Listening to the Work

There was a time when I thought being “good” at what I did meant being fast, being polished, being the one with all the answers. Early in my career, I was hyper-focused on output—on delivering, impressing, proving. Every project felt like a test, and every piece of feedback felt like a grade.

But something shifted when I started freelancing. The deadlines didn’t stop, and the expectations didn’t lower. What changed was how I showed up for the work, and for myself.

I started listening more. Not just to clients, but to the work itself.

I paid attention to the feeling in the room when a concept resonated. I noticed how a story evolved when a single line of copy was rewritten with empathy. I saw how a brand's tone could soften when we stopped trying to sound “professional” and started sounding like a real person.

And in that space, I learned something big: creativity isn’t about control. It’s about presence. It’s about curiosity, context, and care. The best work I’ve done hasn’t come from forcing an idea. It’s come from making space for it to emerge.

Now, my process is slower in the ways that matter. I ask better questions. I edit more thoughtfully. I leave room for the unexpected. I let the work speak back.

Because what I’ve found, again and again, is that the work knows. It always knows. We just have to listen.