Confidence in a Creative Career with Madison from StackAdapt

If you’re a creative, you’re familiar with feedback. 

From being a student at Sheridan College to establishing a flourishing career as a designer, Madison Dumas knows a thing or two about taking feedback, iterating, and delivering on a brief. 

Maddie and I had a great discussion on building confidence as a creative and how she has honed her skills in the Toronto tech industry. 

Kaley Ross

So let's start at the beginning. What was the moment you decided to pursue your creative career? How did you set off on this adventure?

Madison Dumas

I always wanted my career to be in the creative field and frankly, it was the only area that I was passionate about. 

I did a year of art fundamentals at Sheridan College where you could test out different avenues and disciplines, like life drawing, painting, 3D design and 2D graphic design.

Then I went into the Bachelor of Design program, which was more specialized.

KR: Is there a moment that challenged you and felt like a tough hurdle to overcome? 

MD: My first job was a big change from university. The mindset shift between creating projects for school and submitting work to my boss for feedback was an adjustment because there was now an added layer of pressure to perform. 

But I learned to be confident in myself and know that I did the best job I could. 

KR: Did you have to learn how to not be so attached to what you’ve created? Even though you do care about it. I’ve also had to learn to put some distance between myself and my work so I can put it out there in the world.

MD: I really want to feel good about the work I do, and I want to feel proud of it. Not everything you create is going to be the best thing you’ve ever put out, but at the end of the day it doesn’t have to be perfect. 

It’s not a reflection of who you are as a person. You have to set your ego aside and let people see it.

KR: Yes I really felt like that when I was writing social copy for posts and would get so much feedback from everyone with an opinion. 

I'm in that space right now as well where I'm doing this newsletter and I just need to start putting myself out there and executing the work and not be so precious about what people are going to think about it. 

MD: Especially with new projects too, sometimes that imposter syndrome can be there. 

KR: Yes totally. Sometimes artists and creatives just need to make bad work as part of the overall process. Then you learn and move on with it. 

When it comes to a job with deadlines though, there's not always space to do that because your work needs to perform and get results. 

MD: Absolutely. That's a good point. You feel like it’s always on you to perform well and if you don't then it's a reflection of you. You can't hit a hundred percent all of the time, it's impossible, but still, it's hard not to measure it like that.

KR: What elixir did you discover from these challenges that you brought with you as lessons for the next opportunity?

MD: Understanding that there is not a direct relationship between my work and who I am as a person. 

KR: Looking at the entire creative process, what lights you up the most?

MD: Either the middle of the process or the end of the process. 

At the beginning, there's a lot to play with and I sometimes find it a little overwhelming. That's when I find collaboration useful because you can bounce ideas off each other.

In the middle when you've got the idea, you're massaging it and iterating it - then new ideas pop up. It’s nice to have those inspiring flashes where I've got this core idea, but then another one comes up and you can play with it. That leads to something else and then you're able to explore it. I like that process.

KR: I feel that's why you and I work really well together - because I'm great at ideating the beginning and middle and you’re amazing at iterating the middle and executing in the end. 

MD: Yeah, when collaborating with someone you vibe with and using each other's strengths, you're gonna make something so much better.

KR: You are truly excellent at working so efficiently to deliver on a brief. What skills did you develop to design an asset so quickly while keeping quality high?  

MD: I think it really comes down to practice and strengthening that muscle over the years! The more I design and experiment the more efficient I can be when a project comes my way. 

It’s also knowing when to stop. You can continue to design and iterate in an endless cycle, but getting to a point in a design where you’re happy with it, and most importantly, hits the mark for the brief, you just gotta feel confident and ship it! 

KR: If you look back on your career so far, is there a moment where you’d like to offer your younger self some compassion in a moment of doubt?

MD: When I applied for the design program, I didn't get in the first year. I was so upset and frustrated. I felt like my portfolio was good and I thought the interview went well and then I started to question myself. I spiraled a bit, thinking, What am I supposed to do? I can't do this for my job if I can’t get into school.

Looking back on it now, I would say There's so much time to learn and doors with opportunities will open. If it's not for you, it won't go past you, so don't worry about it. 

I needed to have that moment where I took a step back, learned more skills, applied feedback, and then drove forward to get to where I am now.

KR: Yes, grit is so important and you need those challenges to develop that strength! 

Okay so current day, you’re standing on the mountain that you’ve climbed so far, what does your view look like? 

MD: Oh great vibes right now. I’m learning so much in my current role.

KR: I love that. And you’re at StackAdapt?

MD: Yes! I'm on the Creative Studio team and we help design ads for a variety of clients. It's very fulfilling - there are always different briefs coming in so there are a lot of new ways to grow and experiment.

I feel like I'm in a good space right now, personally and work-wise. And we’re getting a dog soon! 

KR: Such a good time to get a pet then. It’s time for another little challenge.

MD: Yeah, exactly. Nic [my partner] and I have been saying that we're itching for something else with more responsibility. 

KR: That's how I felt about my cats as well. I felt like I needed something to push me out of my comfort zone a little bit. I wanted to take care of something other than myself. 

MD: 100% 

KR: And pets bring so much joy to your day!

Thank you so much for being my first guest, Maddie.