In this honest conversation, Creative Director Sarah Gross (Storyfolk) and psychologist Tara Hurster (The TARA Clinic) share the kind of advice they wish they’d had starting out. From feeling like a round peg in a square hole to taking calculated risks and choosing authenticity over fitting in, this is for anyone navigating their creative career and wondering if they're in the right place.
We've all had those late-night moments—staring at the ceiling, wondering what we'd whisper to our younger selves if we had the chance. Something kind. Something useful. Maybe even something that would’ve saved us a little heartache along the way.
Whether you're fresh to the creative industry or deep enough in to be questioning where it’s all going, this question tends to strike a chord. And for good reason—finding your place, understanding your worth, and navigating the people side of this work isn’t easy. Especially when the rules aren’t clear and the finish line keeps moving.
That’s why we asked two brilliant minds for their take:
Sarah Gross, Creative Director and Partner at branding studio Storyfolk, who’s built a career out of thoughtful, strategic design and quietly strong leadership, and Tara Hurster, psychologist and founder of The TARA Clinic, who works with high-achieving professionals to help them manage stress, substance use, and the pressure to always perform. The session was hosted by Andy Wright, founder of Never Not Creative and CEO at Streamtime.
Here’s what they had to say. No fluff. No hustle culture hype. Just honest, hard-won advice.
Sarah’s first insight? A quiet but powerful reminder:
"Not everyone will see your value."
And that’s OK. What matters more is that you do. And that you make it a priority to find people—colleagues, clients, friends, even family—who see it too.
"Make sure you're surrounding yourself with people who see you as the unique human that you are and the wonderful things that you bring," she says. That uniqueness is complex. It doesn’t fit neatly into boxes or job descriptions. And it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea.
Sarah reflects on early roles where she felt like a “round peg trying really hard to fit into a square hole.” The harder she tried, the more off it felt. Looking back, she realised it wasn’t a lack of talent or effort—it was just the wrong environment.
Sometimes, the work isn’t the problem. The workplace is.
Next up, Sarah talks about growth—not the forced kind, but the real stuff that comes when you start tuning into what matters to you.
"Try new things and take some calculated chances," she says.
That doesn’t mean throwing everything out the window. It means listening to those quiet nudges. If something doesn’t feel right—or if you feel like you’re shrinking in your role—it’s worth asking why.
"If it isn't serving you... start taking those steps to be the person you want to be."
It could be a side project, a conversation, or just being honest about what lights you up. These small steps add up. In Sarah’s case, they eventually led to co-founding Storyfolk—something that might never have happened if she’d stayed put in roles that didn’t fit.
Sarah’s final piece of advice is simple but radical in a world that often asks us to blend in:
"Don’t try and fit in."
Whether it’s chasing trends in your work or muting parts of yourself to seem more ‘professional,’ it never quite leads where you want it to. Instead, Sarah encourages creatives to stay focused on what’s actually useful, meaningful, and long-term.
"What’s relevant for the client? What’s going to serve them in the long run?" she asks. Those are better questions than, “Will this make me look cool?”
On the personal side, she says this:
"People will love you for who you are once you show them who you are."
And if they don’t? That’s information too.
Tara may have had limited time in the session, but she made it count:
"I absolutely agree with everything you said," she told Sarah.
That’s not just a polite nod. It’s professional validation from someone who supports high-performing people through some of their most challenging personal and professional moments.
In other words: you’re not being dramatic. You’re being human.
When the people around you aren’t seeing you clearly—or when the work you’re doing doesn’t feel like you anymore—it’s often a sign. A sign that something needs to shift.
Maybe it’s a conversation. Maybe it’s a boundary. Maybe it’s a slow pivot in a new direction.
Sarah and Tara both agree: recognising your value, taking thoughtful risks, and choosing authenticity over assimilation isn’t just a nice idea. It’s essential for building a creative career that doesn’t chew you up and spit you out.
So, if you’re wondering what you’d tell your younger self, maybe it’s this:
You’re allowed to want more. You’re allowed to change. You’re allowed to take up space.
And it’s OK to outgrow places that no longer see you.
Creative Director and Partner at Storyfolk, a Melbourne and Torquay branding studio. Blends strategy, design, art direction and copy to craft bold, meaningful brands. Believes in design as a force for good.
Psychologist & founder of The TARA Clinic, helping high-achievers overcome addiction without shame. Focused on practical, flexible solutions like on-demand courses to support lasting change.
Founder of Never Not Creative, CEO of Streamtime & co-chair of Mentally Healthy, driven to make the creative industry fairer & more human. Believes great work should never cost wellbeing.
