“Owning my role” has been something I have been learning and discovering this year as I step into a new role at the company I work for in Los Angeles, Possible. More and more of the projects I took on in 2022 involved me taking the step towards being the Creative Director of the project as opposed to being a designer. The way I learnt about “owning” this role brought up a few challenges/new ways of dealing with meetings, opinions, and titles.
1: You don’t need the title Owning your role doesn’t mean you need a specific title next to or before your name. It actually comes across in the way you present yourself, have confidence in your opinions and ideas, and speak like there is absolutely no question about what role you are in.
2: Be who they don’t think you are There are preconceived societal expectations around who has a role like “Creative Director” and you will come across people who assume that role isn’t filled by you. Don’t take it personally. Acknowledge it, move on, and show -in your actions, ideas, and your voice- that you are who they don’t think you are.
3: Remember… At the end of the day, it is a role in a job and not your entire identity. Don’t be consumed by it and remember your worth is not defined by it.