How Meet the Creatives Came to Be
My name is Rob Johnston. I am a 27 year old, New York based Designer and Founder of Meet the Creatives.
Meet the Creatives seeks to bridge the gap between entry-level creatives and top talent from companies like Google, Facebook, Nike, Airbnb, VaynerMedia, Pentagram and more.
How Meet the Creatives Came to Be
My whole life has been a series of obsessions, which turned out to be short-lived phases. Like when I was 5 years old, I convinced myself that I was Santa Claus, which led to spending every waking hour trying to turn my parent’s basement into The North Pole.
With each phase, I would be completely obsessed and then eventually burn out and move on to the next one. Then, when it came time to pick a career path, I wanted to do something creative and so I figured I would try my hand at design.
While at college, I was terrified that my love of design would turn out to be another phase. I felt both unqualified and disconnected from the creative community. I knew very little about the world of Design and I questioned if my whole college experience had been in vain. In December of my Senior year, I found Design Matters with Debbie Millman.
It was extraordinary — learning tricks of the trade from those who have been mastering their craft for years, without them ever knowing I existed. I remember dreading the sound of that damn bell because I always wanted to know more. I had to become a part of this new found world. There was one problem — I didn’t know any real Designers.
Then, I did the unthinkable and wrote Debbie an absolute train wreck of an email and proceeded to tell her that I was going to start my own podcast. I never in a million years thought anyone, let alone Debbie Millman, would respond. Debbie was kind enough to not only respond, but also to be one of my first guests on Meet the Creatives.
In my first interviews, I was like a bull in a China shop. It’s really embarrassing to watch/listen to it now. Fortunately, everyone that I interviewed at the beginning encouraged my enthusiasm and curiosity. For that I am truly grateful. I could not imagine being an entry-level designer without the support of every single person I have met in my journey so far.
“Follow your curiosity — it will never let you down.” — Leland Maschmeyer, CCO at Chobani
Meet the Creatives turned out not to be another phase, but a calling. On the one year anniversary of the podcast in February 2017, I decided that the podcast would now serve as a way to bridge the gap between entry-level creatives and the industries best.
I want to show that to be successful within the creative field, it takes humility, persistence and constant effort. I strive to redefine the way young Designers seek out mentorship in a way that is more genuine and humble. I hope for entry-level creatives to become self-aware and uncover what makes them truly happy. I am going to share my journey of discovering just how great the creative community truly is.
