Let’s talk about Die Hard—one of the greatest movies ever made. But let's talk about it from the lens of managing a creative career. You see—before that movie hit, Bruce Willis wasn’t exactly the guy you’d picture running barefoot through broken glass and dropping bad guys off skyscrapers. No, Bruce was the funny guy. He was known for his role on Moonlighting, where he played a witty, lovable private detective who oozed charm and cracked jokes. He crushed it. In fact, he was so good at comedy that when Hollywood first thought about casting him in Die Hard, people laughed.
Seriously, executives and the public couldn’t wrap their heads around the idea of Bruce Willis—that guy—as an action star. The studio wouldn't even put his face on the original poster. But then Die Hard came out, and it was a monster hit. Suddenly, he wasn’t just the funny guy anymore—he was John freakin' McClane. And just like that, the industry decided: This is who you are now. Bruce became the go-to action hero, and his comedy roles? They took a back seat. Whether or not he ever wanted to become boxed in as an action star is a mystery to me, but the work spoke louder than anything else. After Die Hard, that’s what people hired him for.
And that’s the creative lesson right there: If you’re not intentional about the kind of work you do, other people will decide what you are.
Non-Creatives Can’t See Potential
Most people—especially clients or gatekeepers—can’t picture you outside of what you’ve already done. They don’t think, This person could probably do something totally different and crush it. They think, Oh, I see what you do. This is what you are. Bruce Willis? Funny guy. Until Die Hard comes out. Then suddenly, it’s, “Hey Bruce, how do you feel about holding a machine gun in every movie for the next 15 years?”
And that’s not because people are jerks. It’s just how their brains work—they judge you by the body of work you’ve already put out. And the longer you keep doing one thing, the harder it becomes for people to see you any other way.
How Pigeonholes Happen
The same thing happens to creatives all the time. You start off doing something you’re good at, and people love it. Maybe you designed a killer logo, shot an amazing brand video, or created a website that people couldn’t stop clicking on. Word gets around, and suddenly, every new project you’re offered looks exactly like the last one.
And here’s the tricky part: it’s easy to just go along with it. The money’s good, the work feels familiar, and it’s flattering that people keep coming back to you for what you’re known for. But if you’re not careful, you’ll end up building a career you didn’t actually want.
What Happens When You Pivot
When Die Hard took off, studios weren’t really calling Bruce for comedies like they used to—they wanted him running from explosions and saving the world. And once you’re seen a certain way in the creative world, the same thing happens.
And look, maybe Bruce leaned into the action-star role, or maybe he didn’t have much of a choice. But either way, it’s a perfect example of how the work you put into the world shapes how people see you—and how it can take on a life of its own.
How to Take Control of Your Narrative
If you’re not intentional about the kind of projects you take on, you will get pigeonholed. And it won’t be the pigeonhole you choose—it’ll be the one other people shove you into based on what’s easiest for them to understand. If your portfolio is full of one type of project—whether it’s logos, websites, or illustrations—that’s all people will ever see you as. And every time you say yes to a project that doesn’t align with where you want to go, you’re making it that much harder to pivot later. If you want to shift gears, you have to start showing people what else you can do—and you can’t wait for permission to do it.
Build the Portfolio You Want
The good news? You don’t have to wait for a big moment to pivot. Unlike actors who need a movie studio to cast them, you can start building the kind of work you want to be known for today. Create personal projects, revamp your portfolio, and put out the work that aligns with your future—not just the past.
If you want to be known for something new, start showing it. And yeah, it’s scary. It means saying no to some of the easy gigs, turning down projects that pay well but don’t push you forward, and risking the unknown. But if you don’t, you’ll wake up one day with a portfolio full of projects you never really cared about—and no easy way out.
Be Intentional—or Be Stuck
So, what’s the move? You’ve got to pigeonhole yourself before someone else does. If you want to break out of your current groove, you need to start sending signals—through your work—that you’re more than what people think. That might mean doing some passion projects for free, experimenting with a different medium, or saying no to the safe stuff. But it’s worth it. Because if you don’t take control, someone else will—and their version of you probably won’t match what you really want.
Just like Bruce became the action star after Die Hard, your work will shape how people see you. So decide what kind of work you want to be known for—and then start making it, over and over, until the world catches on.