Be a Brilliant Artist and an Indispensable Employee (Revisited)

One evening at Verci, I saw my friend W wearing gloves, working with liquid solutions and strips of film. He was manually developing his photos, carefully dipping the negatives into a special solution and hanging them up to dry. As he worked, he explained the process of how an image comes to life through film development.

When I first met W, I knew him as a photographer. I had no idea what he did for work. I assumed he was one of those people who treated his job as just a way to pay the bills, something that funded his creative pursuits. But as I got to know him, I learned that he’s a software engineer. And he loves it. He spoke about his desire to keep getting better at it. At the same time, he’s just as passionate about photography, always refining his eye and technique. He has no interest in turning photography into a job. He simply loves both pursuits and wants to excel in each.

W is the one of the only people I’ve met who describes his life this way. Most people I know who have creative hobbies see their day job as a means to an end. That’s why I find W’s perspective so inspiring, he’s chasing excellence in both fields.

This year, I was given the opportunity to start and lead a Growth team at my company. It’s been hard af. In the beginning, the hours were long but it didn’t feel draining. It felt energizing because I was learning so much. Five months in, I’ve picked up an entirely new skill set, built strong relationships across our GTM org, and we’re starting to stack wins and build momentum.

At the same time, I’ve been honing in on my personal style and deepening my knowledge of fashion. Riveting is growing slowly but surely, and it’s become a fun, fulfilling outlet to share my curiosity and discoveries.

We also just wrapped up the most successful season of OTWC to date with every event selling out.

Earlier this year, I referenced a tweet that perfectly captured the energy I’m channeling right now:

the most edgy thing you could do is be both a brilliant artist and an indispensable employee - @taotechic

Now, I’m starting to make it happen.