Growing up in a small town, I convinced myself that art was not a ‘credible career’ even though I excelled most in my art classes. Going to an all-girls school, we would have external speakers encourage us to peruse career in STEM. This was great, however where did I fit in? I consequently felt that my art was just a hobby and to succeed I needed to focus on other subjects.

Succumbing to pressures from school and family, I ended up choosing to apply to Biology undergraduate courses. Nothing about this appealed to me, I dreaded the thought of committing and secretly hoped I wouldn’t get a place. I still spent an incredible amount of time making sure I got a good grade in my Art A-Level, staying late after school until I was kicked out by caretakers. My hard work was rewarded when I was asked to work on hand-painted signage for a local festival after they had seen my coursework on social media. They allowed me to give my input in terms of events planning and artistic direction which I found valuable for finding my voice as an artist.

I had a newfound confidence and decided to take the plunge in changing my university applications to Art and Design. However, on results day, I found myself having to look through clearing after being rejected by my choices. I felt disappointed and embarrassed and was knocked back to square one. After A LOT of pep talks from my parents, I went back to the festival to paint signs and worked two jobs in hospitality, saving up money to travel. Whist in Australia I continued to practice my art, eventually deciding to apply to University of the Arts London (UAL) again even though they had previously rejected me. This time they sent me back a proposition, if I agreed to do a foundation course in an art subject, I would be considered for an interview for the following year. This was all I needed to give me direction and consequently applied for a fine art foundation at Northumbria University. The following year, I had secured my interview at UAL, and they offered me a place on their Graphic Design undergraduate course.

My first year was completely remote because of the COVID-19 lockdowns but this didn’t deter my determination to do well and prove myself and so I taught myself the Adobe Creative Suite from my bedroom. Going into second year, I felt enthusiastic to finally be able to meet my tutors and course mates face-to-face. However, it was not what I hoped it would be and collaborating with my peers resulted in the emergence of Imposter Syndrome. A lot of students had much more experience than me and had the ‘big city’ confidence. I wondered if I had made the right choice at all, but after 3 years, a lot of hard work and many sleepless nights, I graduated with a first-class degree. This is my proudest achievement to date.