How would you describe what you do?
I‘m a multidisciplinary artist, DJ and events curator based in London.

My work involves many facets. On weekdays, I spend my time working as a junior content manager for Island Records, helping to plan and produce content in-house for a variety of artists. My day-to-day tasks include assisting teams with planning shoots that we‘d be conducting for the week and editing assets for our artists.

On weeknights, I spend my time documenting queer rave culture across London for a variety of events such as Riposte and Faggamuffin, plus DJing and curating for 0116InternetCulture – a collective I launched that throws events based around internet genres and subcultures for QTIPOC audiences across the UK.

What are the main influences and inspirations behind your work?
My main influences definitely come from internet culture. The internet is a big influence on me because I was raised on it growing up in Leicester. We really didn‘t have a creative scene that was accessible for working-class kids, so the only chance I would get to be creative was through social media platforms such as YouTube and TikTok.

I think my favourite creative project that has inspired me is the Saturation trilogy by Brockhampton. I remember seeing it as a kid and absolutely loving the creative direction of it. I think that video had a huge impact on my creative expression as it‘s a bunch of people that decided to make things independently only with the equipment and budget that they had, which is so inspiring.

Would you say you need any specific training for what you do?
Not really. I spent a lot of time as a kid watching tutorials on YouTube – and all of the things that I know and use in the industry today, I‘ve learnt from the internet.

Great ways to find tutorials are through YouTube and definitely TikTok. I think the best way to gain skills in these topics is by making your own channel and having fun experimenting with creating things that you‘ve always wanted to create.

What‘s been your favourite project to work on from the past year, and why?
Definitely a video I created for Attitude magazine, in collaboration with the VSOE. I got to meet and capture iconic queer celebrities in such an idyllic location.

Earlier this year, you participated in a Lazy Oaf campaign shoot that Creative Lives in Progress supported. Can you tell us about your experience?
The Lazy Oaf shoot was such a fun experience! It was exciting to work with such a diverse group of creatives for a brand that I‘ve loved for a while.

I found out about the opportunity through creative networking group chats that I joined through word-of-mouth. I sent Lazy Oaf my website and they loved it.

The shoots‘ concept was showcasing upcoming creatives that are making waves in the industry. It was great to collaborate with everyone else involved.

What was your journey like when you were first starting out?
My journey was really hectic. I started by freelancing after dropping out of university during the pandemic. There weren‘t a lot of opportunities and resources due to the pandemic, which led me to use all the money I‘d saved from working a dead-end bar job to move to London to freelance.

The transition from being a creative at uni to the real world is pretty insane as there‘s a lot of responsibility put on you and deadlines that you can‘t skip. The first few months being in London were intense as I was taking on a lot of jobs – all while sofa-surfing due to the housing crisis in London.

My career then started to change when I got onto D&AD Shift, an advertising night school for creatives. This gave me the opportunity to work with a variety of brands such as adidas. I started building my portfolio and then got approached by Attitude Magazine to work on some incredible projects based around queer culture.

How did you go about landing your first clients/commissions?
I got my first clients through social media. I used to post a bunch of drafts and would film the process from start to finish. Posting my work on TikTok and Instagram really did help me to gain exposure, as it allowed for people around the world to see my work.

What would you say has been your biggest challenge along the way?
Definitely ageism. As I started so young, a lot of people in industry wouldn‘t take me seriously because of my age and race. It sucks because they see Gen Z creatives as inferior – even though we‘re the ones creating trends and making change.

If you could pick three things that you‘ve found useful or inspiring to your work or career, what would they be and why?
TikTok, YouTube tutorials and free events. I definitely think TikTok helped me out as I was able to meet so many creatives throughout London from events posted on it. A great tip is to search for creative group chats and community events that are happening in your area on TikTok!

YouTube tutorials have helped me learn skills quickly as it‘s free to use – and I feel that free industry events are so important as you never know who you might meet there. I definitely recommend Eventbrite for finding these events.

How important would you say social media and self-promotion are to your work?
Social media is so important to my work as it allows me to reach people with similar interests around the world. It’s really helped me to meet other creatives and also promote my events.

However, don’t get caught up in the algorithm and worry too much about whether your posts are getting enough likes or engagement, as that can stop you from posting the things that others may still like.

What have been your greatest learnings with making money and supporting yourself as a creative?
Always follow up on an invoice. I feel like brands love to support smaller creatives but never end up paying invoices on time. Have conversations beforehand and agree on at least 10% upfront just for insurance.

What‘s the best career-related advice you‘ve ever received?
Trust your instincts on things. A lot of the time, we come up with amazing ideas but never have the guts to say them out loud. Be brave and have faith in your vision.

Have there been any courses, programmes, initiatives or access schemes you would recommend to get into your sector?
Definitely D&AD shift, they‘ve really helped me as a creative starting out.

What advice would you give someone looking to get into a similar role?
Start creating work now. Post your work on social media and just keep going!