Working in the arts was never a given for me. Far from it. As a working-class kid from rural Derbyshire, the closest connection I had to anyone working in the arts was my nan, who occasionally volunteered to sell interval ice creams at Buxton Opera House.
Yet somehow my single-parent dad managed to instil within my five siblings and me a fervent passion for education and a steely determination to aspire to greater things. And so, I wound up at Lancaster University where I graduated in 2010 with a first class BA Honours degree in Theatre Studies. However, this achievement alone wasn’t enough for me to just walk into the arts and start building my career.
After graduating, like many students, I had to move back home. It was here that I got my first post-uni job. It wasn’t in a theatre or a library (as I had hoped). Instead, it was in a local factory in my hometown of Chapel-en-le-Frith, making brake-lines for cars.
I got hired as a factory operative, working on the production line. It was loud, repetitive and mind-numbingly boring. But each week, I deposited every penny I could spare into a savings account, so that when my big chance came, I would be in a position to move out of home and pursue a career in the arts.
It took me almost a year, but eventually I secured a paid placement as a trainee producer at a theatre in Manchester (Contact). The rest, as they say, is history. I’ve had the privilege of working in the arts for the past 12 years, and I’ve done all sorts of stuff. I’ve answered phones and sold tickets. I’ve collaborated with some incredible artists. I’ve written and published books. I’ve been on the telly. I’ve performed one-man shows for families across the world. It really has been a mad old time…
Recently, during a nice quiet period, I decided to jot down some advice for myself.
These are little lessons I’ve learned along the way – lessons I think it will do me some good to remember in the future – and lessons which I hope might prove useful to you.
Here goes…
Children's author Oliver Sykes grew up in a working class part of Derbyshire
(Credit: Dawn Kilner)
Be unapologetically you
Good art only comes from those who are willing to be vulnerable, from those who are willing to show more of themselves than what feels comfortable. Don’t change yourself in order to fit in – be unapologetically you.
Rejection is not something to fear
Don't be afraid of it, wallow in it, or be ashamed of it. It happens. So don’t let it hold you back. Own it. To be rejected is to be trying, to be working hard and to be putting yourself out there. No one can ask for more than that.
When facing closed doors, create doors of your own
If you’re delivering a creative project and someone throws a spanner in the works, what can you do? You can panic. You can get angry. You can give up. Or you can solve the problem and find a new way to move forward. Think outside the box and keep the faith!
Find your path
Can you think of the top five proudest moments in your past? What were you doing? Who were the people that benefited? What impact did you have on their lives? If you can answer these questions, you’ll have the perfect starting point for where to focus your time and energy and where to find your path.
Try to make your path wide enough to bring others along with you
Overcoming adversity is important but helping others to overcome theirs is much more effective and meaningful for yourself and for the world. Be generous with your time. Help others where you can. Understand that you can never truly take credit for your successes, because creating good art takes a village.
Be a risk-taker
Without boundary-pushers and risk-takers, good art ceases to exist. True artists fail and often fail so gloriously that they create a masterpiece in the process. So, fail and fail again, and keep trying until you discover yours.
Enjoy the journey
Don’t stress about whether or not you’ll reach your destination. In fact, if you have a destination in mind, throw it out right now. The path to good art is not one of destination, but process. So, slow down, have fun and take in the sights.
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