By Christopher Medford

The Calm Before the Storm

The first couple of days I have been trying to figure out what have I gotten myself into. The best way I could describe it would be that SCA is like a small tropical island; very interesting place, with very few people who seem to get along. The peace won’t be for long though, because there is a storm called Briefs incoming with a bigger hurricane called portfolio day hovering on the horizon. But because we can see them offshore and we have enough time to prepare for it, so they shouldn’t be a problem. Right?

The first week at the SCA has given me more insight about how to prepare myself from these massive storms incoming for the following year, other than hard work beats talent, I have picked up  there is strong importance at the school of looking after your mental health and taking care of not concentrating on all the bullshit all the time. The last two years have tortured my mental health but I have been actively been trying to change these things. Meeting Ben the Buddhist has given me some reassuring words of wisdom to help myself move forward positively. As Marc would put it Ben isn’t a traditional Buddhist but his life experiences have been able to give him a particular insight into human psyche, and the talk that he gave us about our conscious and subconscious brains making decisions on a primitive level when we are overwhelmed, stressed out or suffering from depression, truly rung home with myself, for I had been prone to a bit of retail therapy and used to buy stuff to fill the void.

When we are in this state of unrest, we are easily swayed by feeling and emotion and with a good story it will defiantly override all logic. The part of the brain that deals with complex problem solving can be overwhelmed by modern life, too much information and sensory overload meaning are more primitive instinctual side will take over doing what ever it can to make us feel safer. This side of the brain is what branding appeals to and is the side of the brain that we should be focusing on when we start to construct our ideas for briefs we shall be given. 

But to stop us falling into the rabbit hole of self-doubt and depression. we will need to practice the art of mindfulness to stay, above all the bullshit and remain in a positive state of mind, to stay focused on the present. And not to worry about the future either because that is one of many triggers of anxiety which in turn are not going to help your creativity and effect the level of work that you’ll produce. I feel like I may have over analysed my first week, but genuinely some conversations you have with people can really leave a lasting impression on you.