thinking about mentorship in the creative industry

This topic is following me around these days everywhere: MENTORSHIP.
Talking to other creatives I often come across the topic of learning from each other, having or not having a mentor and having some personal and professional guidance.

I myself was lucky during my education and my early career that I always had people around me whom I can call mentors. Very different characters thought me very different topics. One was there for conception, one for the creative process and how to stay inspired, one for doing budgets and being efficient. Not all of them would consider themselves mentors and maybe didn't act on it intentionally but I always felt a guidance and being under someone's wing for years. Then it stopped with me being a freelancer and becoming an independent designer and business owner. And because mentors passed away, paths split and people moved on.

So I always tried to be a mentor for younger and other designers. Be it through internships, talks, conversations or simply because I am always very open to sharing knowledge. A lot of my colleagues know, that they can always call me and ask me anything - without hesitation, without feeling stupid, without getting judged or wanting anything in return. I feel like it is my responsibility. To share, teach, to motivate and simply pass things on.

Because without mentorship I feel like we don't really make the creative industry any better – not to say we destroy the culture of the creative industry.

How should young designers learn how to budget their design if they don't learn it in school?
And why then get upset if people dump the prices out of inexperience?
How should the quality of any creative execution be of a high standard if we don't discuss work, give feedback and learn from each other? Why not look at other systems where the master still teaches the apprentice?

I can see three trends going on right now that are worrying me:

1. a lot of senior creatives are too busy to take younger folks under their wings because they have enormous pressure to perform and have no time - but I think it should be normal and part of the culture.

2. the trend is going more towards being independent and self-employed at a very early stage in the career so the group dynamic does not even arise. But through that matter, being a creative gets very lonely and one-sided at times.

3. It is simply not part of the culture anymore. People don't share knowledge because they have the feeling of losing their lead. Because they feel like everybody is a competitor.

So this post is very personal - I know! Any maybe I am wrong and people will tell me differently. I am happy to hear the stories. (And yes, I don know that the internet is full of great talks, teachers, courses and what not) But I had the feeling it needs to be in writing to get people thinking about it. I truly believe that personal exchange is the winner – always! And that more experienced people have a responsibility to pass things on to younger ones.

And since you never should stop learning I personally asked someone I admire if he wants to be my mentor recently. He is not that much older but has a very specific knowledge and he agreed to teach me. Don't be afraid to ask (the worst thing that can happen is that they say NO) and start sharing your know-how with other people - only good thing will come from it.