January 06, 2015
Being the Artistic Director of a company like One Day is undoubtedly the biggest, most challenging and equally the most rewarding chapter of my professional life. I say ‘professional’, but really, I wholeheartedly believe that every experience I have had, both personal and professional, has helped to sculpt my role as it is today. I have a wonderful space where I can feed my hungry appetite to develop exciting and innovative work for young minds. Imagination is everything… so we imagine… and then we create great work out of great ideas! We think of anything and everything that we think will get young imaginations going.
I became a creative professional 10 years ago but I would say It has taken me 15 years on my own creative journey to get to today.
At 11 years old, I began my training and artistic journey at a school dedicated to the arts. Of course I didn’t know this was the exact role I was heading towards, I just knew I had a strong work ethic and a want to succeed artistically. I didn’t rush my experiences. I didn’t scramble towards it. I did things in my own time… but always did the things that I did with plenty of passion, love and attention. I put a lot of time into vocational learning, working hard with focus and dedication and in the last couple of years, have drank lots of Nespresso which of course has transcended my ordinary powers into SUPER DUPER CREATIVE POWER 😉
The best things about my job? Creating engaging work for our country’s young thinkers and leaders of the future. I love being surrounded by great people with amazing talents and constantly being inspired by the strengths in our team! It is fantastic being able to work so closely with such incredible artists, writers and all-round creatives. Best of all, being able to collaborate and develop motivating and exciting children’s workshops from almost anything, is for me what they call ‘living the dream!’
But what I feel the most proud of, when I think about the road I’ve travelled down and all the positive and creative people I have encountered, is the fact I still work with one of these people today… my partner in crime, business partner and close friend Becky. We have been through it all! We have spent so much of our professional journey together and we have loved (almost :p) every minute of it.
For me, being One Day’s Artistic Director means knowing how our creative team work together… what makes them tick and understanding when they’re stuck or need help. It’s about trust. It’s about providing ideas and above all it’s about nurturing talents, strengths and skills. By doing this, we as a company, inspire. I believe artistic and creative direction is all about attitude, psychology and approach.
When we launched One Day, the first and most important thing we wanted to install was a positive and vibrant culture! We have lit a strong flame and have tried to create an environment and ethos where the very best ideas can be born and then go onto thrive. My role as Artistic Director is to make sure we fill our One Day bubble with the brightest talent there is going. I believe that by finding and retaining a positive and passionate team, One Day will excel and our team will continue to grow creatively & professionally so the flame will never dull!
The ABSOLUTE BEST thing about my job, is watching our talented workshop directors in action watch a professional artist revel in their creative element! and seeing the work brought to life within school environments. It’s a fantastic feeling to see the workshops unfold, revealing those magical facial expressions and seeing the young people in our schools grow in confidence, imagination and inspiration.
The exciting part is our no ceiling vision. Our company walls are never completely built, never fully finished. There is always space to extend and grow- and the same principle applies to my role. It’s always changing, just as the business is changing. And so the main thing I need to do is stay focused, but with an open mind and a willingness to take opportunities wherever they arise. So those are the best bits about my job, but how about the worst?! DUH DUH DUUUUUUHHHHH….
The worst thing is definitely the ‘going to sleep’ part of the day; thinking about so many ideas and things that you want to do, saying to yourself ‘oh I must write that down’… but then forgetting! 🙁
“I love my job” seems to be a phrase that sounds a bit cliché in my head, but really, it is the best phrase to sum up how I feel. So I’ll say it loud and clear – I LOVE MY JOB.
…and on that note, back to the organised, but creative chaos in the office… sounds hectic, but quite honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way!