Mentorship has long been pivotal to creative practice. Across centuries, the relationship between master and apprentice has helped preserve, transmit, and evolve artistic knowledge — from painters learning in studios and musicians training under maestri to craftspeople inheriting generations of expertise through handwork. While the creative industries have changed dramatically in the 21st century, the need for thoughtful guidance remains as important as ever. Often, the right conversation at the right moment can shape the course of a career. Yet for many artists and creative professionals, these moments still depend on circumstance: being in the right room, knowing the right person, or having access to networks that are not always easy to find.

With Unfair Advantage, anArtizen — a creative advisory and community initiative founded by Meher Sachdeva — is working to make mentorship more accessible to emerging Indian creatives. Conceived as a bridge between emerging talent and experienced professionals, Unfair Advantage connects artists, musicians, designers, photographers, filmmakers, writers, entrepreneurs and other creative practitioners with established voices across India’s creative ecosystem through personalised, one-on-one advisory sessions.

The initiative brings together mentors and advisors from diverse fields, including music, dance, comedy, visual art, literature, photography, design, branding, entrepreneurship, artist management and law. Its inaugural network features professionals who have built influential careers across India’s cultural industries, offering practical insight drawn from years of experience navigating the realities of creative work.

Unlike traditional mentorship programmes built around fixed curricula, Unfair Advantage is shaped by everyone’s specific needs. The sessions include portfolio reviews, insights on how to approach career opportunities, navigating intellectual property concerns, building a personal brand, exploring artist management, or gaining clarity on the next steps in a creative journey. At its core, the initiative recognises that creative careers are rarely built alone — that behind every successful artist, founder or creative leader is a network of people who have offered guidance, perspective and support along the way.

Unfair Advantage is part of anArtizen’s broader efforts to strengthen the infrastructure supporting India’s growing creative economy. Through initiatives spanning media, education, advisory and community-building, anArtizen aims to create practical resources that help creative professionals build sustainable careers through meaningful connections and industry insight.

Early access to Unfair Advantage is now open at anartizen.com/unfair-advantage.

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