“There’s a difference between being humble and minimizing yourself.” — Mahaneela

A fulfilling career is built from who you are, not just what you make.

In this episode of Object Subject Form, filmmaker, artist, and creative director Mahaneela joins Simon for a conversation about architecting your own career, bridging identity and community, and learning to separate who you are from what you make.

Over the past decade, Mahaneela has built a practice that blends cultural depth with commercial impact, collaborating with global icons like Beyoncé, Nike, and FKA twigs. 

Recognized on Forbes 30 Under 30, she is known for crafting authentic stories that live at the intersection of music, art, and commerce. Now represented as a director by Partizan and Red Eye, she continues to push boundaries in film, photography, and brand storytelling.

Together, Simon and Mahaneela discuss why titles can limit progress, how to use a “creative spirit” compass—Curiosity, Joy, Community—to choose the right projects, and the subtle difference between humility and minimizing yourself. Mahaneela shares advice on securing repeat work with agencies, reading the room on calls, and why presentation, delegation, and people skills matter as much as taste.

The episode also explores how community acts as a creative lifeline, how healthy competition can elevate peers, and why building your own ecosystem is essential. They debate Web3 and AI as emerging tools for connection and creative ownership, while emphasizing that identity and lived experience must remain at the core of every artist’s process.

Whether you’re building a portfolio, pitching in bigger rooms, or trying to stay aligned with your purpose, this conversation offers a blueprint for architecting a career that serves your life, not the other way around.

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Connect with Mahaneela on Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/mahaneela.jpg/

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Mahaneela’s Website:

https://www.mahaneela.com/

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Connect with Mahaneela on LinkedIn: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mahaneela-choudhury-reid-485631385/

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Connect with Simon:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonclowes/

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Object Subject Form on Instagram: 

https://instagram.com/objectsubjectform