquestioned norms that become restrictive barriers that immobilize and reduce a group or category of people. 

yeah, those. 

as creators navigating this form of ‘creative oppression’, so to speak, my creative friends who do creative things and work in creative fields often have creative conversations about what it means to be a creative — young, black and brown creatives navigating a space we’ve historically been kept out of. 

a close friend of mine said something to me the other day that i thought was poignant and necessary. 

“i realized that being around mediocre white people who try to treat you like you’re not elite is something you begin to internalize. We all gotta snap out of that shit.”

but how do you do that? how do you snap out of it? i’m glad you asked. 

here’s a list of things black and brown creatives can do to mitigate creative oppression at work.

9). find community.

being one of only a few “you’s” at your agency, studio, or startup can be very daunting. that’s why it’s important for you to immerse yourself in a community of creatives that “get it.”

for some of you, this may come in the form of colleagues who have similar backgrounds as you. these are the people that, 9 times outta 10, know what you’re going through because they’ve gone through it themselves. they can help you avoid mistakes they’ve made and connect you with people who can help you navigate your career more effectively. 

if there aren’t any at your job that you feel comfortable with, find someone in the industry who works somewhere else. not everyone in your community has to work with you.

and don’t tweak — not everyone in your community has to be black or brown, either. don’t be afraid to mix it up a bit to make sure you’re getting diverse thinking all around.

the goal here is to surround yourself with allies that can give you a listening ear, constructive criticism and valuable insight.

8). start a passion project. 

listen, the work you do at work cannot be the only work you do. i’m going to say that again. the work you do at work cannot be the only work you do. this is especially true for creatives. 

if you’ve followed my blog for a while, you know that i am a strong supporter of passion projects, which are activities or projects you decide to take on — usually in your spare time — in order to gain some benefit for yourself. maybe it’s an acting class. or a short film. or a sculpting class. it can literally be whatever you want it to be. 

try to make it good, though. don’t make your passion project something like “i’m going to go to the gym more frequently” because… well… that’s like, tied to your health and that’s something we should all be concerned about, ya know?

passion projects are great because they not only allow you to have complete creative control (which let’s face it, doesn’t exist for many of us at work), they also feel good and nourish your spirit. 

7). avoid burnout. 

burnout has always been rife in creative industries — like a rite of passage earning you some sort of respect. add that to the fact that black and brown creatives are often more likely to experience imposter syndrome (doubting your accomplishments and internalized fear of being deemed a fraud) and boom — we’ve got yet another burnt out creative on our hands.

many of us have fallen into the trap of overcompensating on the job — running ourselves completely rugged to crack a brief.

try not to do that. 

all nighter’s are necessary sometimes, not all the time. you shouldn’t have to work twice as hard to get half as much — that’s dead. you’ve earned your spot. if you weren’t good, you wouldn’t have been hired. 

besides, that brief probably gon’ get changed anyway. 

6). know the plan. 

you can’t just be out here working aimlessly. you’ve gotta have some sort of plan. and if you don’t have one, don’t trip. start by asking yourself, “where do i want to be in the long run?” and “how is where i am going to get me closer to where i want to be.” this plan will serve as your north star and will sometimes be the only thing that guides you through difficult moments in your career. 

5). don’t take creative reviews to heart. 

our industry was built on and is sustained by subjectivity.  you’re not going to hit it out of the park every time — and it’s ok. that doesn’t make you a trash creative (unless you actually are a trash creative). your creative prowess is not on trial. receive the feedback. ask questions if you don’t understand or don’t agree. apply it to the creative. pitch again. repeat. 

now don’t get me confused,  i wish the process was that succinct but in reality, it’s really not. the point is… don’t allow creative reviews to define you. when you do that, you relinquish the power to define yourself. i promise you it’s not that deep. relax.

4). be kind to yourself. 

we work in an insanely gratifying, yet incredibly difficult industry where the work we do is constantly judged and ranked. remember to be kind to yourself. you’re a trailblazer, traveling the road less traveled, paving the way for those that will come after you, because of you. 

3). attend conferences that champion diversity.

many agencies, large and small, have funding set aside for their employees to attend conferences or take classes that will make them a better creative for the brand. if you haven’t been taking advantage of that, you need to get in tune. 

the way i see it, these sort of events are mutually beneficial for the employee and the employer. when creatives of color come together at events to discuss our experiences, crack briefs, come up with solutions and just exist in the same space for a change, we are motivated to come back and do our best work. 

if you are unsure of whether or not your employer offers this benefit, start with your manager.
if you are unsure of what’s out there for you to attend, start with google. 

2). reflect on your legacy of resilience. 

whenever i find myself i need of some motivation, it helps when i watch or listen to something that reminds me of the resilience and determination of black and brown people that preceded me. sometimes it’s a tv show, series or film. other times, it’s a youtube clip, a podcast or a piece of copy. one of my go-to’s is netflix’s “black hollywood: they’ve gotta have us” series. you should check it out if you haven’t already. 

1). leave.

if you find none of this to be remotely helpful for you and your current situation, you can always seek out other opportunities. don’t punish yourself further by remaining at a job where you have a seat at the table but aren’t allowed to eat.