Tamara Barton-Campbell
Tuesday 4th March 2025
I started 2025 in a reflective and intentional state, taking stock of what has—or hasn’t—been effective. When I say "effective," I’m specifically talking about goal achievement.
I run sister companies: one, an award-winning Black women-led production company, and the other, The Rebirth Project CIC, where we provide creativity to the community. Both have very different needs and navigating them requires a balance of vision and strategy.
As a creative, you can spend your journey collaborating and connecting with others on projects yet still look back at your goal list and see things that need to be checked off. So, I want to talk to you about leveraging 2025 and ensuring that your collaborations and creative assignments truly work for you.
I was recently featured in The Voice national newspaper as one of the "25 to Watch in 2025"—an achievement that means a lot to me. I remember how prominent The Voice was when I was in primary school, so being on this list has already opened up new opportunities this year.
My point in writing this article is to encourage you to be more intentional about the opportunities that come your way—making sure they align with what you truly need.
Back to the opportunity that presented itself—I was asked to do an interview, and in short, I accepted. However, I wanted to ensure it aligned with a specific date: International Women’s Month. And to add extra rizz, I arrived twenty-women-deep. I wanted the article to highlight some of the women who have been instrumental in my life and professional journey.
It turned into a much bigger event than the editor had originally planned, but with prior notice, they were very accommodating. Instantly, we gained visibility in our favourite month and created content for our upcoming channel—featuring the women who continue to smash it in the industry we love to play in. Tick, tick.
See what I did there? A younger, shyer me would have stopped at just doing the interview—taking time out of my regular schedule for something else.
But this year, I don’t see it as something else or a sidetrack from the main goal, as I might have before. It all stems from the same vision and intent.
Ask, and you shall receive. When leading creative workshops, I’m often asked a series of industry-related questions. However, there’s always one student who starts with, "This might be a stupid question..." before proceeding to ask something they assume is obvious or unimportant.
More often than not, that question ends up being exactly what everyone in the room wants to know. This sparks more questions, builds confidence, and shifts the entire conversation. What’s really happening here is access—access to knowledge, to processes they may not have been exposed to, and to the people who have the answers.
So, what’s stopping you from asking the questions that could help you achieve your goals this year? That script that needs reading by a professional. That camera you need to borrow to build your portfolio. That person you want to shadow so you can become a producer.
And what if I told you that the people who could help you are already in your life? That might be a harder one to swallow as it might highlight our inner battles and procrastinations, I made a visual list not to long ago and found that I was one person away from greatness, well, greatness to me lol, so I’ve become more open about what I want around the people who can leverage it with me. Notice I say ‘with me’—because as creatives, we can often feel isolated. And if you see yourself as a leader, then solo walks in the park with a dirty oat- chai latte might be your thing too... Oh, I feel self-attacked lol.
I want you to take some actionable steps this month—feel free to let me know how it goes.
Big Thinking. I’m not talking about small, small, safe goals. If the goal and destination scare you, then it qualifies.
Make a list of three things you want to achieve this year.
Identify the people already in your life who can help make it happen. And if they can’t, ask them to connect you with someone who can. And if they can’t, move on to the next person on your list, and if they can’t repeat – and if they can’t, ask yourself ‘are you playing it safe?
There’s Always One. Remember to leverage the opportunities that come your way this year by making your goal a collective one—something that benefits both you and the person offering the opportunity.
So, don’t be afraid to ask for what you want this year—and make sure it works around you.
Let me know how you get on studio@renaissance.london
If you missed the brilliant ‘ Culture as a Super Power’ discussion at the UK Creative Festival check it out here now.
Tamara Barton-Campbell
Tuesday 4th March 2025
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