WHAT IT TAKES TO WORK IN CONTENT CREATION with Andrea Hoang

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Meet Andrea Hoang: a local freelance creative consultant, filmmaker, writer, and content creator based in Houston, Texas. With a degree in film, television, and media under her belt, Andrea specializes in bringing her clients’ creative video ideas to life. Currently on location in her native country of Vietnam shooting a documentary, Andrea caught up with Code BLK to talk about what it really takes to work in client-based content creation. After our chat, she provides a few tips on how exactly she executes a client’s vision and makes sure that nothing is left on the table when it comes to meeting all the clients’ needs.

ANDREA: The biggest thing I can think of is adaptability. The content creation space has to balance marketing and visuals through whatever medium fits for a brand or company. A lot of the time, this requires quick thinking and execution. It’s a balance of knowing that your own personal skills are reliable enough to be trusted—and that you have the space for improvement—and knowing that you are part of a team that can do what has to be done. The numbers and statistics can get in the way of feeling fully creative, but I think reframing to see what creative fulfillment can come from knowing those numbers and logistics helps loads.

ANDREA: When I get home from a day of work being on social media constantly and staring at a screen for the majority of the day, I try not to scroll for more than 20 minutes. Sometimes, I know I’ll want a scroll session that has nothing to do with work, so I’ll give in. I’m not on social media actively outside of work and that helps loads with my work-life balance. I set aside time to quiet my brain by either creating something, like collaging or writing, or sit down and watch a movie with the intention of decompressing. Light some incense, maybe.
And the best way for me to decompress is to see my people. Parallel play sessions, impromptu coffee or food, or inviting friends to a family-style dinner. People yearn to see other people, and since I work in an office setting, I want that more than ever.

ANDREA: I do scroll through social media for inspiration, especially for short-form content ideas. Sometimes, though, Instagram gets too loud and trendy, so I’ll go towards Pinterest. My team and I did this thing where we picked random words that were combined to make-up target demographic, tone, and mood. We would spitball ideas based off of those words, and even if those ideas aren’t made or executed, it gets the ball rolling on creativity. It’s like how sometimes I’ll look at flash-fiction prompts or set a theme for my collage nights. I don’t think you can force creativity, but you can jumpstart it in unrelated ways.