As scary as it sounds, I think now is the time where I actually need to start thinking about being an adult, and all of the big adult things that come with that since I will be graduating in a years time. I've always felt very 'safe' in education, seeing it as a little bubble where I can work comfortably within the walls of college, but the prospect of those walls disappearing is beginning to become more and more daunting...but exciting at the same time!
Some days I am absolutely filled with dread about the uncertainty of my future, yet some days the prospect of delving into the unknown seems like a really exciting adventure. Something that is somewhat holding me back is that I am still exploring new ways of working due to my creative interests changing and developing so rapidly, which makes it harder to see a clear path ahead of me in terms of starting a career, although a positive way of viewing this is that having all of these different interests and skills will enable me to become a more adaptable and open minded practitioner which will potentially offer me more opportunities.
I don't think it is a good idea to write a life plan/five year plan etc, as I have realised that life can be full of surprises and almost definitely doesn't go the way that you think it will. So I think a good way to start would be to write down a list of things that I would like to do/achieve in my twenties in terms of personal and career related goals to give myself a strong set of 'check-points' if you will.
Twenties List
- Travel as much as possible
- Continue to gain teaching experience/working with other people
- Take part in projects overseas (that I have wanted to do for a long time) e.g. Camp America/East African Playgrounds
- Further qualifications- MA/PGCE
- Buy a house??
- Take as many creative opportunities and get involved with as many creative projects as I can
Buying a house seems a bit obscure amongst the list, but I think its important to think about my finances a little more too, especially with the likely outcome of becoming self-employed. I want to be financially stable within my career (who doesn't) but I think with a creative career in terms of researching, funding projects and materials I don't want to be in a position where my finances create negative barriers and prevent me from taking opportunities.
Post-Grad Options
Moving Back Home
One thing I am really worried about when I graduate is potentially having to move back home with my Mum in my really dull, un-inspiring home town and losing my drive and enthusiasm for my practice. Hopefully this won't be the case, but if it is then I will have to look for the positives and keep myself motivated, even if it involves commuting to my nearest cities like Nottingham or Lincoln on a daily basis to find work. In reality, financially this might be the most sensible option, but I'll have to see what happens first!
Art Psychotherapy MA
Following the information day I went to in March, I am definitely considering pursuing a Masters degree in Art Psychotherapy, but not straight away. I need some time do develop my creative practice, gain experience with working with vulnerable people, and just gain some more life experience in general. I fully understand that becoming an Art Therapist will probably be the most challenging part of my future career, therefore I believe it will be a sensible option not to dive into it at such a young age.
In the mean time, I will carry out further research into different courses, attend open days and build on the skills required to enter into this profession.
PGCE Teaching Qualification
Teaching is something that I have been interested in for a long time, as I really enjoy working with people and supporting individual learning and development. Similarly with the Art Therapy Masters, I somewhat think it is unwise to go straight into being a teacher without much life experience having never had a break from education. I would prefer to travel around giving creative workshops as opposed to teaching art in a secondary school as I see this as being too large of a commitment which would restrict the time and freedom I have to develop my own practice.
Working for a Creative Company
I haven't looked into this option in as much detail as the others, but it is something I would like to research into in the upcoming months. I have had a quick flick through 'junior designer' posts on various job websites, and there seems to be some great opportunities being advertised all over the country. Working for a design agency or as an in-house illustrator would give me the most confidence with starting off my career with a daily structure and tasks being delegated in a similar environment to that at college. I personally struggle quite a lot working in an isolated environment all of the time, for example at home and only talking to my family which don't share the same creative interests as me. For me to flourish to my maximum potential, the stability of a sociable yet creative working environment is something that is relatively high on my list of priorities.
Summary
I definitely need to research further into what I want to do with my life, as well as enjoying it and not stressing out about it at the same time. Finding the right balance of 'taking each day as it comes' (cringey I know but its important!) and thinking about the future is something I plan to work on in the upcoming weeks.
Things I need to do:
- Get in touch with art therapists! Both for my COP project, and to ask them about their experiences and practice
- Start saving? Which will be really hard being in so much student debt but hey ho
- THINK ABOUT POLITICS; how will the BREXIT affect my future job prospects?! Write a contingency plan in case things go completely tits up.
- Be productive, but don't overwhelm myself
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