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One thing I wish I’d realized sooner when it comes to my career is that everything has a deadline. In your early 20s, all you want to do is work; you’re passionate about what you do, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But that mindset has a downside if you think you have unlimited time to do it all. You start procrastinating, and as time goes on, limitations start to emerge in your work. The most obvious limitation might be the decline in jobs caused by AI, but beyond that, those limitations might come from within yourself. Maybe you won’t want to stare at that blank canvas anymore once you hit 50. Maybe your health won’t allow you to keep working. My eyes are already messed up from staring at the monitor for too long, and things aren’t going to get any better, right? Maybe people simply don’t want your art anymore.

Knowing there’s a deadline helps us strategize where to focus our efforts. Because, to be honest, some projects don’t take us anywhere. Don’t get me wrong—I love collaborating. There are many projects I’m grateful to have worked on. Right now I’m just trying to gradually shift my attention more toward my personal projects.