Justin HELPS CREATIVES
FEEL LESS ALONE
JUSTIN GIGNAC IS AN INTERNATIONAL SPEAKER PASSIONATE ABOUT CREATIVITY, VULNERABILITY, COMMUNITY, AND LAUGHS.
PSFK Conference in NYC
Photo: Catalina Kulczar Art: Juan Miguel Marin
KEYNOTE TALKS
After years as a creative who struggled with perfectionism and the self-imposed pressure of needing to prove he was clever and prolific, Justin has finally learned to let go. Let go of doing it all. Let go of “I’ll be happy when.” Let go of comparing himself and his achievements to others. Now, through his work and his talks, he wants to enable others to do the same.
How to Start a Business When You Have No Business Starting a Business
Lessons learned from Justin’s unique career journey from professional mascot to garbage salesman, advertising art director, conceptual artist, and accidental entrepreneur. This talk touches on many ridiculous and entertaining anecdotes, creative ideas, and heartfelt storytelling.
Available at any length between 15-45 minutes.
How Not to Get a Job in the Creative Industry
Anyone can tell you how to get a job. That’s easy. But nobody cares enough to tell you how not to get a job. Well, Justin does. Working Not Working surveyed recruiters and creative directors at some of the most respected creative companies in the world (Nike, Wieden+Kennedy, Droga5, Facebook, and others) to ask them how candidates blow it. What are those obvious, and not so obvious, deal breaking mistakes creatives make in their work, portfolio sites, interviews, and careers? And how do you avoid them?
This talk is catered to students and creatives in the first few years of their careers, but the lessons are applicable to all creatives. Available as a 30 or 45 minute talk.
Contact Justin to book him for a keynote talk at your conference, company, or school. He is also available to moderate panels, fireside chats, appear on podcasts, or to consult with your company's creative leadership on attracting and retaining top creative talent.
EMERGENCE CREATIVE FESTIVAL | AUSTRALIA
WHAT WORKS? | COPENHAGEN
HYPERAKT | NEW YORK CITY
SCHOOL OF VISUAL ARTS | NEW YORK CITY
SXSW | AUSTIN
HUMBER COLLEGE | TORONTO
HALLMARK | KANSAS CITY
MEET THE PROS | OMAHA
COMMUNO SUMMIT | CALGARY
FIFTEEN SECONDS FESTIVAL | AUSTRIA
US BY NIGHT | BELGIUM
THE GATHERING | CANADA
ON AIR FEST | BROOKLYN
MAKING LONDON | LONDON
PSFK CONFERENCE | NEW YORK CITY
FIRSTBORN | NEW YORK CITY
VCU BRANDCENTER | RICHMOND
4A's TALENT@2030 | NEW YORK
CAMP DAVID | NEW YORK CITY
MADE IN SPACE | COPENHAGEN
PODCAST APPEARANCES
“Justin has an incredible story and he shares it well. I laughed, I cried, and I learned a few important things along the way. This talk was everything I didn’t know I wanted or needed.”
“Justin was such a great addition to our speaker line-up. He brought incredible energy and approachability to Emergence (he even ran onto stage clapping his hands to ‘Born in the USA’ as our only American speaker before his keynote). His keynote was inspiring and emotional and had the whole audience engaged from start to end, and participants still talk about his Talking Not Talking session. Working with Justin in the lead-up to and during the festival was an absolute breeze (even with the crazy time difference!) and I wouldn’t hesitate for one second to recommend him for other speaking gigs.”
OVERSHARE PODCAST
In a world of carefully curated portfolio sites and Instagram feeds, Justin sits down with his favorite creatives to get past the highlights and discuss the tough stuff we don't talk about in public often enough. Started in 2016, Justin has interviewed dozens of designers, artists, and CEOs including David Droga, Jessica Hische, Shantell Martin, Yancey Strickler, Jon Contino, Adam J. Kurtz, Kate Moross, Gemma O’Brien, Jon Burgerman, Leta Sobierajski, and Wade Jeffree.
You can catch up on both seasons of Overshare on iTunes, Soundcloud, Spotify, and all those other places where you listen to podcasts.
Justin is available to do live recordings of Overshare at conferences. Contact him now to have your event included in the next season.
TALKING NOT TALKING
After witnessing the vulnerable questions creative people were asking after each Overshare event, Justin sensed the creative community needed a space to gather and talk openly about our struggles. He started a monthly support group in New York where creatives come to listen and be heard. Talking Not Talking has since expanded to monthly events in Los Angeles and San Francisco, as well. If you’re a creative and would like to know when the next event is, join Working Not Working. Check out the article about the origins and effect of Talking Not Talking in Working Not Working Magazine titled “We’re Not as Fucked Up and Special as We Think We Are.”
Justin is also available to host Talking Not Talking as a workshop at conferences and festivals. Contact him.
Additionally, if you're searching for incredible and diverse speakers or artists for your next event, Justin has hundreds of recommendations from the Working Not Working community.