How creative Chloe Berry found her voice during a student residency at Uncommon

What happens when you don't see yourself reflected in the creative industry? For Ravensbourne student Chloe Berry – the first in her working-class family to go to university – a four-week residency at Uncommon became a turning point. In this honest reflection, she shares how the experience helped her find confidence, embrace her voice and realise there’s space in the industry for people like her.

Questioning the point of university

It is undeniable that there is fearmongering in working-class communities surrounding university. There’s been a constant rhetoric about it being just a three-year booze rampage resulting in massive debt and job insecurity. I always judged people who went to university – why not just work and earn a wage straight from school?

I thought university was pompous, pointless and financial suicide. Starting your 20s with thousands in debt will never sound appealing to someone from a working-class background. We simply cannot afford that luxury. I was never taught that it was an investment – only a big, unnecessary burden.

As the first person in my family to attend university, there’s an immense pressure to succeed and an overarching feeling of risk. Creative passions aren't understood in our communities – they’re seen as hobbies you pursue in the blissful hours you aren't at the 9-5 you hate.

Now, I know there are countless jobs in creative fields that are not only fulfilling but pay you a real-life salary… you hear that, mum?

Finding the right course and creative community

Creative degree courses aren’t one-size-fits-all, and I found a university that offered a practical, employment-oriented course – an experience that matched my work ethic and passion for my field. I’m able to fail freely, learn and grow with no judgement.

I’ve also discovered my style. I’ve always been attracted to the whacky and the dark, and Ravensbourne allows me to experiment freely. Despite my family’s doubts, they supported me thoroughly and helped me take the plunge to be part of a creative community that has offered endless support. This community also led me to an experience at Uncommon that changed my life.

Seeing myself in the work

As part of our Work-Based Learning Module, we were offered the opportunity to take part in a four-week residency at Uncommon Creative Studio. I was curious about the studio after seeing their “Bag for Life” campaign with JD. It demonstrated a rare understanding of youth culture – seen in the many uses of the infamous yellow JD bag.

I remember thinking whoever did the strategy didn’t just find the insight – they tasted and smelt it. It’s one of the only campaigns I’ve seen that resonated with real life and understood how things are reused and become multipurpose among the working class. I felt seen.

Despite my mum telling me I’d “do bloody well” in the advertising industry, I had always perceived the industry as greedy and shallow – adjectives which still ring true in many ways. Uncommon, however, gives you ideas that raise awareness and provoke a response. They stand out in a sea of shallow, cringey slogans and Kidz Bop soundtracks.

Feeling the shift in confidence

I was chosen to attend a selection day at Uncommon’s Clerkenwell studio, where we were given a quick turnaround creative brief. It taught me a lot about what’s important to me. I chose to create something with meaning – a cause.

It seemed to work. The Uncommoners reviewing our work gave us a positive response. I felt a new confidence, a motivation I’d never felt before. In an academic environment, I had been watering myself down – my imposter syndrome limiting the ambition behind my projects.

Too often I told myself my idea was stupid, that it wouldn’t be taken seriously coming from me. Not constructive, I know – but maybe understandable for someone who never expected to be in higher education. I often felt inadequate, second-guessing my ideas because I didn’t think people would understand what I was going for.

Before this shift, creating felt like telling a crap joke in a bar and nobody laughing. But the validation from Uncommon has majorly supercharged my confidence.

A new perspective on creativity and careers

The four weeks that followed taught me that I have something important to say – and the right voice in which to say it. There’s no need to censor my work or put on my “phone voice.” They showed me there’s no need to be “less.”

Advertising is at a pivotal moment – more people than ever hate ads and are paying to avoid them. But I’ve learned to see this as an opportunity, not a problem. We can use creative work to activate change, to further real causes and to let visual communication serve its true purpose – to inform people, not just sell to them.

Uncommon produce fiercely creative work with purpose – work for culture, and work they believe in. It’s the kind of work I aspire to create. The experience helped me find my place in the industry. I now have a clearer direction and the confidence to pursue it.

Not design, as is often assumed for creative students, but strategy and research – using facts and lived experience to create something that resonates with culture. Uncommon are doing something truly important in this space, and hopefully I can reunite with them at some point. But whatever I do, I now have the confidence to do it with my own voice.

My advice

If I could offer any advice to young creatives in my position, it would be: don’t ignore yourself – you are your biggest reference. If you like the weird and the wonderful, then make the weird and the wonderful. Watch how you speak, and write like it. And finally – primary research is your greatest friend. Watch this space!