Strolling through the streets of Ibiza old town I found myself stopping in my tracks. I see a poster mentioning Maya Jane Coles who is on the line up for a gig at Ushuaia in a couple of weeks time. A little smile comes to my face.
A mind-blowing ten years have passed since I was one of ten young people who were recognised with a Creative Sparks Award by Nesta to invest in our potential. Others have since gone on to receive the award and now Ignite Futures, a not for profit organisation, exists to continue to promote creativity in learning.
As a group of individuals, with different backgrounds and passions, looking back over the last decade, we've not done badly. To name a few - Emily made a solar powered fridge that transformed the lives of people in Africa and has picked up multiple awards including a Glamour Women of the Future Award. Jonny is now displaying his art in the Saatchi gallery. Maya is playing gigs all over the world and is ranked by Rolling Stone as the 15th most influential DJ of our time. As for me, I'm investing my efforts in climbing the corporate ladder. And of course not forgetting our dear friend Tsz, a talented engineer, who was suddenly killed in a bicycle accident. At the age of 23 he already had work published by the Royal Academy of Engineering. A fairly talented bunch one could say.
What no doubt started as a theory by Nesta - that investing in passions and creativity can accelerate talent - has unquestionably played a part in transforming the lives of all Creative Sparks. We might, at face value, come across as talented people who would have found our own way to achieve success - but if my story alone is anything to go by, the theory paid off and the learnings need to be shared. Here's why:
Timing matters: At 18, when we were nominated by Nesta we were all at a transition stage with a number of us just starting university or thinking about entering the world of work. At this age you venture off to university without a care in the world and more likely than not have no idea what you want to do or be once you graduate. If it hadn't have been for my award that encouraged me to take the space and time to reflect at this very moment in my life I don't think I would have had the head start that I needed to fast track my career. More needs to be done to instil the importance of reflecting on your talent and passions at this critical time. Career advice at university (and even at school) didn't cut it and I doubt it still does.
Powered by: I've lost count of the amount of times I've used my award as an ice breaker. It's that random fact about yourself to give at a team offsite or a 'big yourself up' moment in an interview. I remember the time, aged 21, I went to a CSR conference in Brussels all by myself and felt like I could be there because I had Nesta on my name badge. Looking back I guess this was me being resourceful and leveraging a well known organisation name to my advantage. Today I work for one of the most famous brands out there and this is something that I now take for granted. Until you have an employers endorsement it remains hard for doors to be opened at such a key time. Rather than a focus on mentoring, I think big organisations or executives today need to focus on sponsoring - not in its traditional sense - but rather finding and endorsing young talent to help open doors for young people with potential.
Club Creative Spark: There's something powerful about belonging to something. I remember leaving for a Creative Sparks weekend away and my university friends quizzing me about what I'd spent the weekend doing. It was often hard to explain but only the other Creative Sparks truly understood. I felt part of a club. This experience has taught me to build relationships with people who understand what my passions are and who importantly can support me along the way. This is something I need to remind myself to make time to do more of even today.
Reaching your destination: Since having that lightbulb moment at university and using my award to further explore my career path there have been bumps along the way. For a couple of years I suffered from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and physically found it hard to get out of bed some days. There were times where every day was a bad day. But knowing that someone outside of my friends and family circle believed in me, gave me that impetus even on a tough day. Resilience is something I soon picked up. I think a lot of young people today expect to have access to information and support immediately but ultimately it's patience and resilience that get you through. This is something we need to instil in young people today with perhaps more urgency than before.
As I lie in the sun thinking about the last ten years, it's without question going to be what happens in the next ten years - and the risks we all take - that will really enable us to look back on the impact of our awards. For now we settle into knowing our own vibe - and enjoy the success that comes from being in our element.
**The Creative Sparks programme supported exceptionally creative young people in the UK to develop their skills, passion and talent, by supporting them financially, and by pairing them with a mentor to help guide their development. More here: www.ignitefutures.org.uk**
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