Ultimately it is down to you to move your own creative mountain. In this series I will be exploring what it’s like to weather the storms of the creative industries such as TV drama, whilst balancing your own writing dreams.
There has never been a moment in my career where I’m not discovering something new about myself. My dad always told me, every day is a school day. And even though I have been out of education for the last six years, I always want to learn. If you’re not learning, you’re not growing (this applies to your personal and professional life). They say if a job is not teaching you anything after 1- 2 years, then it is the right time to leave. The creative media landscape is flooded with on-the-job learning and zero training handbooks. You pick things up as you go. I found this after wading in at the deep end at Manx Radio the Isle of Man public broadcaster where I was instructed to go and do VOX pops about panic buying and toilet roll during the Covid-19 pandemic. For anyone who does not know what a VOX pop is it is when a news reporter interviews members of the public for their opinion on a particular topic. My first ever VOX pop saw me interview Manx people in a car park about our then supermarket brand, Shoprite, who was moving produce to Sainsbury’s brand from Waitrose. Sadly, I made the rookie error of not pressing record and had to re-do it to my utter embarrassment. Why do I tell you this story? To showcase that you don’t learn unless you are willing to make mistakes. There are many things which may sound super simple, but unless you’re ‘doing’ then it doesn’t matter. At least that is what I tell myself.
Artistic industries such as TV and publishing are renown for having cutthroat work cultures. Think Ugly Betty and Industry. I am not denying these environments don’t exist (they do) but that shouldn’t stop your enthusiasm for learning. I have found the best way to learn is through immersing myself in the environment physically and when you can. Whether that is a production office, photography studio, on a film set or simply in a library or meeting it works wonders. You listen and stuff goes in without thinking. You meet people, you can ask questions to the person sat opposite or next to you. Opportunity sits wide open to you. Sadly, Covid introduced working from home / remotely culture which though offers good flexibility also hinders your growth as a professional early on in your career.
I soaked up so much being the Office Runner, even if I was the only person in the office on a Friday. And I can see you turning up your nose. It’s the job no one wants. Think Betty Suarez and Andy Sachs roles. As with Runners, they are the very bottom of the ladder or slush pile in TV entertainment so to speak. They do all the boring mundane jobs such as fetching teas/coffees/lunches, filing, admin, expenses, making people look ‘good’. The list is endless. Yet…these ‘boring parts’ help you gain things without quite realising. I never guessed that assisting with casting calls and auditions would help me organise my own table read in October 2024 or know the colour scheme of production scripts, just by printing them. Even just by greeting guests, you forge connections, one whom came for an interview for another role and is now a wonderful member of the script club I help run. You become exposed to so much within the blink of an eye, especially when you work as an assistant. You are the gatekeepers of to your senior team, your exec producers, your directors, showrunners etc. I uncovered how invaluable they are for helping make things happen and one day, that could will be you.
Even whilst working as the Course Runner for C4Screenwriting I got to sit in on a writing / feedback session and saw how notes were given and received. There were some ugly and lovely moments but by watching I also knew how I would want to behave when if I was on the other side of the desk. One of my senior colleagues gave me a wise piece of advice – be the best at everything you do, even if it’s making a cup of tea, then when you’re ready to move on up, you will be ready.
It would be a wise decision to say yes to as many things as possible. Ask questions. And keep asking them. If you don’t ask, you don’t get, even if that is a no. I have sometimes been too scared to ask but you have to advocate for yourself because no one else will. Everyone is too busy thinking about themselves (this applies to every human on planet earth). People take warmly to those who are willing to learn and willing to make mistakes. We are human beings and failing is a natural tendency of us, so please don’t be afraid to do it. I had a lovely boss who reassured me that owning up for our mistakes meant x 10 more to her. Unfortunately, not all bosses are like that. I have been told not to ask too many questions and others where I shouldn’t be asking any at all. Whilst I understand there can be a thing such as ‘too many’, you should feel comfortable enough to be able to keep asking if you don’t get it first time, or second or third etc. It can be nerve-racking to ask something that has already been explained to you, but everyone learns differently and that is okay. At the end of the day, your employer has a responsibility to train you and if it doesn’t stick, it’s on them, not all on you. And dealing with tricky co-workers and toxic bosses? Though in the moment it will sting, it teaches you how not to behave or treat people. They are lessons in disguise, ones I have taken forwards. There is a very well-known saying – be nice to the people on the way up because you will meet them on your way down.
I know many people will associate learning with school and education and want to shy away. The truth is that learning is detrimental to our resilience, our professional and writing development, and character building. I have grown so much since starting this trek into the unknown and I don’t regret any choice or rock bottom that has met me head on. And the best part about all these learning experiences? They are stories that offer inspiration.
Use them.
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