Creative Rut (blog)

Have you ever fallen into a creative rut?

Imagine owning the world’s fastest supercar but you can’t get the handbrake off. The tension starts to build in your hands, then your arms and then your whole body as you try to release that lever. It’s just you in the car and the thing won’t go.

It’s frustrating, disappointing and it takes you to a low point because you know what should be attainable.

I think all creatives believe they have a special talent. You have to. It’s a matter of self confidence. Whether you are an actor, dancer, filmmaker, artist or musician you need to believe that you can do it well.

But what stops you from doing it well? The answer is probably many things but this is what happened to me ...

Let me start by saying, I loved university. Best three years of my education. I was surrounded by hundreds of people that were interested in the same subject as me and they wanted to share, create and contend. Universities also have the resources and knowledge to help you get started.

When I finished university, I moved back home and all those people and resources disappeared overnight. That’s when I fell into a creative rut.

When I speak to students now, I warn them about it. If you build your network the right way you can keep people and resources around you … but I didn’t do that. For about 2 months I was stuck. The highlight of my day would often be a visit to my local Tescos. Any attempt to create content or engage with others was unsuccessful. 

Then I managed to get a few opportunities and slowly I started to get back what I had lost.

I set up a company with two friends. My creative output suddenly shot up massively. We didn’t have much to start with but I had people again. I was out of the rut.

Fast forward five years and I remember asking myself if I was now satisfied? I recall feeling good about my situation but not fully content. 

Did you know that more than 90% of businesses in this country have less than 10 employees? Despite the fact that we have these huge organisations like the BBC, there are thousands of creatives working alone or in very small teams day to day.

I have worked with large production teams but not very often. Two years ago, I decided to change that and I co-founded a platform for creatives called MediaCityUK Unplugged.

To quickly summarise, MediaCityUK Unplugged is an online music platform. We film musicians performing songs and then we release the content online. It’s a non profit platform that has attracted students, graduates, freelancers, production companies, music producers etc. Our team includes more than 20 people with different skills. I love it!

There are many benefits to the platform but helping people to avoid creative ruts has always been a factor for me. When I meet creatives in that low place or coming close to it I tell them them to check out MCUK Unplugged. I love working with the team and the musicians. I enjoy seeing other people getting creative fulfilment from it. For some team members, their day to day doesn’t give them an opportunity to make music videos or try certain roles. For others they don’t get regular chances to flex their creative talents or be part of a large team. The platform requires a lot of resources, which we are lucky to have thanks to the help and generosity of our team and partners. We are looking for further support this year to expand the channel and increase our offering. If you know someone who might be interested, then tag them in the comments.

MediaCityUK Unplugged is now a CIC (Community Interest Company). If you want to find out more visit www.facebook.com/MCUKUnplugged