Rules for maintaining a healthy friendship in the creative industry

The competition in the creative industries is extremely high, especially because cultural capital, what drives and circulates ideas, imaginations, and objects, is intangible and difficult to track. Similarly, real human relationships become fragile, undefined, and often struggle to translate into concrete and stable connections. The line between friendship and collaboration is extremely thin in a system that continuously erases the distance between public and private life. As we are witnessing, Gen Z is trying to rewrite the rules of work and, along with them, the rules of relationships between colleagues. But while we attempt to deconstruct the old productive model, we remain entangled in its cultural reflections: hyper-presence, to-do lists as identity badges, performance disguised as passion. So, while we criticize capitalism, we keep acting like little CEOs of ourselves. Maybe it’s time to give ourselves some new rules, small, but vital. Even just to remind ourselves that it’s not normal to answer “I’m swamped” every time someone asks «How are you?»

These rules aim to support a paradigm shift already suggested by climber, entrepreneur, and Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard in his book Let My People Go Surfing, a manifesto about creative freedom, human respect, and a harmonious blend of free time and work. The publication reminds us that the first revolutionary act is to care for our friends, especially because, as Chouinard writes when discussing how he chooses who to work with, «we prefer to find people through an informal network of friends, colleagues, and acquaintances.» And it is precisely in these networks (not meetings, not pitches) that the most authentic relationships are born. These people, he continues, are those who «love spending as much time as possible in the mountains or in nature.» We can take Chouinard’s words less literally: our mountain could be a beer in the park, a long Wednesday lunch, a day without a schedule. Because shared free time is what defines the boundary between acquaintance and friendship, between forced collaboration and mutual care. And above all, and here Chouinard’s point strikes a vital chord, «what they all have in common […] is a passion for something beyond themselves.» The point isn’t how much you work, but what moves your soul. And if that thing isn’t just a deadline but an ethic, a love for something (be it surfing, opera, civic activism, or simply good company), then friendship can once again become a concrete, radical, and necessary force.

Here they are: ten simple practices born to help us understand how sincere, deep, and real friendships among creatives can be. The first: if someone asks how you are, give a real answer; start with how you feel, not with what you have to do. Forget the tasks and try doing a real emotional check. «I’m swamped» isn’t as interesting a response as the creative industry has led us to believe. And if friendship can be seen as a form of work, especially in the arts world, then we shouldn’t relegate the most important relationships to tiny scraps of time. Also, enough with LinkedIn friendships: it’s a matter of networking transparency. Many jobs arise from personal connections, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but strategic silence never gets you far. Then there’s the matter of economic sensitivity. Not everyone comes from the same background or has the same financial conditions. Some work in corporates, others survive as freelancers in an unstable system. Debt anxiety for the sake of inclusion is no longer acceptable. Another important point: we need to treat everyone the same. The world is made of people, not job titles. At events, the question is always «What do you do?», but if the answer doesn’t lead to an immediate job, that’s not a reason to stop listening.

While we’re at it, remember people’s names. Memory is a form of respect. Forgetting them isn’t just awkward, it’s a sign of inattention, especially when at work we can memorize product codes by heart. Names, in real life, matter more. Then, we need to truly listen. It’s easy to let your mind drift to tomorrow’s to-do list, but if someone is sharing something personal, non-work related, you need to pay attention. It’s a simple gesture, but it builds trust and opens the door to genuine relationships. Introduce people to each other, don’t close yourself off in micro-worlds. Mix your groups: high school friends and creative colleagues can coexist, and actually enrich each other. Different perspectives are crucial. And speaking of enrichment: stop delegating inspiring conversations to podcasts. You can create them live, in bars or living rooms. Enough weekends spent gossiping about agency drama. Finally, the most obvious yet hardest rule of all: be yourself. Consistency is a vanishing value. We change tone, ideas, attitudes depending on who we’re talking to. But being consistent, even in unstable contexts, is the only way to build trust. Authenticity is the new relational currency. Our generation has the duty to break the dynamics of an industry historically marked by snobbery opacity and fake mystery are no longer in style.