“Advertising?!”

I remember the look of pure shock and bewilderment on my friends’ faces when I told them about SCA. To them, I was Travis the footballer. But now, to my surprise as well, I was about to pursue a whole different ball game.

From the age of 9, my entire life revolved around football. Kicking and chasing that ball, day in and day out, was my purpose and passion. From the scorching heats of a Sydney Summer’s day to freezing, unforgiving nights in South London, I couldn’t get enough. For many, football is just a game but for me it was much more than that. 

Truthfully, football was my safe place. It was all I really knew. But like all things in life, there comes a time where you need to transgress the boundaries of your comfort zone and venture out into the wider world in order to truly grow. That time is now. 

Coming into SCA was daunting. I remember waking up on selection day filled to the brim with nerves and apprehensiveness. I’ve never been someone to doubt myself, but I was really hesitating on this one. The journey into the studio that morning was perhaps the longest 30 minutes of my life. Crammed tightly amongst the unforgiving rush hour crowd, I felt as if my whole world had been propelled into chaos. People pushing. Babies crying. Entrapped within a frenzy of foreign faces and conversations. Yet, whilst so much was going on, the mayhem of the outside world truly seemed insignificant in comparison to the havoc happening in my head. 

“What am I even doing?”

As the train finally stumbled towards Brixton station, I really contemplated taking an extra few stops to go shopping in Oxford Street instead. Despite being excited for new challenges, my mind was pessimistically consumed by negative thoughts. I had no creative background. No experience in visual arts. Furthermore, I couldn’t draw to save my life. I really thought I didn’t have a chance. 

This all changed the moment I arrived. Welcomed warmly by Marc & Marcia, the frantic feelings which initially invaded my thoughts faded and made way for a calmer state of mind. Furthermore, as I curiously ventured around the studio, a familiar accent from a fellow Australian, and absolute legend, Euan, made my new surroundings feel far less alien. From that moment on, I started to believe again. I knew I was going to be faced with intimidating challenges and obstacles, but hey, football has a goalkeeper and we still score goals. 

Throughout my first month at SCA, I’ve come to realise that maybe the worlds of football and creativity are not so different. Football was a ruthless environment where only the very best even got a taste of success. Whilst I’ve played with and against hundreds, if not thousands of players, I can only count the number of those who actually made it on one hand. At SCA, it has become clear that only the best work makes the cut. There is no room for mediocrity because you are surrounded by talent. Talent that is fuelled even further by passion, work-ethic, and an unwavering obsession for progression. In the advertising industry, I’ve learnt that you really need to be a quick thinker, communicator, problem solver, team player and a leader in order to become recognised. Putting it into my own perspective, these are the things that all the players that made it in the football world were. 

As I write this SCAB on a Tuesday evening, when I’d normally be training under the lights at Motspur Park, I reflect and laugh at how uncertain I was to begin with and how so much has changed. I may not be a footballer anymore, and I may not have expected this to be the path I’d take, but as the setting changes, my mind set remains the same. I can’t wait to get stuck in. This is my new playing field.

(P.S: don’t remove the astro turf, it’s nostalgic for me!)

@Travistravis67