What Are We Working So Hard For?

A friend and colleague, Ivy Ross, Vice President of Design for Hardware and Software Products at Google, made a guest appearance in my leadership class at ArtCenter. Her lecture raised the suggestion that the value of art lies not in awards or recognition, but in the internal experience of the creator. 

At the end of class, I gave my students an assignment. Reflect on the perspective that awards and recognition do not value art. 

Sydney, a student in her early twenties, submitted an essay that captured the tension between the imposed structures of achievement and the innate drive to create authentically. This struggle defines much of our current moment.

She wrote: “Am I working toward goals that genuinely matter to me, or am I chasing accolades for the sake of validation? Ivy Ross’s philosophy of designing to give others meaningful experiences was inspiring and reminded me of the importance of creating work that resonates beyond personal achievement. That said, I found myself disagreeing with certain aspects of her outlook. 

“As a young professional, I often feel the need to chase goal after goal to establish myself in a competitive industry. Unlike Ross, who can reflect on a career filled with accomplishments, I’m still in the phase where tangible milestones feel crucial for building momentum. While I admire her ability to prioritize the journey, I find it difficult to let go of the desire for external validation, as it often provides the motivation and structure needed to push forward.

“Her talk left me in a place of reflection, torn between the practicality of chasing goals and the freedom of embracing the journey.”

Sydney made me wonder, “What are we working so hard for?”

This question encapsulates the dilemma for creatives, especially those producing commercially viable work.

There’s another point to consider about Sydney’s narrative. Is it easier to detach from the prize once you’ve won it? In my experience, the answer is an astounding yes. It is easier for those of us who have received awards, attention, and recognition—evidence that we are good at what we do and that our work resonates—to tell others to focus on the process rather than the outcome. 

It is possible to fully understand the concept of immersing yourself in the creative process without the outcome in mind. It is much harder to practice this when living with a roommate, scraping by to pay your rent, or struggling to find a steady flow of work, which are common symptoms of youth or inexperience. Creative fulfillment and prominent, well-paid positions in large companies are at odds in the minds of many of us. Reconciling this requires us to redefine success on our terms and own our decisions. Before we can do that, we must get a clear understanding of who we are. For those who have received recognition and can afford to embrace the journey without constant worry, it’s our responsibility to acknowledge the privilege that enables such a perspective. Even for those still climbing, there is value in engaging with the tension between external validation and internal fulfillment.

Early on, I had a huge opportunity that changed the direction of my career. I was invited to meet with the people who were forming E! Entertainment Television. It was a floundering cable TV channel called Movietime. I was brought into it because a small project I had done for a friend, out of the joy of doing it, ended up on the Movietime Creative Director’s desk. He liked my work. We met, hit it off, and he invited me to collaborate with a team of people he admired. They had a logo, but they hadn’t established a brand. My role was to do just that. 

After that first meeting, as I was heading down the elevator after meeting with people who wanted me to market a new national cable channel, I panicked. My mind was racing. WTF am I going to do? How am I going to do this? I had a massive existential crisis walking from the offices to the parking lot. 

In my naive state of unconscious competence, I finally shrugged my shoulders and thought, Out of all the projects I’ve done so far, I hadn’t done any of them before either. Why should this one be any different? I couldn’t let doubt get in the way. I had to persevere. They called me in. Not a bunch of other designers. Me.

Even though I lacked confidence in myself and my abilities, I relied on the trust of the higher-ups who had given me the job. They wouldn’t waste their time if they didn’t see something in the possibility of my being there.

A core group of us joyfully broke the rules and developed the marketing promotions for the first five years of the channel. The work was award-winning, putting me on the map before I was thirty.

Working in-house at a large company has its benefits. One of the most overlooked is reach. Your work travels further, faster. The constraints of corporate systems can feel stifling. They also give your work power through exposure. That reach can be reframed as a creative amplifier, not a limitation. That’s how it went for me at E!. I know it isn’t always that way. 

Aligning your values, actions, and creative identity isn’t linear. It’s iterative. Sydney’s insight about chasing accolades versus finding meaning in the process reflects a wisdom we all strive for—the courage to question our motivations and revise our direction when necessary.

The contradictions we face as creative professionals aren’t flaws. They’re invitations. The challenges we navigate every day are full of possibility. Authenticity doesn’t require us to erase ambition or ignore the desire for recognition and financial success. It simply offers another way—one that ensures we don’t lose the pulse of our creativity in the process of seeking it.

As you navigate your own creative path, ask yourself, What are you truly creating for? What contradictions are holding you back or propelling you forward? And most importantly, how can you reconcile your aspirations with your authentic self to build a body of work that not only stands out but also stands true?