Creative - Craig Jamieson

Creatives Need a Manager

Creative talent is facing a crisis. As the global economic situation worsens, agency groups consolidate, and AI reduces headcount, waves of talented people are being left without work.

The ripple effect is that more creatives are building their own brands, freelancing, coaching, or forming small shops as clients move away from the perceived uncertainty of the big names. Many of these creatives are struggling to find their feet, caught between the desire to focus on their craft and the pressure to now manage every aspect of their business.

The talented Rodd Chant, who leverages his love for music, got me thinking about the need for representation after reading his post exploring creative teams to bands and the idea of having a band manager.

Throughout my career, I’ve met people who absolutely get creatives but don’t have a creative bone in their body. Yet, they can sell ice to Eskimos. They have the gift of the gab and the business acumen to turn a one-off hit into a sustainable career.

Now, imagine you could take that same set of skills and apply it to the world of designers, developers, and small creative teams. Imagine someone whose sole focus is to keep the creatives creating, without worrying about client management, cash flow, or chasing invoices.

For ten years, I worked for myself, handling every single part of the business. I was both the craftsman and the businessman. I was far better at making than deal-breaking, but the business side was a constant grind. I wasn’t a huge success in terms of scaling up or minimising stress, and I don’t wish that on anyone.

There are few people out there with the business sense of a Dan Mall or a Chris Do. Those guys know how to run a shop, but not everyone has that knack. Not everyone wants to. But the reality is that a lot of talented people are drowning in the demands of business because they’re too afraid to let go or they haven’t found the right person to step in.

I’ve seen incredible talents hang on to toxic situations for too long, purely because the idea of going it alone is terrifying. They stay in agencies with abusive clients, bad bosses, or unfulfilling projects because that small slice of comfort is the only safe place they have to practice their craft.

With all these layoffs, there might not be an agency to call home. We talk a lot about burnout and boundaries but rarely about how having someone to handle the business side can completely change things.

That’s where the manager comes in. Not a boss or gatekeeper, but a partner. A manager sets the stage, manages cash flow, and handles the business end so creatives can stay in their zone. They’re not there to take over. They’re there to clear the runway, open doors, make introductions, and keep the money flowing.

Think of them less as a traditional agency account manager and more as a hybrid of an agent, business manager, and creative wrangler.

Actors and musicians have agents and managers who handle the business side so they can stay in their creative zone. Yet, in the creative industry, we still expect people to wear every hat.

Some people can do it all and thrive, but not everyone is built for that, and that’s okay.

Take Kanye West. Unquestionably one of the most talented artists of our time, but his career is littered with controversies as he navigates unchecked. He could use someone in his corner not to stifle his creativity but to keep him from blowing it all up.

The bigger the talent, the higher the stakes, and the less you can afford to go unchecked. The same is true for smaller creative teams. You can be the most talented designer in the room, but if you’re not bringing in work, managing client expectations, and keeping the cash flowing, it’s only a matter of time before things implode.

The idea that creatives need to do it all is outdated and exhausting. For every creative burning out from juggling too many roles, there’s someone out there who knows how to sell, how to set up systems, and how to keep the money coming in while the creatives focus on what they do best.

The Best Creative Leaders Are Experienced

The best creative leaders are not just charismatic, visionary, or full of bold ideas. They are not great simply because they can sell a concept, win a room, or energise a team. What sets them apart is something quieter and more difficult to define. It is the depth that comes from lived experience. The kind that builds resilience, sharpens judgment, and shapes taste over time.

When skill isn’t enough

Becoming a Creative Director at 30 came with confidence and capability. There was strong expertise in digital, and creative direction came naturally. Projects were delivered. Clients were impressed. Teams moved fast. But beneath the surface, something was missing.

That gap only became clear when working alongside more seasoned creative leaders. They moved differently. Their feedback landed with clarity. Their presence created calm in moments of chaos. There was no need to posture or push. They had earned their authority through repetition, reflection, and results.

In contrast, early leadership was still tied to control. There was ego in the room. Pressure to prove value. A desire to push work through rather than pull the best out of people. The title had arrived before the maturity to carry it well.

Taste is not a trend

One of the clearest markers of experience is taste. Not style. Not trend-awareness. Taste.

It does not come from scrolling through curated portfolios or collecting references. It is shaped slowly over time through exposure, curiosity, and failure. Travel, music, writing, architecture, silence. The best creative leaders absorb the world. That depth filters into how they see, what they question, and how they guide others toward quality.

The most seasoned creatives can spot what others miss. They are not distracted by noise. They focus on what matters. Their instincts have been tested enough times that they can lead without overexplaining. This kind of taste cannot be taught in a workshop. It is cultivated through attention and intent.

What experience really gives us

Time in the product world made this even clearer. In fast-moving teams and high-growth environments, it is often execution that gets rewarded. But in the long run, the creatives who consistently raise the bar are not just fast or clever. They have depth.

Experienced leaders carry perspective. They have lived through changing technologies, shifts in team dynamics, and cycles of burnout and renewal. They know when to push and when to protect. They understand how to create space for others to grow, not just deliver. And they bring calm. Not because things are easy, but because they have faced harder before.

This is not about age. It is about exposure, repetition, and reflection. It is about the ability to hold both the work and the people with equal care.

Creative leadership is legacy work

A creative leader is not measured only by the work that gets produced under their watch. They are measured by the people they develop. The teams they shape. The future leaders they inspire and send forward.

The best creative leaders do more than oversee projects. They mentor, coach, and protect. They raise standards without crushing spirit. They teach others how to see more clearly, make better decisions, and build their own confidence.

Leadership is not what you do in the moment. It is what you leave behind. The impact of a strong creative leader is often only fully understood years later, when the people they supported go on to lead others with the same principles. That is the true legacy.

For those stepping into leadership

Ambition is a powerful driver, but titles arrive faster than depth. New leaders benefit most from being close to those who have done it well for a long time. Not just for inspiration, but for calibration.

It is not just about learning how to give feedback or present ideas. It is about learning when to hold back. When to pause. When to invest in someone quietly, with no immediate return. These lessons are rarely written down. They are observed, absorbed, and eventually practised.

For those hiring creative leaders

Experience should not be a risk factor. It should be a requirement.

The tendency to chase novelty over wisdom is short-sighted. The most experienced leaders bring more than just ability. They bring consistency, clarity, and confidence. They know how to balance quality and pace, ambition and sustainability. They know how to scale teams without losing the integrity of the work.

Most importantly, they build people. That is what keeps standards high long after the leader has left the room.

For those with experience

There is increasing pressure to reinvent or reposition. To prove relevance. But what seasoned creatives carry is more valuable than ever.

The ability to remain calm under pressure. To make decisions rooted in principle, not panic. To spot the crack before it becomes a fault line. To listen deeply. To mentor generously. These are the traits that hold teams together.

There is no need to shrink. There is no need to apologise for the depth that has been earned. The industry needs it.

This is what moves the work forward

Creative leadership is not a performance. It is a practice.

It is built over time, through mistakes, reflection, and a commitment to growth. The best creative leaders are not defined by their output alone. They are remembered for the standards they set, the people they empowered, and the culture they helped build.

Experience is not the past. It is the foundation. And the best leaders carry it forward not for themselves, but for everyone around them.

Doing Creative Work, Daily

veryone’s a bit more creative now.

Upload a photo of yourself and generate an image as an action figure.

Use AI to write replies to emails.

Throw some assets into a template and call yourself a web designer.

The tools are powerful. The access is thrilling. We’ve never had this much creative firepower in the hands of so many people, and I genuinely love that. It opens doors. It gets people playing, experimenting, building things they never thought they could.

But using a tool doesn’t make you a professional.

And being part of the conversation doesn’t mean you’re the one doing the work.

I’ve been in boardrooms where I’ve presented weeks of work – grounded in research, tested with users, shaped with the team. And just as we get to the part where it matters, someone drops in with a line like “Why don’t we just…” followed by a paraphrased version of what’s already been said.

They feel like they’ve cracked it. You smile. You let them believe it. That’s part of the job too.

Because you know the real work doesn’t happen in a moment of insight. It happens in the delivery. In doing it again and again. Under pressure. In the grey areas. With other people. Across departments. Through feedback, pivots, blockers and burnout.

That’s what people don’t see when they treat creativity like a copy and paste prompt.

I do a lot myself, just like anyone. But that doesn’t make me a stylist, a race car driver, a developer, or a doctor. I know what I’m good at. I know what I enjoy. And I know what I’ll do even when I don’t enjoy it – because it’s part of the responsibility I chose.

I also know when someone else is better, and I get out of their way.

Yes, ideas can come from anywhere. But turning an idea into something that works, something that lasts, something people value, takes skill. It takes patience, judgment, and accountability. It takes expertise. Not just as a once-off, but daily.

In a world where everyone’s been given the opportunity to be a bit creative, how do we show real respect to the people who actually carry the creative weight every day?