When I was 14, my classmates and I were instructed to read through a book containing all the careers available in Denmark at the time. With all the different career options that exist now, it seems crazy to think that there was a time when they all fit into a single book. I took the instructions very seriously and read through the whole thing. At the end of it, I had only highlighted two jobs I was interested in: engineer and copywriter. Two quite different paths – and one I picked mostly because it’s what was expected of me.

Not long after, we had to do work experience in two different companies, and I immediately made arrangements to go into an engineering consulting group. Unfortunately, I had read in the career book that the way to maybe become a copywriter in Denmark was by first studying journalism. While I loved writing, I had a bad impression of journalism. The career counsellor at my school desperately tried to convince me to do my work experience with just about any newspaper he could think of. I wasn’t interested. In the end, he threatened to arrange my work experience with a priest if I didn’t make my own arrangements by the end of the day. That’s what made me walk into a pizzeria on my way home from school…

Fast forward to high school a couple of years later, and all my A-levels were language and writing-related. It seemed like the right direction, so why didn’t I like it? My best friend told me amazing things about her language teacher and one day I snuck into her class to see for myself. She blew me away within the first ten minutes and I knew I needed to be in her class. Unfortunately for me, I had to change all my classes for that to happen. That’s how I ended up studying maths, biology and chemistry as my A-levels.

After high school, I spent two years working random jobs in different countries while trying to figure out what I wanted to study at university. My dream of becoming a copywriter was still very much alive, and I somehow convinced myself that studying marketing would be right. Unfortunately, it wasn’t. Already within the first month of university, I knew I hadn’t quite landed in the right place. In my search for an alternative, I discovered Miami Ad School and SCA. They felt absolutely right, but I didn’t have the money to make either a reality. That’s how I found myself stuck on my state-funded degree.

As part of my degree, I studied abroad in Hong Kong, and I was relieved to discover that there, I was able to choose from exciting classes like creativity, writing and advertising. It felt right, and I very clearly remember the exact moment I decided that I’d make it into advertising one way or another even if it meant going into serious debt. I did end up completing my application to Miami Ad School, but I never sent it. Unfortunately, the bank wouldn’t lend me the money – I can’t really blame them. That’s how I once again found myself travelling the world for a couple of years while upskilling to prepare for my next move.

My next move involved getting into an agency. I had the, perhaps naive, idea that once I was in, I could surely work my way from one department to another. I moved to London and started working as a media buyer/planner in a digital marketing agency. The agency has changed a few times since then, but this is still what I do. It’s been great and I’ve had a lot of success. But last year, that 14-year-old dream of becoming a copywriter started bubbling up again. Fortunately, this time I was in a position to make it happen. That’s how I’ve finally found myself studying at SCA.

I can’t help but wish it had happened sooner, but I’m grateful that it’s happening now. And maybe all the “unfortunates” in this blog post don’t actually deserve the prefix. After all, creatives need to have knowledge of many different areas in order to do great work. I don’t know when it’ll come in handy that I can recite the photosynthesis equation in my sleep or that I know what the secret ingredient in pizza sauce is, but I’m sure it will one day.

@_louiseamalie