I Built a Home for My Creativity in 0922 Creative Studios

How my brand is making way for everything I want to do.

“Well what do you want to do?”

I’ve been asked this question dozens of times in the last several months. It’s a logical follow up question as my community responds to my dissatisfaction with my current job, but if I’m being honest, it’s often hard to hear.

I know that it’s my own insecurity in assuming that if I did know what I wanted to do, this transition would be so much easier. In my mind, it’d take less energy to mobilize if I had a clear point A and point B. In that world, I could solely focus on building up a resume and portfolio of materials tailored to my next role. But in this case, that’s far from my reality.

A Messy Middle

My transition has been nothing but ‘clean’ — it’s required a lot of soul searching and trying to align my gifts and skillsets with areas of opportunity I think can be monetized. It’s required a lot of discovery in a world I feel entirely new to — learning the art of the possible and discovering how people have stretched the bounds of creativity in an ever growing industry.

Some days Point B feels like a moving target. It shifts as I learn more about myself, the market, and what kind of work actually lights me up. At times, point B feels like it’s coming into focus, and other days I feel more confused than when I started.

As of lately, my attention has been on the discovery process, tapping into a network of individuals who are living out the kind of careers I admire — creatives, strategists, and innovators who have carved out unique paths for themselves. Listening to the breadth of their experiences has been a core part of my exit strategy and I’m learning more and more each day.

My North Star

But even though I don’t have the answer I want in responding to the million dollar question, I have a start.

I want to tell stories.

From as far back as I can remember, I’ve always had a pull towards journalism. While I never seriously pursued anything close to it, I always had an instinct to observe, listen, and translate experiences into something people could absorb. In my early 20s, I discovered a passion for storytelling. I became obsessed with the mere fact that we’re all different, while all being alike at the same time. Beyond my passion behind it, I recognized its power. I knew proper storytelling was the lifeline of humanity — the thing that could build empathy and bridge divides in our communities.

From Passion to Practice

Over time, storytelling became more than an interest; it became a responsibility. This year specifically, I felt that responsibility intensify and that’s how I landed on 0922 Creative Studios. I wanted to create a brand that was built on storytelling power — using it as a tool for connection, encouragement, and even healing. To bring that vision to life, I started 0922 Creative Studios with a few core elements:

1. Meaningful Storytelling — I want to create and seek opportunities to share stories that are purposeful, stories that inspire and encourage us, but most importantly, stories that connect us. This means moving beyond surface-level narratives to capture the beauty, complexities, and nuances of real, lived experiences.

   

2. Connection through Style — In a previous article, I wrote about how style has always been another language for me. Strategically speaking, style often gives me a platform to tell a story, and I wanted to be mindful of that in building 0922 Creative Studios. I created SEP22 as the apparel arm of the brand, translating stories into fashion statements.

   

3. Open Reflections — Truthfully, I knew building 0922 would be a wild ride. I was sure I’d learn and grow so much that I wanted to find a way to document it all. I aimed for something that was low-lift, that I could be consistent with, and something that I could openly share with other people who could relate. This very article is an output of that.

Carrying the Story Forward

As I navigate the messy middle, 0922 Creative Studios gives me great control. I’m doing exactly what I want to do, without bounds. I’m so proud of even the small progress I’ve made with the brand and I’m excited to see what stories 0922 will help tell.

I believe in the power of 0922 Creative Studios because it’s rooted in an underrated truth: that stories have the ability to connect us in ways nothing else can. And as long as I’m telling them — yours, mine, ours — I’m moving in the right direction.

Thank you so much for reading.

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