I am honored to present my
interview with Scott Belsky. Scott is the CEO and co-founder of Behance.
In 2006, Scott Belsky and Matias Corea started the Behance Network and it is now the leading online platform that showcases and discovers creative work.
I constantly use Behance to uncover creative work for 2dots. It was great when Scott Belsky agreed to do an interview. We talked about
the genesis as well as the future of Behance, his take on creativity, plus more.
Without further ado, here is what we talked about.
What is the Genesis of Behance?
We started Behance seven years ago to help organize and empower the creative world. We try to help people get the exposure, attribution, and credit they deserve for their work. People’s careers will benefit if we can help to organize their work. With that hope, we have been focusing on this ever since.
Did you envision Behance to be what it is now? Behance is now a major platform for creatives to showcase their work and also to be discovered.
Yes, we always thought we would do well and we were excited about the possibilities.
Behance recently joined Adobe Family. What is the biggest change now
that Behance is part of Adobe family?
It is an incredible experience. There are a lot of new challenges, in terms of integrating our business with theirs and getting to know all different groups of people is always a challenge. But, we are excited about it and it’s going pretty well. Our team feels like we are doing the best work of our lives right now, which is the most important thing.
Do you think there is a bad side
to the overflow of information in our modern age?
Yes, I do. With so much information, we are bound to always be reacting to what comes to us, rather than being proactive to what matters most to us. The challenge is to ensure that you focus on things that you think will make the biggest impact in your life instead of always tuning into what everyone is asking you to do or pushes you to do.
What is the most traditional creative aspect that you do not want to lose?
I like writing things down. I think when you write something down, you understand it and think about it in a way that you don’t normally do. I think that is something special that I continue to do.
What is the typical average day like for you?
Well, I think the average day at Behance involves making sure that I connect with my team.
I make sure they get what they need from me. A big part of
managing a large team is making sure you are not at the bottom of it. I work
with the design team on our products and go over different versions of the
products. Also, I spend a lot of time coordinating with other partners and
other companies that we are working with.
Tell us about the bell at the Behance office. You ring the bell whenever there is a big achievement. When was the last time you rung the bell and what was it for?
We ring the bell every couple of months. The last time we did was when we got the first copy of 99U book.
I am glad that Behance did not shift to a social media website but rather focused on its core mission to showcase and discover creative works. Was it always the intention of Behance to just focus on creatives?
Yes, it was. We are very focused on that specifically. It’s always been what we wanted to do.
What is the most interesting project you have seen so far on Behance?
I love projects where people “Make A New Creation Every Day.” I think that is really cool. Individuals who do this challenge themselves to be creative on a daily basis. When you force yourself to think of something new on a daily basis, it really pushes your boundaries.
Top three curated networks on Behance.
What is your take on creativity? How do you define creativity?
I think creativity is curiosity. Creativity is openly being curious, being interested in something, and taking the initiative in it. When curiosity reacts with initiative, you have creativity.
Where is your favorite spot in New York?
I love the West Village. It has a very good vibe and is filled with different people colliding together.
What is the future of Behance looking like?
I think we are just getting started, we are trying to build a creative graph of how people are connected. Once you have that, you have a better attribution, it is really easier for people to know who actually did what and give people opportunities.
I hope that when you see billboards, TV
commercials, a piece of art, you can easily identify who did it and who they
worked with. With all of this information, you can put together a dream team of
creative people and I think that is where a lot of the opportunity is and that
is what we are trying to work on.
What do you like most about what
you do?
I love the people that I work with. I love the purpose of why we do…what we do—which is to empower people's careers. There is nothing more exciting than hearing from people that are using our products, saying they have a job, or they just got hired. It is exciting.
