By Megan Egan

4 days till launch!

It’s T-minus 4 days to SCA lift off and the panic is starting to set in again. What if I’m no good at this? What if the penny just never drops?

It feels like I’m going back to the early days of my Apprenticeship – that time where everything was just so frustrating because I didn’t quite get it. I don’t know how or when it happened, but one day something just clicked, and design became second nature. Don’t get me wrong, I still get stuck and things hardly ever come out exactly how I imagined them, but I don’t feel trapped inside my own head anymore screaming that my brain won’t connect to my hands and make things look right.

I’ve got my fingers and toes crossed I have a smoother transition as I leap into this ad-filled world. I’ve been trying to take steps to warm myself up the course, such as making topical ads in my head as I run around packing for London. Maybe this wasn’t the best idea, as it’s made me realise I know nothing at all about advertising and has caused an onset of panic!

I’m officially moving down to London on Sunday, and just can’t believe my luck. I know a small number of people think that SCA students are privileged and the school itself is elitist – well I can tell you that without my D&AD scholarship, and without the incredible generosity of an amazing woman offering me a free room for a year, I definitely would not be able to attend SCA.

In fact, I feel so incredibly lucky with the way things have aligned to pull me to London. I first found out about SCA through D&AD New Blood, after something in the back of my head was telling me to enter the awards the night before the deadline. That last ditch effort won me my first pencil, and enabled me to go to the New Blood Academy, where I got my first taste of Art Direction and decided it’s what I want to do.

At the Academy, I met an incredible bunch of people, both students and D&AD staff, and even some industry leaders too, all of whom just wanted to help in any way they could. From there, I found out about Creative Equals, who are working to bridge gender inequalities within the industry, who put me in touch with some one offering free accommodation for a year. It all just sounds too good to be true really, doesn’t it?!

I think there’s a tendency to think this industry is cut-throat and ‘cliquey’, and there probably is elements of that, but from my personal experiences so far, I’ve been overwhelmed by the support and generosity of the industry figures I’ve met. It really is a positive start to my career in advertising, and long may it continue! I will be sure to return the favour one day.

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A few months ago, I registered the domain ‘www.theluckycreative.com‘, with the intention of starting up an online shop, however, with the recent developments in my life, I felt it would be better suited to a blog documenting my journey as I try to crack the London ad world. Feel free to check it out, if you like!