Freelancing is tough. It's not easy to get out of a steady income and start looking for new leads when your portfolio isn't on par with what the market is offering. For 2 times in the last 10 years, I've left steady opportunities in search of something greater. When AI arrived, I understood that creative output would outlast mechanical design work. And to be able to be ahead of the curve, I've jumped ship. Since last year, my project budget has increased by 150%. I've been able to collaborate with excellent clients. Locking in more projects. Having steady leads. And I've been doing the best work I've ever done. Designers should always keep sharpening their skills and being their own hardest critic. Follow your gut and search for what's meaningful to you. For most of your life, you'll be working. If you can, work on something you love doing.

For me, it’s cultural context. AI can generate references, but it can’t fully replicate lived experience. As a South African creative, so much of my work relies on instinct, memory, language and the nuances of how we actually experience our culture.

When I’m reimagining iconic or legacy South African brands, the success of the work depends just as much on what I bring to it as the tool itself; my lived experience, cultural memory, understanding of our language, humour, visual codes and the way South Africans actually experience these brands.

The technology can help me execute an idea faster, but it can’t replace the instinct behind why something feels recognisably South African, why a certain reference matters, or why one creative choice will resonate more deeply than another.

Fabulous work, I keep circling back to it! 🤍

Absolutely love this perspective. AI can accelerate the execution, but the cultural instinct, lived experience, and understanding behind the creative direction are what make the work truly resonate. Really thoughtful work. 🤍