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What is a “Modern Creative?” More importantly, how does a modern creative effectively tap into the force that drives their creativity?
Working in music and film through my entire professional career, I’ve seen, experienced, and worked with a multitude of creatives, and I’ve found that what it takes to be a modern creative is the ability to effectively build and tap into one’s own creative conduit. Your creative conduit provides you with the diversity of thought, new ideas, experiences and perspectives that bring your projects to the next level. Once it’s properly nurtured, the limits to your creativity will no longer exist. While building it will take time and purposeful actions, you’re going to see the results in ways you never imagined.
How to Build Your Conduit
In the past, I and many others around me were chastised for pursuing multiple projects we were passionate about. But the thing to remember is, only you know your limits — no one else. Take me, for example — I was pursuing a career as a musician and manager while using my free time to write and direct short films. It was hectic to say the least, but by doing both, I’ve elevated my creative abilities, skills and day-to-day understanding of others, and it has produced incredible results.
Building your creative conduit takes only a few simple steps. While you’ve likely already done some of these things to a smaller degree, it pays to revisit them with renewed vigor.
Think of Your First Loves (not romantically, creatively!)
Was it drawing, cooking, playing music, photography, ceramics? Give yourself the space to pick it back up and tap into that version of yourself that you may have ignored/suppressed.
Find a New Community (And Nurture Your Existing Relationships)
Break out of your comfort zone and meet creatives who pursued your first love. It’s a little nerve-wracking, but finding that book club, film club, pottery studio, cooking group, etc., will give you a chance to have a robust support system as you rediscover this part of yourself. You can also tap into your network if you want to learn something new. See someone you know working on a cool project? Ask to be a part of it! Someone else needs assistance with a creative endeavor? Say yes, even if you don’t know how to do it!
Commit to It
Give yourself the grace to learn (or re-learn) something new and be open to welcoming new people into your life. The combination of both will be a game changer, and you will soon discover the positive influence it has on your main career.
Benefits of Building Your Conduit
Now that you’ve taken those three steps to building your creative conduit, benefits will show up almost immediately. Have a roadblock in your primary outlet? You’re going to apply new approaches, new ways of thinking, problem solving, diversity of viewpoints and more. Those new people you met? You’ve now built a larger network, and in turn, you’re going to become a better collaborator. The new know-how you’ll acquire will allow you to keep moving when others can’t. That’s something you will need to set you apart.
Plus, as an added bonus, you now have the opportunity to earn additional income through new revenue streams. A win-win!
What I’ve Experienced With More Than One Creative Outlet
Before I took the dive and ventured into filmmaking, my career and my abilities as a musician were at an inflection point. Once I started writing scripts and eventually working with actors, writers, producers, etc., my perspective on working with others evolved in unique ways, my ideas and the places I looked for inspiration changed, and my ability to dig deep and use my emotions in effective ways was heightened.
This new perspective built a deep empathy and an understanding of the similarities/differences in each field. When it came to A&R, I eventually better understood and connected with each side and appreciated what each party is looking for, and my abilities in terms of my songwriting, collaboration and personal music projects increased many times over. I learned even more about myself as a creator because I broke out of my comfort zone, expanded my connections in the greater entertainment industry and committed to it.
One of the best surprises was learning that while each creative pursuit is wildly different, they’re closely related to one another in many ways. Developing that understanding opened the floodgates!
More and more over time, I’ve witnessed the acceptance of creatives using their abilities to fuel multiple pursuits at once. Many have even taken time off to chase another goal, with actors becoming musicians, musicians becoming actors, and other creatives becoming bakers, carpenters, directors, writers and more. Engaging in new pursuits allows creatives to understand their primary craft in a deeper way while providing opportunities for exploration, collaboration and more. Remember that your superpower is your creativity. It feeds into every area of your life without boundaries. Once you’ve honed it, you’ll strengthen your performance across the board as you continue to learn and grow in multiple areas.
Your creativity is only as good as the experiences that have strengthened it and the challenges you’ve allowed yourself to face. No more phoning it in; the worst thing you can do is continue the status quo. You’ve got to continue to exercise your creative muscle, because if you don’t, someone will outwork you — and it’ll likely be someone who has more creative outlets than you.
Ralph Torrefranca is executive director of A&R at Angry Mob Music, where he leads creative development across the company’s songwriter, artist, and producer roster. With nearly two decades in the music industry, Ralph has built a career around championing emerging talent and nurturing long-term artistry. He is also the founder of Angry Mob’s New Normal Writing Camp, a diversity-focused songwriting initiative, the frontman of the post-punk band Cuffed Up and an award-winning filmmaker whose upcoming film, Fil-Am, will premiere at the 2026 Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
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