By Zoe Jessica Dawson

 

Birthday Advice

It’s my 23rd birthday on Tuesday, and I am spending it surrounded by some of the wisest, most inspiring and creative brains in the world. So, I bothered a few of them for a bit of advice upon embarking on my 24th year on this crazy planet.

 

Marc: dance every day. (taking that to mean I should be late every day?)

 

Olly (strategy mentor): strategy for your twenties: mess up as much as you can.

 

Max (SCA operations manager): sleep on decisions because the answer/solution is usually different the next morning.

 

Pete Cain (mentor / softie): aspire to use your talent to make a positive impact on the world.

 

Alex Taylor (art direction mentor): know your history.

 

Deanna Rodger (my favourite poet and also mentor): You are powerful. What you do is powerful, what you say is powerful. It affects people but most importantly it affects yourself.

 

Dusty Binfield (art direction mentor): every little helps.

 

Caroline Hampstead (copywriting mentor): make sure your inner child has properly lived, and in your 24th year fling her out onto the world.

 

Ian (craft mentor):  live in the moment, ‘cause time speeds up as you get older

 

Mary (kindest person I know): people enter our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. We only get disappointed if we try to force relationships beyond their purpose.

 

Phil (smartest person I know): the 23rd stab in the back killed Caesar off.

 

Tom (wise man): carve out time to be alone every day, it makes time with others better.

 

Maddy (a 20 year old projecting..): not 23 yet but I imagine it’s a lot like the previous years where it’s important to try not to die.

 

Joe (a boy, with boy advice): life’s like chat roulette, you have to wade through a bunch of dicks before you find the right answer.

 

Jemma (best friend & creative partner): be selfish, don’t settle for anything or anyone that doesn’t bring you joy.

Me myself and zo: surround yourself with people like this and you’re sure to do better than you’d do by yourself. 

Thanks, goodnight, and happy birthday to me.