An Open Letter To Young Creatives
Dear young person,
You’re probably shiting yourself right now. But that’s ok.
We all are.
If you’re a young creative or a graduate in the arts and entertainment industry, this must feel like you’ve bought a one-way ticket to Fuckedsville. No jobs. No shows. No government support. You’re probably wishing you’d studied Virology or invested some of your student loan money in shares in that PPE company you heard the young Tory Society members talking about in the Uni library. Hindsight, eh?
You should be doing that thing you love right now and fulfilling your ambitions; performing on stage or in front of the camera, in the studio recording that album, behind a sound or lighting desk, around a table collaborating with other creatives writing and developing ideas, organising and hosting events and working with businesses and clients across the wide spectrum of the arts.
Instead, you’re probably at home, with little or no income, worried about how and when you’re going to get the chance to do all of these things again and potentially considering a change of career.
The first thing I’m going to to tell you is that the feeling you have right now is normal. You feel it. I feel it. The whole arts and entertainment industry feels it. You might have lost out on an amazing opportunity or had to cancel sold out shows or even lost your job. The truth is, there’s not much any of us can do to change the situation just now. It’s going to be a waiting game until the government’s strategy allows for the arts to resume in some form or another until things get back to normal, and trust me, they WILL get back to normal.
So what can you do until then?
The first thing to do make sure you’re looking after yourself and those closest to you. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to get things done. Do it in your own time and at your own pace. Try to eat well and get some exercise. I’ve found that helps. Don’t have too many late nights. Limit the amount of alcohol you consume. Keep in touch with friends and family, even if it’s just a wee text or a GIF or a funny meme. Sometimes a wee bit of humour goes a long way. If you’re feeling down don’t ignore it. Spend as little time on social media as you can and don’t concern yourself with how well others seem to be coping with all of this.
When you’re ready and feeling good to ‘get some stuff done’ you should keep your creative brain active and engaged in creative activities. I’ve tried to write as much as I can during lockdown, develop new ideas, research, read (lots), listen to podcasts and do some design work. I watched footage of some of my favourite acts; magicians, comedians, speakers, educators, actors, singers, film makers, variety artists and studied every nuance of their performances in the hope that I can find something I can utilise in my own work. I’ve developed some creative exercises specific to my interests to maintain a level of practice and routine. I’ve found new interests and learned new skills, some of which can inform my work, some have absolutely nothing to do with it.
Even though I haven’t been performing, I still want to improve. I still love what I do and spending time developing and learning new things is a huge part of being a creator. It’s also given me hope and a feeling that I’m working towards ‘something’, whatever and whenever that might be.
I’m not usually one for giving advice and I’m fully aware that what works for me isn’t necessarily going to work for all of you. But here’s a couple of ideas and thoughts you might find useful:
Seek out people you admire in your line of work and drop them a message. Ask for advice or for their opinion on something. Start a conversation. Maybe they’ll ignore the message. Maybe they’ll reply. They’ve certainly got the time…
Research your industry, take note of even the smallest of changes and identify potential opportunities. Be prepared to adapt and capitalise on this.
Network with other young creatives across different industries. Share ideas and talk honestly and openly about them. Encourage critique and feedback. Most importantly, steal ideas.
Don’t worry about getting a job in the meantime. In fact, I encourage you to if you can. Don’t let it define you but don’t think earning money is beneath you.
Try things. Take risks. There’s never been a better time to make mistakes and not be judged.
Learn a new skill. Engage your brain in something completely new. Buy a cook book or learn a new language. Take up a new sport or learn how to make something. You have access to Apps and a world of online learning at your finger tips. You’ll soon realise you have more transferable skills than you thought.
Write down lots of ‘buzz words’ associated with your industry/discipline/art. Search for these online via social media, YouTube and Google. You might find some obscure content that turns out to be absolute gold!
Don’t forget to keep it fun. Have a laugh and don’t take yourself too seriously.
(I’ll edit this if/when I think of other things to add to this list)
The coming weeks and months aren’t going to be easy for any of us. I still think there’s a few more ups and downs to come before we get there. There’s been so much written about how the arts and entertainment industries have been abandoned by the government despite contributing in excess of £10b to the economy every year. People’s livelihoods are at risk and the impact on the self employed community within the arts has been devastating, not to mention the venues and creative companies that will have gone out of business with many jobs and contracts lost.
I hope that in the midst of all this carnage that the industry doesn’t develop a competitive ‘everyone for themselves’ mentality and the ladder isn’t lifted on the next generation of creatives coming through. I for one will offer any support to anyone that asks for it. If I can help you, I will. I hope others in my position will do the same.
I truly believe that when all of this shit is over, the arts will thrive again and your time will come.
Hang in there…
R x