Isabella Reid

Isabella Reid’s journey to her current role at MØRNING is a testament to the power of embracing the unexpected. From working at a local cinema in a small Northern town to moving to London jobless, her path hasn’t been straightforward, but each step has certainly been formative. As a community and operations manager, Isabella now oversees the MØRNING People Fund (MPF), a £4,000 quarterly grant supporting artists, alongside studio operations and new business for the agency. Here, she shares how she found her way, the impact of MPF and advice for creatives who want to apply.

How would you describe what you do at MØRNING?
My role at MØRNING has a few different strands. The best way to describe it is that I nurture both our external community through programmes and our internal community – by helping run the studio day-to-day.

Our MØRNING People Fund (MPF) is one of these external programmes, as a £4,000 quarterly grant that we give to artists, dreamers and innovators to help bring their dream project to life. It fills me with so much joy and I feel so honoured to be able to run it as part of my role. The applications we receive are so special.

My operations role involves ensuring the studio runs smoothly, and can involve policies and handbooks to internships and cultural trips. I also sit within the New Business team, so that involves having calls with clients and sharing MØRNING’s ‘Be Less Shit’ mission.

Isabella and her dog Doris

Could you tell us about your journey to your current role?
Before MØRNING, I never envisioned I would have a career like this. After uni, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do and felt like everyone else had it figured out. I moved back home near Sheffield, saved up by working at a local cinema, and eventually moved to London, (jobless!), to find my place.

One day, while scrolling Instagram, I came across a studio assistant role at MØRNING. Despite limited experience, I shared my passion for photography and a book I’d written during the interview, hoping to they’d see my drive and character. I landed the role and was immediately inspired by MØRNING’s values and ways of working.

A year later, I was promoted to studio manager, taking on senior tasks and pushing myself further. Another year in, I helped grow MPF and took on community-focused and operational responsibilities, leading to my current role as community and operations manager. Each role really helped with the next.

Would you say you need any specific training for what you do?
I wouldn’t say so, no. I think the main traits and skills that are essential for this kind of role is be loving people and wanting to help others. Patience and keeping a cool head is also key. I’ve always naturally loved speaking to new people and being there for others, and it’s these transferable skills that I've taken into each role. I think my time working in retail and also photography probably helped with the above, as it taught me a lot about people and how to engage and connect with them.

The MØRNING Fund aims to support creatives who are driving culture forward. What has been the most rewarding or memorable part of being involved in this project?
This is a great question! There are so many. I think probably when we relaunched it last year and the overwhelming number of applications (over 1,000!) will always stay with me. The whole studio was just buzzing with excitement and each applicant was embodying our ‘Be Less Shit’ motto to its core in so many different ways.

It’s so easy in the creative industry, with so many budget cuts and hurdles for creatives, to feel a little pessimistic about the future of the arts. To be able to judge these applications from all around the world and see all the brave work that people do for their communities is incredibly rewarding.

What does your normal day-to-day usually look like?
My day-to-day varies, but I usually start the day watching EastEnders with my dog Doris (I’m a soap nerd, sorry not sorry). Then, I make the biggest cup of tea ever and log on, or if I’m heading into the studio, I get the train in.

My days consist of a lot of calls, both internally and externally, and I usually use the afternoon to dive deep into either a spreadsheet or a keynote. I always ensure that at lunchtime, I go on a walk with my dog to have a break from the screen, which I would highly recommend to anyone, especially if you’re on a lot of calls throughout the day, touch some grass!

Isabella giving a presentation about MØRNING

What was your journey like when you were first starting out? Did you find your feet quickly?
My journey was not linear. I studied in Leeds, and I’m from a small town in the North, so opportunities felt a little harder to come by. I felt like I knew little bits about a lot, which on my CV didn’t feel strong enough. So, I started building my own portfolio of work – predominately photography, film and storytelling – so that I kept my love for creative work strong, whilst I worked other jobs.

After a couple of internships, it took me some time to land a career. My biggest learning was to be open-minded when starting your journey. Try lots of things because your ‘dream job’ might not be what you first expected.

What has been your biggest challenge along the way?
I would say getting my first entry-level role. This was down to my self-confidence and feeling like I needed to know what job I wanted instantly. Location too - London is expensive, and sometimes it’s hard to navigate, especially if you’re new there.

What are three things that you’ve found useful to your work or career, and why?
They would be:

Have there been any courses, programmes, initiatives, access schemes or job boards you’ve found helpful or would recommend to get into your sector?
@thelearnerplatform is great for scouting for jobs, LinkedIn is useful to learn how to use and connect with others and D&AD do some great short courses.

What have been your greatest learnings with making money and supporting yourself as a creative?
Don’t work for free! Always ensure you’re paid for your time and efforts – you deserve this and are worthy of this.

What’s the best career-related advice you’ve ever received?
Believe in yourself and don’t box yourself in.

MØRNING's website

What advice would you give to someone looking to get into a similar role?
I would start by thinking about your own values and what footprint you want to leave in the creative world. From there, do some research into different agencies and do your homework on what they’re about. 

Then, build a portfolio full of your creative work, especially any side hustles you do, reach out to lots of places and don’t give up. I know it can feel super-hard and disappointing but I promise you, the right place will snap you up. And LinkedIn – create a profile on there and connect with others.

What advice would you give to creatives applying for this round of MØRNING funding?
Be bold, be brave! Think about ‘Be Less Shit’ and how your project echoes this for others, whether that’s helping a community or pushing culture forward. And if you don’t make it in one round, don’t give up; refine your idea and keep trying – we’ve had winners who won on their second or third go. For tips on how to apply, email ‘HELLØ’ to [email protected] – our next round opens in April!