Why a creative education doesn’t just happen in the classroom
In this insightful piece, Plymouth Culture’s Creative Correspondent Pete Clayton reflects on his journey from graphic design student to established illustrator, offering valuable lessons for anyone starting out in the creative industry. Drawing from his own experiences, Pete highlights the essential role of real-world experience, self-directed learning, and building a personal network in the pursuit of a successful creative career. While classroom education provides a strong foundation, it's the hands-on exposure and proactive approach that truly set creative professionals apart.
Now don’t get me wrong, I loved studying and being a student some 20 years ago when I was finding my creative feet. I can’t knock at all the valuable knowledge I gained there about creativity within the subject of graphic communication. Yes, I started out in graphic design before getting into illustration, but more about that later. Classroom tuition in my experience was great for learning techniques, finding out about past masters of the trade and how to generate ideas. With all that knowledge I gained I thought I was set all set for a future creative career… I was wrong. I quickly learned that having all the creative skills in the world was only part of the package I needed. I needed experience also and to learn the trade outside the institutional classroom.
After leaving university my bubble burst as I thought I'd walk straight into a design job. That didn’t happen as I didn’t have that real world learning experience. This was always a thing amongst my creative friends. Well, how do I get experience if no one’s going to give me any? I learned quite a few years later on that you have to get it for yourself. Below I have outlined a couple of extracurricular things that have helped me hone my skills and knowledge. This of course has only been my path, and my journey differs from the next creative person trying to get themselves out there.
Hands on experience
If you’re studying design right now and haven’t reached out to any design studios in your local area, what ARE you doing? I can’t stress enough the importance of getting your work under the noses of seasoned professionals. For one, you never know where it might lead and two, you might be invited in for an internship. It might only be a day a week but it looks great on a CV and exposes you to a working studio environment. Furthermore, it could lead to some actual work with live briefs for real clients, all of which you can put in your portfolio. The internship might lead on to a full time job. It might not also. Either way, after your time, get yourself a testimonial from the director or creative director. Again, this’ll look great on your CV. Finally, be polite, ask questions, be enthusiastic and put your hand up to do whatever. These are all key characteristics a creative employer looks for beyond a great portfolio.
Self-directed learning
As I mentioned earlier, the trade that got me onto my creative career path was actually graphic design. I did not study illustration but I did teach myself, and now it is the majority of the work I love to do. I began just doodling and posting on Instagram and then eventually experience came with client work. Instagram is a different beast now than when I was posting some 10 years ago but it was certainly at the time a great way to get commission work. There are many ways to get yourself noticed but I wouldn’t just wait for commissions to happen organically. Set up a website, build a mailing list, send zines in the mail, produce prints and sell at art fairs. There’s so much you can do and you’ll learn valuable lessons in self promotion and marketing. The biggest lesson I learned is not to take the knock-backs and dead-end emails personally. People are busy but every now and then you’ll make a connection and get the commission you deserve for all the additional hours you put in.
Get yourself out there
In short, put in the work outside the classroom. You simply can’t just have a creative skillset and not have experience to go with it. Whilst classroom learning can give you a solid foundation for creative skills and knowledge, it has to go hand in hand with real-world encounters and self directed learning. This is fundamental and crucial for gaining momentum for a successful creative career. Internships are obviously a great place to start. But if you’re having no luck there, start doing work for friends or even do the work you want to be known for. If you want it, just go for it and it will no doubt help bridge the gap between your academic learning and future endeavours as a creative professional.
