Mia Shumway
Copywriter Mia Shumway stopped taking herself so seriously – and found better ideas
Starting out in advertising hasn’t been the easiest for Mia Shumway: struggling with self-doubt and imposter syndrome, she’s often questioned her work as a copywriter – only to realise that being overly critical or anxious often gets in the way. “You can’t get an idea when you’re being chased by a tiger,” she points out. “Only when you stop taking everything so seriously and just try to have fun will inspiration strike.” We catch up with Mia below about how she’s learning to deal with creative anxiety, what’s helped her find her footing and why the best ideas tend to appear when you stop chasing them.
About my work
My creative practice
As an advertising copywriter, I come up with ideas for brands – loads and loads of them. Then, for whichever one they actually buy, I write all the words: the scripts, the headlines and more! Advertising at its best is basically just a big company giving you a big budget to make a fun project for them.
Influences and inspiration
In advertising, it really pays to pay attention. All new ideas are just a new combination of old, seemingly disparate ones. So I try to watch a bunch of movies, listen to unfamiliar music, read weird books, talk to strangers, take a different route home. Just be open!
“Anyone can come up with a great idea. But it helps to understand how advertising works and how to solve a business problem in a creative way.”
My training
Technically, you don't need any training. Anyone can come up with a great idea, but it helps to understand how advertising works and how to solve a business problem in a creative way. In order to get into the industry as a copywriter, you need a portfolio to show your capability and creativity. I built mine when I was an undergraduate at the BYU AdLab.
Favourite recent project
Since I’m really new in the industry, none of my professional work has been released yet so I can’t talk about it. But toward the end of my undergraduate degree, I did make a spec Crayola commercial in which kids are “tattooing” each other with markers to the tune of “Zero” by the Smashing Pumpkins. Sneaking a Smashing Pumpkins song into a project was especially fulfilling.
A normal day usually looks like…
- Get client brief
- Send 20 ideas to creative directors
- Watch all ideas get massacred on Google Slides in real time
- Drink some humility juice
- Come up with more ideas while crying over the scrapped ones
- Wonder if they hired you by mistake or maybe as a long-running joke of some sort?
- Look over the shoulder of one of my coworkers and get imposter syndrome
- Fret. Toil. Doom scroll. 20-minute YouTube meditation.
- Come up with more ideas. Laugh with my creative partner at our bad ideas.
How I got here
Starting my creative journey
I’m still starting out in my career and I’d say it’s getting better all the time – even though I learn 10 new things I’m doing wrong every day (oops). But I try to be nice to myself. I’ve always struggled with imposter syndrome and self-doubt, but everyone I’ve met has been so kind and encouraging, which makes me excited for the future.
Award-winning 'Welcome to the W' campaign for the WNBA
Landing my first few jobs, clients and commissions
Good ol’ LinkedIn. I hate to say that hellish place actually works.
Biggest challenge along the way
Believing in myself. Oh boy do I struggle with imposter syndrome. It doesn’t really matter how much I’ve accomplished, I can still get really insecure and second-guess everything. I need to learn how to navigate that.
Skills I've found helpful for my creative work (and vice versa)
What skills from my regular life are helpful in my creative work? Probably a tendency to be curious. If you’re not curious, you’ll never dive into whatever random thing might inadvertently lead you to your next great idea.
Learning how to appeal to what people will actually find original, interesting or funny through branding probably has some real-life benefits. I think it keeps me grounded in what is real, human and relatable – which in turn maybe makes me more real, human and relatable.
'Never Leave Home' campaign for U-Haul
My social media and self-promotion vibe is…
Self-promotion is definitely important in the ad industry. Your portfolio is essentially your worth, so sharing everything new you’ve been making is highly encouraged.
Three things I’ve found useful in my career:
My greatest learnings when it comes to making money and supporting myself as a creative have been…
I can now afford to eat Chipotle sometimes.
“You can’t get an idea when you’re being chased by a tiger. In other words, if you’re really anxious or forcing yourself to try and find a creative answer, you just won’t.”
Advice
Best career-related advice I've ever received
You can’t get an idea when you’re being chased by a tiger. In other words, if you’re really anxious or forcing yourself to try and find a creative answer, you just won’t. Only when you stop taking everything so seriously and just try to have fun will inspiration strike. My creative partner Abe and I are always trying to do that.
Where I go to feel connected as a creative
Outside! That place is underrated.
What I'd say to someone looking to get into a similar role
If I were talking to a student, I’d say put together a portfolio of smart stuff that you genuinely like! If you think it’s cool, someone else will think it’s cool.