by Colin DeKuiper
A mission statement isn’t usually the first statement that you are told to write as you begin your career, but it should be. Although you are unlikely to use it publicly, it is the one sentence that will inform all the other professional materials you produce. It provides the “why” and “how” of what you do.
To start, take a moment to reflect and answering the following:
- Why are you pursuing a career in the creative sector?
- What is your goal?
- Who is your audience?
It isn’t easy, but your mission statement should succinctly communicate why you are interested in pursuing a specific career or working in a specific industry, what you want to accomplish, and who you are doing it for. It is okay to have internal motivations, but you should be able to answer why you are interested in producing TV or film, forming a new theatre company, or working at a startup music business, for example.
How should you use a mission statement? Use it to guide and direct what you do. If you get to a point where your mission statement doesn’t reflect what you are doing or what you want to do then it is time to draft a new one. With a clear and focused mission statement, you’ll have a much easier time moving on to more public pieces like a bio or pitch.