Steven Lucker is a multi-award winning creative director, commercials director and founder of Slider based in Fitzrovia, central London.

Curator’s note: I had the pleasure of meeting Steven a year or so ago. He's an effortlessly engaging and charismatic guy and I went away from our encounter feeling personally inspired, having felt we saw eye to eye on much of the creative landscape and how it should be approached at present. Anyway, fast forward a few months and he was kind enough to share some of his story and give an insight into his wealth of experience. I'm sure others will find it equally relatable and insightful. Enjoy!

What has 20 years of experience taught me? That the trickiest part of being a satisfied creative is in finding the role that suits who you truly are.  The challenge for young creatives is that our industry does enjoy a pigeonhole. 

I’ve known so many people who wanted to direct but became producers, so many aspiring copywriters who became account handlers. This is where I think struggles lie. You have to make your own way, hold out for the job you want, and don’t be bullied by people telling you what you are.  

To take you back a little, I graduated having studied film. So I always wanted to be a director (or a musical theatre actor, but that’s a different story!) Then I got myself an internship at a place called The Attik in Huddersfield. Attik was a cool place to be, people were friendly, MTV on, playstation in the studio. Classic 90’s . Because I was chatty and outwardly confident, they began to think of me in a certain way.  But I didn’t think much of it because I was heading to Australia for a year. 

Fast forward 18 months, I’d been in Australia for a year and was due to head home.  James, my boss from Attik, pursued me to the beach in the Barrier Reef (via fedex) and offered me a position at the newly formed New York office. As a creative services manager. I had travelling in my blood and wanted to see the world. So I said yes despite not actually knowing what the role really meant.

Let me be clear, I had an amazing time in New York.  The people were fantastic, my experiences pretty nuts, and I even met my wife there. The issue is, my original role had stuck. I’d taken the job because of where it was (New York) and the reputation of the place instead of for what it actually was. I was too excited or thankful to push as hard as I should have for the creative role I craved. 

My bosses seemed to like me because I was affable with the clients and a good communicator. So I became a kind of conduit between the design and the client brief.  I ended up being a hybrid and I got frustrated, and a little bored.  Not at all the job I wanted. I don’t blame this on the guys from Attik… it was down to me.  I should have asked for what I wanted and pushed until I got it.

Of course, I did get it. 5 years and a lot of hard graft later!  I moved back to London and formed a successful creative agency in 2002 called Social that I ran with a partner, Paul, for 10 years.  I knew that if I wanted to do the stuff I wanted I’d have to create the opportunity for myself.  I sold my part in Social in 2012 and am now the founder, creative director and in-house commercial director of Slider. 

I’m in love with ideas, I believe I’ve got good taste and emotional intelligence and I prize good writing. The design background that I had ended up being a great foundation for me, specifically in the 3D and animation side of things so it wasn’t all bad,  but there was a lot of time spent wishing I was doing something else. 

The point that I’m making is that agencies, recruiters, peers have all tried to put me in a box and I’ve never accepted it. There will always be someone sneering in the wings, but stick to your guns, and if you’re good enough it will work out just fine.

So, be very true to yourself, take the time to think about a role, whether you want to focus or be more general.  Be the best typographer in the world, or be proficient in every aspect of the creative suite. There is no right or wrong. 

The ultimate indicator of talent is not in what your peers think, but in the durability and enduring nature of your career. To be in demand year on year, to reinvent yourself, to be busy. Creatives come in all shapes and sizes and that is why I will always make the process an inclusive one. 

I’ve been lucky enough to work with some wonderful talent over the years. And I do love a purist -  a fantastic graphic designer, top 3D person, illustrator, focused copywriter. I’m none of those things. I suppose I’m a generalist.  And I’m OK with that.