"What Do You Do?" (Remix)

Something To Talk & Think About For Creatives

Feb 13, 2024

“What do you do?” It’s a basic, common question.

A conversation starter. Or ending. Depending on your answer.

Variations like “Where are you from?” serve the same purpose.

While neatly categorizing individuals into professional (or regional) boxes may sound like a good idea, as people do more and more (and move more and more), the labels start sounding like Mad Libs or Starbucks orders.

If you're like me, a professional artist and designer (who dabbles in video and writing), the answers aren’t as straightforward as they may appear.

Welcome to the world of being a small business owner, a fan, a man, and so much more—where the labels often collide and still barely tell the whole story.

But maybe they help entice further reading? Depends on the audience, I guess.

At Collide Press, we make art and design that colors outside the lines.
Me and the crew tend to live our lives coloring outside the lines too.

When faced with "What do you do?" I usually just answer “I’m a creative type. I make and remix stuff.” For some, that’s all they need to know. Next.

For others, especially fellow creatives, it can be the start of wonderful conversations, if not relationships. The concepts of “making” and “remixing” have led to many fun-filled discussions. And some heated discussions.

Long story short: Some people think “making” and “remixing” are different things.

As a digital-first creative, I use them synonymously. Different words for different approaches. Labels that may look different depending on who/what/when applied.

Not everyone agrees with me. But what else is new? Life goes on.

As a creative professional who wears many hats and labels, for me, the answers are a symphony of sometimes conflicting roles, passions, and identities. I’m too many adjectives, nouns, and pronouns to count. And more. Depends on who/what/when you’re asking.

Thanks for reading!
Clint

P.S. This is a remix…inspired by one of my favorite recording singer-songwriters, Peter Gabriel, who was born on this day in 1950.