As creatives, we know what it feels like to work on projects without support. It’s isolating and exhausting, but it’s also taught us the value of community—the joy of using our gifts to help friends not just dream, but execute their vision. At the same time, we’ve learned that generosity without boundaries can lead to burnout, or worse, being taken for granted.

Finding the balance between supporting others and protecting our own creative energy has been a journey, but it’s one that has transformed how we approach collaboration. In this article, I want to explore how we can use our creativity as a resource to empower others—without losing ourselves in the process.

One of the most rewarding parts of using our creativity as a resource is seeing the people we believe in take their dreams to the next level. For example, while I was in Texas, I got a phone call from my good friend Stephanie. She is one of the kindest, most humble people I know—passionate about her work and deeply committed to others. We met a couple of years ago at church, where we often found ourselves in the media room after services, sharing dreams and ideas. I vividly remember sitting with her one day, encouraging her to pursue a business. She kept talking about how much she loved baking but wanted to focus on healthy, organic ingredients.

Fast forward a year and a half, and here she was, calling me with incredible news. Stephanie had finally launched her business and was preparing for a pop-up site event in New York. She wanted to know how much we would charge her to record promotional content for the event, which was later rescheduled.

But I didn’t hesitate. I told her we would help her out.

You see, we believe in Stephanie and her vision so much that we decided to collaborate on this project instead of charging her our usual rate. I knew this wasn’t just about one event; it was about showing her we were in her corner. We understood the power of creative support because we’ve needed it ourselves in the past. And honestly, knowing an opportunity to do more work together might come later, this felt like the right decision for us.

Supporting others isn’t always easy—it takes time, effort, and resources. But for us, it’s often instinctual. When we care about someone, we make decisions quickly, often without overthinking how challenging a project might be. That was certainly the case with Stephanie’s shoot.

The timing was perfect; we had just finished buying some new grip equipment, so we were ready to go. The shoot itself went amazingly well, but what stood out most wasn’t the work—it was the gratitude. Seeing Stephanie and her mom’s heartfelt appreciation was incredibly moving. Their reactions reminded us why we do this.

Sometimes, when we take on these collaborations, we don’t think about how people will receive them. We just jump in because we believe in their vision. But it’s humbling to see how much it means to them, especially when their response is so raw and genuine. It’s moments like these that remind us of the deeper purpose behind using our creative gifts to empower others.