Sample Class Plan | English for Creative Careers | Luck
We have a portfolio-building mentorship for international art school candidates.
To promote it, I’ve been talking about what it takes to get accepted into a UK art school, and giving pointers on portfolio preparation for entry into a UK art school.
In the video, I talk about 3 things you need to make it as an artist & designer
Luck
Hard graft
Natural inclination/talent
You are in control of two of these things.
But can you increase luck in a creative career?
This article explores how its possible.
Luck doesn’t only ‘just happen’ to you.
This article is all about increasing your luck.
I’ll share one ‘woo’ way, and one practical way.
Read on to discover how to improve your luck for your creative career!
Show that art students can begin to build their international CV now.
Increase knowledge of how to find and apply for international Calls for Artists.
Demonstrate that international Calls for Artists can provide creative inspiration post-art school.
You can be in the right place at the right time – or the wrong place at the wrong time – and it is career-defining.
Luck in Creative Careers
As it’s Friday the 13th, I’ve been asking L2 English users about their ‘lucky breaks’.
I don’t mean the hard-won ones, where you have to work all night or send off 50 applications for every job interview (that’s the graft part) – but the random moments of pure chance that have helped your career progress.
Class Plan
Take a minute to think of your own, and discuss. Who has been the luckiest?
Make a list of all the times with an element of chance, coincidence, or serendipity that changed your creative career for the better.
Art & Design Careers
Compared to other disciplines, the art world is absolutely full of such moments: multidisciplinary conversations and encounters that spark inspiration, innovation, and changes of direction.
Science, technology and industry are big ships that need time to change course.
In comparison, art and design are little dingies you have to fight wind and currents to keep on a straight course!
We are open to ALL kinds of influences.
It’s our job!
Luck for creative Careers | The ‘Woo’ Way
If you are a mid-career creative, it’s a good idea to check you are still receptive to potential catalysts.
When was the last time a bit of luck changed your practice?
Luck is still out there of course, but are you?
Are you putting yourself into new places and contexts where luck can find you?
Receptiveness to luck fades if you don’t nurture and look for it.
One part of ageing is taking fewer risks and having more routines.
What can you do to shift your life path into new, potentially lucky directions?
Who can you meet?
Where can you travel to?
It may be that you need to take a bit of time out to play and explore.
Make a list of your past lucky moments – big and tiny – (discovering your favourite pencil?) (Meeting that person who told you about that opportunity).
Once you realise all the ways you have been lucky, you’re more likely to find more.
Some people even keep a gratitude journal for this. To stay receptive.
Our Amplify Challenge Will Help You Out of Your Comfort Zone!
Luck for Creative Careers | The Practical Way
Improve your fluency in a second language!
More than any single other skill, language fluency opens doors to opportunities!
Let’s see.
Look back at your list of lucky incidents.
In how many was there a language factor?
Did the luck arrive because you presented yourself well by communicating something vital and unique about your creative work?
For everyone working with non-fluent English – know that it’s so much harder to make those encounters work in your favour.
I know.
I’ve been in enough situations where my French wasn’t good enough to take any potential creative collaborations to the next level.
Don’t feel regret. Work out how to get a bit of English into your lifestyle, before it’s too late.
Why Do Artists and Designers Need English Skills
Because the art world runs on conversations.
Sometimes it just takes sharing a beer or a workshop or being at the same gig or party.
That conversation happens goes on to change your world.
That magic happens over jokes and laughter, not stilted conversations when you are focusing on finding your words.
If you don’t enjoy speaking English, you won’t put yourself in the path of luck, you’ll be holding back, not speaking and you’ll even stop showing up.
If it feels difficult, we avoid it. It’s natural!
How You Can Improve Your Luck
You have to feel at ease speaking for the luck to work!
When you are not fluent, conversations are harder, and the chances of that like-minded click that then turns into a fruitful collaboration are much less likely.
Further Discussion | English for Creatives
Do you have a lucky break story?
Choose on moment of good luck that helped your career progress?
Hop onto your social media and tell your audience this story?
Your audience is interested in how you became the creative that you are – and everyone loves hearing a ‘right place, right time’ tale – it’s affirming for everyone that their career can be uplifted at any moment.
Nurture your followers by sharing your story with them.
Class Reading Assignment
Work in pairs, 1 person reads A Guide to Gratitude Journalling.
They give the second person advice from the article (in their own words). Their partner asks questions.
Are they going to try journalling? Why/Why not?
English for Art Schools
Blue Noun are specialists in English for Creatives / English for Creative Careers.
In the same spirit as our physical space, we invite internationals to join us online to practice speaking all things art and culture.
We offer one-to-one coaching to arts professionals and have a variety of services for art schools, to provide either supplementary practical English experience for their students or to deliver the entire English training for the art school.
Further Information
Networking increases your chances of good things happening! Read about Networking and English for Creative Careers.
Find out about how we help Art Schools and Independent Creatives.
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