Differentiating Craft and Career Advice

When you see advice related to your field, or panicked headlines, or viral discourse, it might be best to ask yourself…is this talking about the craft or the career? Something being shared as good advice or common knowledge “for game developers” or “for artists” or “for musicians” is not necessarily going to be clear who it’s referring to. Some tips are meant for the craft of what you’re actually doing: how to improve yourself as a composer, an athlete, a designer, etc. Some tips are meant for making a career out of that craft: how to generate income, how to market yourself, how to get people to discover your work, etc. Neither of these is better than the other. They can both be valid and both be helpful. You’re not wrong for following one or the either. But it’s good to know what you’re reading, and realize that sometimes craft advice and career advice contradict each other. To give an example…someone might give advice that it’s best to work on small, low-quality projects so that you…