Having just finished a year long placement with The Tomorrow Lab, it’s nice to have a small amount of time to sit back, evaluate and allow myself to look ahead to what is to come.
September passing equates to four years since I started in this industry. Having started in two Internships back in 2016, I have learned so much and had the privilege of working on many great projects with inspirational clients. However, with the past year testing me beyond my comfort levels, I think it is important to acknowledge that it is okay to work through different seasons and push when things get tough.
Working a 40 hour week (plus 10), freelancing in the evenings, maintaining a social life and organising a wedding has been my juggling act for the past couple of months, but this system gave me a sense of pride as it had seemed to balance out and I was finding a lot of happiness from it. It was only when I came to the end of my placement that I found a major issue in myself.
I began to subliminally think of myself as a digital designer, rather than a student. I placed my identity and my worth in this role and I wore it with pride as I had a desire to prove myself to friends and family that I was a successful designer.
As I worked at The Tomorrow Lab, I began to subliminally think of myself as a digital designer, rather than a student. I placed my identity and my worth in this role and I wore it with pride as I had a desire to prove myself to friends and family that I was a successful designer. I was shaken in confidence when I got to the end of my placement and found myself with a lot more free time as I struggled to think of what to do, be that for furthering my own personal profile, or even just for enjoyment as working had become my life.
The truth is, I had taken for granted the current position I find myself in as a student. I wanted to be seen as a professional in the industry, and while is not necessarily a bad thing, I stopped thinking about the opportunities which being a student can bring.
Please don’t get me wrong, I am probably seen as an odd student. I love my course – Interactive Media. I was a student rep for the course in first and second year! This course is my second time going into higher education, having achieved an HNC in Theology back in 2015, so I had time to think about what I really wanted to do as a career. I also believe that as a slightly older student, I have been able to access some more opportunities in the industry as I have naturally had more time to develop personally.
Having spent the past couple of days reflecting on the opportunities I have had, the amount I have learnt and the crazy placement year that I have just had, I have been able to re-align myself with the fact that I am currently a student rather than a professional. Further than that, I have found a sense of peace and gratitude for being in this season of my life, where I can look ahead to one final push at University. I’m so excited for this next year, getting the opportunity to experiment with new projects, work again with clients on a freelance basis and take time to breathe and enjoy life.
Stripping everything back, over the course of this next year, I intend to graduate, get married and go for a few surf sessions along the way.
PS. If you managed to read these rambles, I hope you’ve enjoyed! I know I’m an over-thinker, but I thought a blog may be good to jot some things down!
Andy
Recent Projects
