Jade speaks…

Last year in November I made the risky decision to leave my well-paying, full time job to pursue my writing career and live a life of creativity.

It was a decision that I had been considering for a long time.

From the moment I started at the Science Museum, I knew that I didn’t want to be there any longer than a year. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the job, but I love being a creative more and working a 9-5 made me feel suppressed.

I made a plan, aiming to save £5,000 and then, well… BOUNCE!  And staying true to my ambitious fashion, this is exactly what I did. I used my savings to buy all the equipment I needed to start my creative journey, this included cameras, tripods, microphones etc.

Christmas 2013 came and passed and before you know it 2014 had arrived! For some reason I was more excited than usual about the coming year. I just had an inkling feeling that somethingBIGwas about to happen…

Then it came. I had all this freedom but then found myself not being productive or creative at all! “It’s time to start looking for a new job” I thought. So I started looking. I applied for a whole load…had interviews… and was even offered a job…which I turned down! I know, I know, sound’s crazy. But I knew deep down that it just wasn’t for me. Let’s be honest, I don’t enjoy working for people for two reasons:
1. I am in no way shape or form a morning person – there’s only so long I could deal with working normal hours.
2. I hate the feeling of my life being controlled by someone else…or in this case a company.

Plus, I knew that writing is all I wanted to dedicate my time to.

With all the resources I had; money, equipment and more obviously TIME, you would think I could get the ball rolling straight away. I realised that having a creative career doesn’t come with a step by step “how-to-do”guide. At times I found it difficult to organise myself and struggled to make decisions and having so many ideas proved overwhelming.

February 2014, it was morning. I received a text from Skool Girl’s Tee that would subsequently change my life. She asked me if I was interested in going away on a business trip to Amsterdam for 3 months! Of course I accepted!

Next thing you know, it’s the end of March, my bags are packed and I’m off.

Ah being in Amsterdam was not only fun, but it was soooo productive! Between weekly business lessons and interning at a great company called Product Foundry, I learnt so much and gained  enough life and business skills to last me a life time.

Unfortunately though, all good things have to come to an end.

Before you know it, I was back in England and for the first few weeks, I felt depressed. “What do I do now?” I thought. I went from three months of productivity; learning how to cook, how to run a business and planning for world domination- to doing well…not much.

Suddenly I realised, there are things I can be doing!  It was time to get… BACK TO BUSINESS.

My first step was recording the poem I had written in Amsterdam called ‘Red Light District’. Next I resumed activity in Church, sitting on the committee for the youth department. Then I joined the Youth 4 Excellence team as the Artist Coordinator for their annual Celebrating Youth Excellence Awards. This definitely kept me busy. Then I joined the Skool Girl team as a contributing writer – honestly I feel privileged to write for YOU! Plus I get to listen to and review all the latest new music and for anyone who knows me, I’m a certified music junkie!  Recently I was blessed with the opportunity to deliver poetry in a Year 10 assembly at a Secondary School. The teachers were impressed and invited me back to facilitate a poetry workshop with sixth form art students. I have now also become a contributing presenter for the ‘Connecting Communities’ team on Newstyle Radio 98.7FM, as well as being in charge of the social media – they call me the “young voice” of the show. I have also been working closely with BBC 1Xtra and was asked to host backstage at 1 Xtra Live. And FINALLY…I am currently writing and rehearsing for Graft Productions play Uncle Ben’s Festive Block Party.

I think it is safe to say I have well and truly been productive!

Yes, I still feel overwhelmed at times and goodness do I feel exhausted! But the point is, I am doing everything I love! In fact I am more busy now than I was when I had a full-time job.

I have found PURPOSE and nothing has ever felt more fulfilling.

So what are you waiting for? Now it’s your turn.

(Cover photo: Cassandra.W Photography)