Realities you’ll face as a creative woman building a career

Realities you’ll face as a creative woman building a career

(if you don’t have unlimited financial support, don’t live in New York, and aren’t a size 00)

Valerie

Oct 05, 2026

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Woke up to

this post

making rounds on Instagram. Seems to be a collective feeling.

As the chief officer of vague-posting on this platform and elsewhere, dressing everything in metaphor, I’ve recently come to the conclusion saying it how it is can sometimes be a needed weapon.

This past month, I’ve had to navigate some of the most frustrating obstacles in my creative career. Don’t know what’s in the stars lately, and I could leave it all and move on, but I could also shine some light on it. If for nothing else, then for somebody else facing similar challenges to feel better equipped with sanity.

My biggest concern is coming across as a victim of my circumstances; that’s the last thing I want, I suppose. We’ve all been dealt different cards. As the subtitle says, I’m not in New York, don’t have unlimited connections or an Instagram body/bravado that would indirectly serve as a vessel for securing gigs, and am just overall a sensitive being that doesn’t enjoy transactional relationships; but I do everything I can to stay high agency, to grow unconventionally, carve out my own opportunities, and build something of value to myself and the world without sacrificing my vision or integrity. It’s not that I’m above caring about success, but the path of getting there matters more.

Risking it so frequently while staying true to myself also means the surface area for tripping and falling increases. Most days, I believe in keeping my mouth shut and working hard, but sometimes talking about these things is genuinely helpful and costs me nothing.

Below the paywall: three real events and takeaways from them. All sensitive information concealed/amended for privacy. The nature of these fragile topics and delicate industries warrants limited access, so if you feel this would be useful to you, keep reading - it’s painfully juicy.

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