masongoddamnwright

At first, the idea of professionalism in the creative space may sound scary. Am I expected to put on a boring, corporate persona while working in one of the most fun and expressive industries out there? Well, let’s start by looking at what “professionalism” means in this context, and get ourselves oriented. A quick search brings me to this page here, which I quite like for the way it explains it. To quote from that page in question:

“It’s also about meeting deadlines, respecting client relationships, and maintaining a reliable network.”

So, what does that really mean in simple terms? And why does it even matter?

Meeting deadlines is a fairly obvious one. If you and whoever you work for agreed that you were able to do something in a given amount of time, and then the time comes around and you say “Hey, boss! Sorry I meant to tell you this two weeks ago, but I’ve actually not got anything ready or finished yet”, it’s not really a great look. Being a professional is holding up to the commitments you make to people. Equally, part of being a professional is your honesty and knowledge of your capabilities. If your boss wants a hand-drawn 30 minute movie animated at 60fps by next Thursday, being a professional would be telling him (kindly) that you’re probably not going to be able to do that, and offering viable alternatives or compromises.

Respecting client relationships boils down to “treat people kindly if they’re working with you”. There’s a few ways of doing this, for example, meeting those deadlines like we just covered. This could also be giving updates on progress, and making sure the client is involved with the process if they wish to be. Good manners also go a very long way, and are crucial for if you want to be serious about your job in not just the creative space, but any career. Be polite, be efficient, have a plan to work with everyone you meet.

“Maintaining a reliable network” is a fancy way of saying “keep in touch with useful people”. That can be very helpful for a few reasons, for example: one of your contacts is in a situation where they need someone who has your skills and who can help. When they say “I know a guy” – you want to be that guy in question. It’s also useful for building your reputation and presence (and goes very well with this other blog I wrote, check it out here!) Lastly, it’s great to be around other people within your discipline, as you can learn a lot from others. Someone who is always looking to learn or improve at what they do best is a real professional.

Being a professional goes further than that. For example, being able to talk to people clearly and get people to understand you. Someone who’s good at this will have everyone on the same page, which means that no time is wasted asking for clarifications all the time. Don’t add fluff, just get straight to the point!

Most importantly… just be nice. You don’t need to be everyone’s friend, but never go out of your way to annoy someone, or talk behind their back. If it’s not helping your work or building your team in any way, then it’s best to avoid it completely. It comes across incredibly unprofessional and even immature, and in a worst case scenario could lead to disciplinary action from your employer, which is bad news for everybody.

I wouldn’t say that I personally fit squarely into one hole when it comes to a discipline area in wider games development, however when it comes to sharing professional codes of conduct, I’ll look through the lens of an artist. What’s expected of one? Well, let’s take a look at the Association of Illustrators for some examples. It would be expected that you wouldn’t deliberately copy someone else’s work or style, which would devalue both their work and yours. You should meet deadlines, like we discussed earlier. Lastly, in the case of being a freelance artist, you shouldn’t charge extra for faults that entirely your own, only charging for if the client wanted extra work done.

So, overall, does being professional mean being boring? Not at all! All that being a professional is in the creative industry is being respectful, and excellent at what you do best. By keeping the professionalism, you help to keep the good reputation of your industry, and help to ensure that all work goes as smooth as it can. Things have been done this way for generations for a reason! Upholding these values shows you’re a capable, ready worker, who knows exactly what they’re doing – someone willing to learn and become the best they can be, so they can deliver their best quality work.