⚠️ WARNING!
Creativity isn’t always glamorous. Deadlines tighten, clients push back, public failures happen, and the work can begin to test your values as much as your talent. Whether you’re at an agency, running your own business, or forging your creative path, these moments are inevitable. Join us for a candid conversation on how to navigate them with resilience, clarity, and integrity.
Featuring Sydnea Lewis and Vincent Wanga, moderated by creative strategist Addison Bailey, this panel explores what happens when creativity meets crisis. Drawing from careers in creative leadership, entrepreneurship, education, and brand strategy, they’ll share practical approaches to managing difficult clients, recovering from setbacks, protecting your well-being, and making thoughtful decisions when the stakes are high.
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Our Panelists
About Sydnea Lewis
Sydnea Lewis is a Professor of Digital Design & Creative Business, founder of Creative Obsessions, and a yoga and mindfulness teacher focused on helping creatives thrive without burnout. With over a decade of experience working across branding, web strategy, education, and wellness, Sydnea bridges creativity, business clarity, and sustainable practices. As the host of the Busyness & Burnout podcast, she explores how creatives navigate pressure, productivity, and purpose without losing themselves. Sydnea’s work centers on helping artists and entrepreneurs stay grounded, make intentional decisions, and continue creating—even in moments of uncertainty, overwhelm, or challenge.
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About Vincent Wanga
Vincent Wanga is a dynamic international design thought leader, creative keynote speaker, award-winning creative and executive, author of “The Art of Direction,” serial entrepreneur, and experienced brand consultant with an exceptional range of expertise over a distinguished two-decade career. Vince strategically leverages his rich cultural heritage, deep intellectual pedigree, and acute creative acumen in multiple industries—collaborating with a diverse constituency of clients and companies from the newly founded to the Fortune 500. With abundant aptitudes earned over the years, he looks at the world with a critical, creative eye while empathetically analyzing the eloquence and human consequence of our craft.
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About Addison Bailey
Addison brings a people-first approach to creative strategy, bridging local and global spheres for healthcare, finance, entertainment, and nonprofit clients. Her DC-based background sharpens that range, leading projects with empathy and flair. At NJI, she anchors the accounts team, translating digital strategy into client stories that hold together even when the pressure doesn’t let up.
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10% of this event’s proceeds goes to AIGA DC’s Design Continuum Fund
Thank you to our event parter:
NJI is a global creative agency specializing in public affairs strategy, crafting solutions to amplify your influence.
